In Want for a Wand

Chapters

Level 2 - Crusader
Level 3 - My Sewer is Your Sewer
Level 4 - Arcus and the Blood Elves
Level 5 - Death and Knight
Level 6 - A Fine Piece of Pine
Level 7 - Wolves
Level 8 - Advanced Gardening
Level 9 - A Town and a Half
Level 10 - Dwarven Stout
Level 11 - Under the Bridge
Level 12 - Too Many Fights
Level 13 - Hoping For Light
Level 14 - Affliction
The Queen and the Princess
Level 15 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Level 16 - Last-Minute Confessions
Level 17 - The Friend on The Outside
The Failure
Level 18 - The Banshee Queen
Epilogue - Where The Heart Is
Level 1 - A Letter to the Princess
The Elder
The Informant
Level 19 - The Silverpine Wand of Stars

Level 2 - Crusader

"How did I end up here again?", asked Arcus, tearing his eyes from the train window. They were not moving at maximum speed; this was not the express train after all.

"You bought a ticket, remember?", said Jonathan, throwing him a glance. They were sitting in a spacious compartment, Arcus and Twilight next to each other, Jonathan on the opposite bench. The human could not really lean back, he had pulled his legs up and folded into a lotus position like a Pandaren monk.

"You know that's not what I meant", deadpanned the earth pony.

Jonathan smiled wryly. "Don't tell me you are regretting this already. Nobody's forcing you to come with us, you know."

"No, that's not it", assured Arcus, waving his hooves, "I just... it feels kinda unreal."

Twilight sighed. "I know the feeling. You will get used to it after a while."

"You mean after saving the world several times it doesn't feel like a big deal to travel to another world, get some magical wood and gem and create an exceptionally difficult portal to get back? I still don't get how you think you'll be able to pull it off this time. Didn't you say you appeared in a random spot the last time?"

"I did", admitted Twilight, "but I managed to improve the spell since then. We will be able to get back more easily because this time we can combine Arcane and Light Magic to stabilize it. Princess Celestia helped on this side when I went to Azeroth for the first time. Additionally, Priest, I mean Jonathan, knows where we're going. At least one side of the portal is fixed", she added.

"The mirror?", guessed Arcus.

"Exactly. And I am aware that it's a big deal. But it's not the first big deal I am facing. This one will probably be more interesting and fun than, say, defending Equestria from some evil creature." She chuckled.

"That's a weird thing to say", commented Jonathan, eyeing the box that Twilight had brought with them. "I get why you would need a cloak in winter, Twilight, but how can you say it's going to be fun and at the same time all of you are wearing armor? I mean I did warn you but this seems a tad excessive."

Twilight grimaced. "It's just a precaution. Rarity promised that the armor wouldn't be too heavy. I only have a chestpiece and a cloak but you..."

"It's okay", said Arcus, "I already tried it on once."

"So you went for plate, huh?", mused Jonathan, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I figured, if I am coming with you, why not go all out. I am", admitted Arcus, "kind of an armor geek. Plus, the overall design is pretty cool."

•°

The reunion with the other Princesses in the throne room was short but heartfelt. Twilight hugged Celestia, beaming at her mentor, and introduced Arcus who bowed his head deeply. Jonathan also bowed before the Princesses which got him a frown from Luna. So he quickly straightened up again and formally kissed her hoof instead. She smiled contently, appreciating the slightly outdated gesture. Jonathan grinned; he had guessed correctly.

Arcus shifted his weight from one hoof to the other. This was a bit much; he had only seen the Princesses from afar before this. Even on Mara's Cuteciñera he had not dared to approach Princess Luna. The earth pony was not exactly shy but they were royalty after all!

Princess Luna beckoned Jonathan to join her on the balcony. They went through one of the large windows, which stood open to let a breeze in, and stepped to the baluster.

"How are you today?", asked Luna. "'Tis a pleasure to see you once again. Did Twilight help you with preparing the new spell?"

"Yeah." He could feel a lump in his throat. "We are not entirely sure we're gonna end up in the right place. I didn't tell Arcus."

"Maybe 'tis for the better", muttered Luna, watching the sun that hung just above the horizon. "I am not encouraging you to lie but this uncertainty might be a risk you will have to take. Furthermore, there is another thing..."

•°

Meanwhile, Twilight explained her plan to Celestia. The white alicorn listened carefully, nodding occasionally without interrupting her former student.

"I see", she said when Twilight was finished. "I am still holding on to my decision to help you. It is your choice to go to Azeroth and I know you have considered all the possibilities before you made it. So, Arcus Tangens, are you ready for this as well?"

"S-sure hope so. I've never done anything like this. Well, not in a different world. I mean; I've been trekking before. That's why I am so curious about this. A new world, that's gotta be something. And I want to help my friends. My wife is currently out of town anyway", he added, lowering his voice a little as he noticed he was beginning to babble.

"Thank you for doing this", said Twilight and gave him an encouraging smile. That made the corners of his mouth rise a little.

The window opened again and Luna and Jonathan joined them again.

"What about Spike?", asked Celestia. "Is he not coming with you?"

Twilight shook her head. "He is brave but he is still young. Azeroth is not a place for baby dragons. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happed to him there. Besides, he can't come with me all the time - someone has to look after the library and I don't know how long our journey will take." She grimaced uncomfortably. "He didn't take it too well."

Celestia tilted her head. "I propose we prepare the portal tomorrow. Until then", said the alicorn, "you may rest and gather your strength."

•°

Jonathan overslept the next morning. A giddy and overexcited Arcus nudged him repeatedly until he finally managed to open his eyes.

"Hurnbrunh?"

"Get up, biped. You're going home today!"

Jonathan said nothing.

He squeezed his eyes shut one more time and groaned, then sat up quickly. "Right. Thanks. I'm up. Just a second." Why was he always so dizzy in the morning?

"Okay", grinned Arcus and nodded at the door. "I'll be in the laboratory. We've already had breakfast and Twilight cast the translation spell on me. There's some sandwiches left for you. You better get ready quickly, everything's good to go."

•°

It took Jonathan five minutes to get up and another fifteen to find the laboratory. He had not seen this much of the castle last time, basically just the throne room and the guest quarters which were relatively close to each other, considering the size of the entire building. After the time in Ponyville it was definitely a nice change not having to duck every time he went through a door.

A servant pony almost bumped into him on the way down, carrying a tray with biscuits and sandwiches in his magic. Jonathan took a sandwich and hurried on, chewing on the fragment of breakfast he had managed to obtain. After asking some guards for directions, he finally identified the correct door, a heavy wooden portal. He pushed it open with some effort and looked around.

Jonathan was in a hall with a ridiculously high ceiling, its walls almost completely hidden behind countless shelves, posters, knickknacks and clutter. A large statue stood in the middle of the hall, depicting a bearded unicorn wizard. Jonathan assumed that it was supposed to be Starswirl, mainly because the sign on the portal had declared the wing to be "The Library of Starswirl the Bearded".

There was a rustle, then the sound of hoofsteps on stone tiles not too far from him. He followed the noise around a large bookshelf decorated with (he was impressed) a beautiful life-sized portrait of a young Princess Celestia.

Then he saw the portal.

"Whoa."

Twilight, Arcus and Celestia stood around a tall mirror. It was held by a massive brass frame shaped like a long horseshoe. Large gemstones were embedded in the frame. The most impressive thing, though, was the surface of the mirror. It was not what glass was supposed to look like. Instead, it was like a pool of bluish water with strange arcane currents whirling below the surface. He stepped closer, still panting a little from his dash across the castle.

"'Whoa' indeed", chuckled Princess Celestia.

"I don't remember it to be this, uh, magical", admitted Jonathan, scratching his neck as he became aware of the word's cheesiness.

Twilight turned around and beamed at him.

"You're here!" She raised her eyebrows. "You're late", she added, her tone more sober. She was wearing her cloak, now with her chestpiece on that looked similar to Celestia's. It was made of silver and had a pink star-shaped gemstone embedded in it. Jonathan had already seen it before - he had taught Twilight how to enchant it.

Arcus coughed, shifting around in his new armor. It was made of steel and cloth, sturdy yet flexible for fighting. The cut was simple, with less ornaments than the royal guard's armor, the colors matching the dark blue and purple streaks that could be found in Twilight's mane - and the flag of the Forsaken. This was not a coincidence; Jonathan had insisted on that detail of the design.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I overslept...", admitted Jonathan, his left hand absent-mindedly trying to straighten his messy white hair while his eyes were still on the mirror. "Those are not for prettifying the thing, are they?", he asked, pointing at the gems in the frame.

"No", said Twilight. "They are for stabilizing the portal."

"Ah, I see. Amethysts. Cleansing abilities."

Twilight nodded. "Exactly. Anyway, we're good to go."

"Everything is ready", added Celestia. "I have already prepared the portal. The only thing you need to do is to complete the spell by specifying the destination."

Jonathan nodded. "What about our stuff?", he asked.

Arcus pointed at three bags that lied nearby. Two of them were saddlebags. Jonathan recognized the dark blue pair as Twilight's. They had been a gift from Tak for the journey to Dalaran. Arcus was currently putting on the second pair, securing the strap under his barrel. So Jonathan grabbed the third bag, a backpack. He put it on and gave a thumbs up.

Celestia looked slightly confused by the gesture and Arcus just blinked while Twilight nodded her affirmation. They were all set and good to go.

"All right, let's do this", said Arcus.

Twilight squinted her eyes and lit her horn. The magic sparked, illuminating the mirror and then everyone in front of it. Twilight reared and stood on her hindlegs, her wings spread out. She beckoned Jonathan closer, focusing on the portal. Jonathan quickly touched her shoulder and focused as well. He reached for his center, the part of him that was untouchable by anything from outside, and called for the Light.

The response came immediately.

Warmth spread in the area of his chest, quickly expanding into his limbs. He pictured the image of Undercity in his head, its corridors, the forest around it, and the inhabitants. He tried to remember as many details as possible, connecting them with emotion and power, and let the images flow to Twilight. She used her magic to channel them into the portal's spell, wove them together to make the enchantment complete. The portal glowed in Twilight's purple, arcane light, a golden tint of Celestia's magic still shining through. It was now humming in a low tone not unlike the noise of a Goblin powerline.

Arcus, his eyes wide, watched in awe as Jonathan and Twilight perfected the spell, and said nothing. Celestia stepped a little closer but let her former student handle this on her own. It was clear that Twilight knew exactly what she was doing.

The portal glowed brighter, then the light and the hum faded away apruptly. Twilight stood on all of her legs again, panting a little. A sweatdrop was on her brow. She wiped it away and smiled. Jonathan grinned, exhilerated. He felt relaxed and happy, an aftereffect of channelling the Light.

"We did it."

"I can't wait to see what Tirisfal is like", said Twilight, squeeing despite her temporary exhaustion.

"Neither can I", confirmed Arcus.

"Thank you for your help and advice", said Twilight, hugging her mentor.

"Have a safe journey", said Celestia. "My heart will be with you all the way." Her voice was as gentle and firm as ever but Arcus noticed the corners of her mouth going down for a second. Then they broke the hug and Celestia bowed her head before Jonathan and Arcus, giving them her blessing with a simple, "Good luck."

"Thank you." Jonathan bowed deeply once again. Arcus Tangens did the same. Twilight simply nodded, took a deep breath, and turned to her friends.

"Let's go."

Together, they stepped into the mirror.

•°

Travelling through a magical portal is not the same as walking trough a door. It is more like falling down a waterfall that changes speed every few seconds, glows in every color of the rainbow and actually flows upwards. At least this is how Jonathan would have described it if anybody had asked him. No description came close to the real experience anyway. Strange patterns and shapes rushed by, unearthly sounds filled the air... or whatever substance they were travelling through.

As confusing and overwhelming the ride was, after a few moments it was already over. The star tunnel ended apruptly, unceremoniously spitting the three adventurers out a few steps above the ground.

Jonathan tumbled down the small hill they had arrived on until a tree root painfully stopped his movement. He closed his eyes and groaned, "Ow..." He was lying on relatively soft ground, thank the Light. Stretching out his hand, he felt for it. Grass. Grass was good.

As he opened his eyes again, still quite disoriented, he noticed the fog. Fog was even better. The sky was not blue; instead, a grey haze covered it, tinted in a sickly green light.

Jonathan smiled. It seemed they had arrived in the right place after all. He staggered to his feet, brushing patches of dry dirt off his cloak. It didn't matter much, the dark trees made it hard to see.

"Guys? You up there?", he shouted in general direction of the small hill.

There was a muffled thud and a groan.

"Guys?" He hurried over to the source of the noise.

Twilight was already back on her feet, shaking her head. "I'm never going to get used to this. It's so different from Blinking", she stated with a shaky voice. "Arcus, are you all right?"

The earth pony answered by noisily presenting what he had eaten for breakfast. Twilight squeaked and jerked her hoof away. Arcus turned his head, mumbling an apology over his shoulder. He drew a bottle of water out of his saddlebags and gulped some of it down pretty fast.

"Um", forced Twilight out, unable to find a good response to Arcus's throwing up. She shook her head. "Arcus?"

Arcus put the bottle away and cleared his throat. "I'll be fine. Wait, something's not right. Where's the sun?"

Jonathan silently stretched out his finger and pointed at a pale white circle above the trees.

"Oh."

"I'm just glad we've got good weather today", said Jonathan, putting his hands on his hips as he observed their surroundings.

"This is good weather?", asked Arcus incredulously.

"Yeah, kindy sunny for the Glades of Tirisfal actually", confirmed Jonathan and smiled a little.

Twilight got the hint and smiled as well. "So we did arrive at the right place?"

"Yep", said the human. "At least it's close enough. I can't see the city but this is definitely the right forest. See those hills over there?"

Twilight and Arcus nodded.

"We're north of the mountains that divide Tirisfal from Silverpine Forest. We only need to go east, then it won't be far until we find Undercity."

"So it's normal that this place is so gloomy?", asked Arcus again.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Seriously, what did you expect? This is a land tainted by the Undead Scourge. Besides, it's not half bad. Take a closer look." He gestured towards a random tree.

Arcus took the liberty to inspect the tree bark. "Huh. It's healing..."

"Exactly." Jonathan frowned. "It seems that the apothecaries are performing less experiments nowadays..." He touched the bark, peeling a bit of moss off. "Thank the Light, it was about time."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Experiments?"

"Uh, about that... you see, when the Forsaken got their free will back, the apothecaries started to do research in order to fight the Scourge in their own way."

"You mean with tricks?"

"No, biological warfare. They created a new plague that worked on the Undead as well as the living. It wasn't pretty."

Twilight gulped, then shook her head vigorously. "That's disgusting!"

Jonathan's frown deepened. "I know. But don't say that too loudly when we are in Undercity. The Royal Apothecaries are favored by the Queen."

Twilight's jaw dropped at that. "You have a queen? You never mentioned her!"

He scoffed. "There's not much that I mentioned really. Yes, we do have a Queen. Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen. She's been leading us since we got free from the Scourge. We reclaimed Undercity under her rule. She's actually pretty awesome and terrifying at the sime time. And an insanely good archer. Come on, let's get going or we won't make it before sundown."

They started walking in an eastern direction which led them downhill. It was getting steeper with every moment so they had to watch their steps. Twilight occasionally used her wings to glide a few yards but Arcus and Jonathan just tried their best not to slip.

"You're talking", panted Arcus, "as if you're still one of them."

"Excuse me?", responded Jonathan testily.

"Sorry", muttered Arcus quickly, "I just thought..."

"I healed, yes, but I'm still a Forsaken. Everyone I know is Forsaken. So of course I still think of myself as one of them. Yeesh."

Twilight smiled appeasingly. "Come on, Jonathan, he didn't mean it like that. But I think I understand. When I became a Princess I was worried I wouldn't be the same pony anymore. But my friends still treat me the same. To be perfectly honest, I had a good talk with them about that, during the incident with the plunderseed vines. I am still Twilight Sparkle but now I'm a Princess, too. The two things don't exclude each other."

Jonathan smiled. "Sorry, Arc. Guess you touched a nerve there. Twilight nailed it, though. I came back to life but that doesn't erase the fact that I died and all the other things that happened after that." He sighed. Then he touched level ground. They were at the foot of the hill.

"It's okay", said Arcus, glad that the climb was over. They had arrived on a small beach; they could not see an opposite shore across the water.

"I just hope my 'friends' think the same", muttered the human.

"Don't worry", said Twilight, "I'm sure they'll understand." She had not noticed his hesitation before the word 'friends'. She lowered her voice when she saw what was on the beach. "What are these? I've never seen anything like it."

Jonathan's shoulders sagged forward. "Oh no."

"What?", asked Arcus. "Those green and yellow fish-frog creatures?"

"Murlocs", groaned Jonathan. "Not good. Quick, let's get off the beach before..."

"Arghlurglwrmurglll!" An angry gargling shout came from one of the Murlocs. It pointed its frog-like arm at the intruders, waving the crude spear it held in its other three-fingered hand. Long, thin red fins sat on the top of its head, going down its back like a wild mane. Twilight wondered whether their big round eyes - which sat on the sides of their heads, not the front - always had this intense stare.

"Great. They saw us, too", observed Jonathan.

"You sure?", deadpanned Arcus, getting a scolding glance from Twilight.

The Murloc seemed really aggravated. It waved its companions closer - maybe about a dozen of fish-people, all of them with long colorful fins on their huge heads and armed in some way or another - and they started waddling towards the ponies and the human.

"I suggest we run!", shouted Jonathan, dashing towards the tree line.

They had to hurry; the first Murloc had already cut the distance between them into half.

Half-running, half-scrambling when they reached the grassy edge of the beach, they managed to reach the forest in time before the Murlocs caught up with them. The friends used their head start to hide behind the trees. The creatures followed them for a moment but when they were sure they had scared off the Not-Murlocs, they retreated to their crude straw-covered huts.

Panting and wheezing, the ponies sank down to the ground.

"Dear - Celestia!", shuddered Twilight.

"That was - close", said Jonathan, giggling a bit. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, his skull, arms and legs, everywhere. Sweat was running down his neck despite the cold. "Whew." He spat on the ground.

"Murlocs", said Arcus, tasting the word.

"Murlocs", agreed Jonathan. "Nasty little fellas. Wouldn't want to meet them when they're in a bad mood."

Arcus closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Don't tell me it's the same as with your sunny days."

•°

They made their way through the misty forest without saying much. Jonathan led the way, Twilight in tow with Arcus coming last. It was getting darker every minute. Twilight decided to light her horn, catching up with Jonathan.

"Are we still going to make it before sundown?", she asked.

"Hm, think so", said the human, squinting his eyes. "If I'm right, we should see the tunnel pretty soon."

She nodded, satisfied, and looked behind her. Arcus was keeping up without any trouble. He smiled at them encouragingly.

Twilight sighed. Jonathan was so quiet that she felt reminded of her time in Dalaran. Maybe this forest had stirred some memories. She remembered the story he had told on Nightmare Night, about the woman whose brother had killed her against his will. How much of it had been fiction?

•°

Half an hour later, they arrived at the ruin of an old stone tower. It stood on a small hill in front of the actual mountains that peeked through the treetops. It looked desolate and neglected despite the light that shone through the entrance.

"Is this the way in?", asked Arcus, raising his eyebrow.

"Definitely not", emphasized Jonathan. "Actually, it's best if nobody see us. The entrance is behind this outpost."

"Oh, okay", said Arcus and grimaced.

The two ponies and the human made a wide arc around the tower, always keeping it in sight but trying to stay hidden. They had almost reached the other side of the clearing when a shout made them flinch.

"Oi! Wait!"

Jonathan cursed under his breath and slowly turned around.

A human woman approached them. She wore plate armor, covered by a white tabard which was adorned with a red flame. She did not wear a helmet - her long brown hair was in a dissheveled bun. Jonathan noticed that she appeared to be unarmed.

"Watch out", he muttered to the ponies, "she's probably a priest or paladin. The Scarlet Crusade kill Forsaken on sight. I wonder why -"

He quickly shut his mouth when she jogged closer and stopped in front of Twilight and Arcus. The two didn't like that, though, and stepped aside to get a better look at the female. She seemed to be about fourty years old if the small wrinkles around her eyes were any indication. Arcus frowned. If she was hostile, why the smile?

"Finally", she said, panting a little. "You're late!"

"What?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow, completely confused. "Late for what?"

Her smile fell. "You didn't bring any supplies."

He gave a tight-lipped smile and shook his head, shrugging apologetically.

She stepped back, looking at the ponies, and a frown darkened her face. "A pet trainer?"

"Uh, no, not exactly", he said, scolding himself in his mind. Why hadn't he thought of a believable background story beforehand?

"We - er, I'm just passing by", he said, feeling like an idiot.

She sighed. "I should have known. Well, if you want to, you can take a break and spend the night here. On the way to Gilneas, I presume?"

"Yeah", he lied, nodding with a serious expression. "Thank you." He winked at Twilight and Arcus when the woman turned her back and walked towards the lone tower. The two ponies shrugged and followed them.

"So what's your name?", she asked when Jonathan caught up with her.

"Baker, Jonathan Baker." There was no real use in lying about that, he decided.

"Welcome to the Scarlet Outpost", she said, her voice not without sarcasm. "I'm Amanda Jenkins." To Jonathan's surprise, she did not mention any rank or title.

They stepped inside the tower. There was only one room. The ceiling had partially fallen in. The only dry spot was below the massive stone staircase that used to lead to the top of the tower. A few blankets and some boxes were there. Everything else was covered by vines and moss. The light came from a small campfire that Amanda had lit right before the boxes.

"What happened here?", he asked.

"What do you think?" She sounded tired. Without much ado, she led the three guests to her little camp and invited them to sit on the blankets.

After putting his backpack on the ground, Jonathan sat down on one of them, crossing his legs the same way he had on the train. Twilight sat down next to him, still saying nothing. Arcus preferred to stand next to the fire and watch the two humans.

Amanda rummaged in her heap of stuff, then she produced a kettle. "I'll be back in a moment", she said. She went outside - or rather more outside - to get water.

"Jonathan, I don't think we should stay here", whispered Twilight. "Can't we just leave and go to the city?" She made a sour face, obviously worried.

Arcus nodded. "We should definitely get out of here while we can. Celestia knows what she's doing. Probably getting reinforcements."

The human sighed. "It would have been more suspiscious if I had declined. But this place looks like she really is alone. Although...", he hesitated. "As soon as she's asleep, we get out of here. Okay?"

The two ponies nodded.

"What I don't understand is why she invited you in the first place", muttered Arcus.

"Probably my good looks", quipped Jonathan, then got serious again. "I'm not dead, so she might think we are just pilgrims coming from the Monastery in the Northeast. Which is pretty unlikely if you ask me. She seems a bit... you know..." He pointed at his forehead, circling his finger.

Arcus snorted.

"Hush, she's coming back", whispered Twilight.

Amanda smiled at them, mainly at Jonathan, and put the kettle on the fire.

Jonathan cleared his throat. "To repeat my previous question..."

The woman sighed. "I've been alone for nearly two years now..."

That certainly got his attention. She poked the fire with a stick to keep it going.

"The Captain was the last one to die. Killed in an ambush." Amanda fell silent.

Twilight looked at Jonathan, another question in her eyes. He leaned forward, closer to the fire.

"An ambush?", he repeated. The corners of her mouth went down, contempt distorting her pretty features.

"Two of them, at night, one stabbed him from behind. We had no chance. I was on watch on top of the tower so I hid until they were gone. I was no match to them and I knew it." She lowered her head. "I've been waiting for news ever since. They used to bring supplies every three months. Nothing though."

Jonathan huffed with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

She smiled a sad smile. "Not your fault."

He bit back an answer and waited.

Amanda spat on the ground, her voice harsh. "It's them. It's always them. There won't be any peace until the last light-damned Scourge filth is dead for good. If I could..." She sniffed, then let out a small cough. "If I could, I'd burn the whole city to the ground. But I gotta stay on my post. Besides, I'm just one woman. What can I do anyway."

Jonathan clenched his fist in his pocket. He could feel the heat rising to his ears. This was not good. He felt offended. A lot. Scourge? The Forsaken were not mindless zombies! As if they didn't hate the Lich King as much as the living did! Not that he liked that his kin had killed Amanda's Captain... But if she noticed his reaction...

He twitched when Twilight's hoof touched his side.

"These are really cute", said Amanda warmly.

Jonathan relaxed a tiny bit. "Yes. Yes, they are."

He could see the hidden smile in Twilight's eyes. Arcus, who stood behind Amanda, stuck out his tongue at Jonathan.

"Now it's your turn", said Amanda, pouring hot tea into a dented tin cup. She gave it to Jonathan who took it without hesitation. He had watched her brew it after all. Silver leaf was a harmless tea ingredient.

He used the teacup to buy some time as he tried to take a sip. Nope, still too hot to drink. Jonathan lowered the cup and grimaced. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't afford to give away any valuable information about the Forsaken or the Horde, let alone his company. Not to mention that he was still upset about her rant.

Twilight secretly winked at him.

Of course!

"I'm coming from Dalaran", he said, trying to sound casual. "Been studying there. Now it's time to move on and do something else."

Her eyes lit up. "Dalaran? The real deal in Northrend? I only saw the crater once."

"You mean where it used to be, in Hillsbrad?"

"Yes, exactly. It's kind of creepy with that purple glow. Leftovers of the forcefield, I guess."

Arcus, who was now sitting on the ground, grinned at Twilight.

"What did you study?"

"Er, this and that. Mostly enchantments", said Jonathan. "See, I'm going to get a new wand. There's some really good wood around here."

Amanda nodded, eager to hear more from outside her small corner of misery.

Jonathan leaned back. "There's not really much more to it."

"Where are you from?", asked Amanda. "Southshore? The accent sounds familiar."

"Nope", he shook his head. "Halfway to Ambermill actually. I moved away when the plague hit."

"Oh gods." All her enthusiasm evaporated at that. Jonathan could almost see the gears in her head turning. Maybe she thought he had fled from the Scourge, leaving his family behind - or worse. She was probably awfully close to what had actually happened.

He sighed. "Yeaaah."

Awkward silence stretched out. Jonathan took a sip from his tea.

"Look, I'm sorry -", said Amanda but Jonathan shook his head.

"Nevermind. I'm going to sleep if you don't mind, it's been a long walk."

"Sure." She stood up, immediately all businesslike. "Rest, gain some strength."

"And so forth", muttered Jonathan. He laid down on the blanket, pretending to get comfortable to sleep, and closed his eyes.

"Well, good night", he said.

Twilight closed her eyes as well, still close to Jonathan. It was getting rather cold, the frost seeping in despite the fire.

"Sleep well, Mr Baker", said Amanda and prepared her own sleeping spot.

•°

After an hour or so somepony nudged Jonathan with their hoof. He opened his eyes immediately, still awake and alert. It was Arcus.

"It worked", whispered the stallion, smirking. "She's asleep. Let's go, Priest."

They quickly gathered their belongings, Jonathan scribbled a short note and left it next to the snoring Crusader (How careless she was!) along with a loaf of bread from Twilight's saddlebags. Twilight raised her eyebrows, slightly confused, but dismissed it as a Thank you gift.

The human and his two friends tiptoed out of the tower, then, as soon as they were on soft grass, they ran uphill towards the hidden tunnel.

Author's Note

Everytime I write about the portal I think of the stargate sound. :pinkiehappy:

Level 3 - My Sewer is Your Sewer

"Come on, hurry up!", Jonathan urged the ponies.

"Chill, dude, we are hurrying." Arcus frowned, galloping right next to him.

"She might have noticed", explained Jonathan.

Twilight huffed, "I think we can relax now." She pointed at a large cave entrance.

The hole in the rock was so big that an entire carriage could have driven through it. Twilight wondered why it was unguarded if this was the entrance to a city.

Jonathan smiled a strained smile and entered first.

The tunnel wound down into the mountain at a steady rate, changing direction now and then. It was easy to see where they were going; torches lit the way, casting a dull light at the walls. The way down was slippery. Streaks of green slime covered the floor, making it easy to stumble and fall. Blue-capped mushrooms sat in the corners between rocks, emitting a faint glow.

"Ugh!", groaned Arcus, sounding a little sick. "What the hay is that stink?"

Jonathan sighed curtly. "Right. That. Twilight?"

"Yes?", she responded, forcing her own bile back down.

"Do you think you could cast that spell? The one that makes us not smell that?"

The alicorn frowned. "Hm... It wouldn't be exactly the same as the anti-smell spell I cast on you because it is passive... let me think."

She paused, drawing a piece of parchment and a quill from her blue saddlebags. Lighting her horn, Twlight scribbled wildly, casting an occasional glance at her two friends. "If I derive that...", she muttered, "and then it should... no, that's wrong, that would contradict the law of... ah! Hmmm. But that would cancel out everything else", and so forth.

Arcus dug at the ground, exchanging looks with Jonathan. They grinned, impressed and amused by Twilight's genius. Everyone shivered a little since it was getting really cold now that the sun was gone. Jonathan put up his hood and crossed his arms, treading on the spot to keep himself warm.

Finally, Twilight beamed at them with satisfaction. "Got it! Are you ready?"

Jonathan and Arcus nodded vigorously.

Twilight lowered her head and closed her eyes to concentrate. Then her horn's light grew brighter, sparkling with strong arcane magic, and she pointed it at both of them. A flash of light later, she asked, "Did it work?"

Arcus sniffed the air, his muzzle high like a dog, and smiled. "Yeah, definitely."

Jonathan nodded. "Thanks, Princess."

While Twilight, encouraged by the success, cast the spell on herself, Arcus looked down the tunnel. "You didn't answer my question", he pointed out.

Jonathan coughed. "You, er, you'll see for yourself in a moment. I guess I should warn you. We call them abominations for a reason." He fumbled with the edge of his cloak. "But I personally think that their smell is worse than their looks."

Twilight widened her eyes. "That stench was almost unbearable!"

He scoffed, now definitely annoyed. Or was it the nervousness? "Okay. Once again: Un-Dead. The only living things down there are some other Horde members, maggots and rats. Oh, and roaches. You better get used to them real quick. Need I remind you that you wanted to accompany me?"

"I get your point", sighed Twilight.

"I'd be real glad if we didn't have to discuss this again", grumbled Jonathan.

Arcus frowned. "Relax, human. I still remember when you arrived from Canterlot, rags and all. We just want to be prepared, know what's waiting for us down there, you know?"

Jonathan grimaced. "Well, now you have been warned."

Twilight smiled at them and it seemed just a little bit forced. "Now that we can't smell the decay, we should be fine. I for one can't wait to meet your friends!"

Jonathan smirked involuntarily. "Thanks for trying", he said.

Her smile fell. "I mean it. Shall we go on?" She nodded in the general direction of the tunnel winding down.

"Sure..."

•°

"So here we are", said Jonathan lamely, waving at the two guards standing on either side of the pipe. The tunnel opened up into a small torch-lit cave, a large puddle of green slimy water in the center of the room. At the far end of the cave, the tunnel continued as a proper corridor-like pipe built of large stone tiles.

Twilight noticed that they were both more or less humanoid. She tried not to look at their open bellies. Open, as in you could see the exposed innards. Twilight looked at their heads instead. Bad move. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to gather strength. She would not yet dare to look at them again. Abominations alright. They looked like the patchwork experiment of an extremely deranged scientist who had no respect for life, death or aesthetics in general. The additional arm on their backs, holding an axe, was not helping. Of course, the gurgling that came from their baggy, swollen bodies could still be heard when she kept her eyes closed.

Arcus gulped. "Ew", he remarked.

"Twilight? You okay?", asked Jonathan.

She opened her eyes again, beaming at him. "Oh, yes, fine, everything is fine, lets go, hehehe..." Her voice was about an octave higher than usual.

Jonathan put a hand on her back, applying just enough pressure so she could feel the touch through her cloak.

The alicorn sighed and smiled at him. "Your friends are my friends", she said with determination.

He nodded, then approached the guards. Jonathan decided to casually walk past the abominations. He raised a hand, saying, "Hey", and stepped into the pipe, with some difficulty since it was a bit of a climb.

"You coming?", he asked over his shoulder.

Twilight and Arcus climbed up after him, trying not to stare at the two guards hulking over them.

They didn't react in the slightest. Then, when Twilight passed them, one nodded at her, still completely ignoring Arcus.

"Should I feel offended or relieved now?", muttered Arcus when they were out of earshot.

"I can't believe this actually worked", whispered Jonathan back. "I was afraid they wouldn't recognize me anymore."

Arcus shook his head. "You hardly look the same as before!"

"I know, right? Without the robe and all."

Twilight frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?" It didn't sound like a question.

Jonathan froze, then his shoulders sagged forward. "No." He spun around, spreading his arms. "I mean come on, who'd believe I am still undead? Who am I kidding?" He hung his head. "This is going to become a problem, isn't it."

"The guards believed it", remarked Arcus.

Jonathan glanced at him. "They are dumb. Idiots. Brainless. They literally have less brain than an average - oh, nevermind that! They remember faces, that's about it."

"But your face is different, too!"

"Huh? No, it's not! Except for the cheeks maybe -"

"Yes, it is!", insisted Arcus. "Before Nightmare Night it looked like this!" He grabbed the edge of Twilight's cloak and held it over the left side of her face. She twitched back, letting the cloak fall back into place.

Twilight was right, thought Jonathan. This did not make any sense! Why did they let him through anyway? Maybe enemies would try to sneak past them or run through the tunnel. Or had they actually recognized him? The last time he had been here was years ago. So that was extremely unlikely. Was it the clothes?

"We are wearing the colors of Undercity", he said aloud.

"That must be it", said Twilight. "But I very much doubt this is going to work for us once we have to get past smarter guards. This is more or less a secret entrance. Usually for flying mounts."

Jonathan sighed. "Right." He stared at the two ponies. "This wouldn't be a problem if the Forsaken didn't despise the living..."

"What, you -?", asked Twilight.

"I don't", said Jonathan quickly. "Not anymore", he added more quietly, rubbing his chin.

"Now, are we going in or what?" Arcus threw his front hooves into the air.

Jonathan set his backpack on the ground. "In a moment." He opened and rummaged in the bag until he found it.

"At least I washed it", he said, holding up a pale green, ragged piece of cloth. "Rarity would kill me for this." He tied it around his head, covering his left cheek and his chin. "There. What do you think, does it work?"

"Meh." Arcus was not impressed.

"I haven't been here in years..."

"I don't think that the dead forget that easily", said Twilight critically.

"Point", said Jonathan sourly.

Twilight eyed the human from head to toes. "Your hair", she realized eventually. "It was much more untidy."

Arcus rolled his eyes. "Mares", he muttered.

"Hey!" Twilight nudged him playfully. "But it's true. Try it, Jonathan, make it messy."

Jonathan ruffled his hair, then looked at her expectantly.

Twilight nodded, satisfied. "I think that was it", she said. "Amazing what a big difference it makes!"

"Hmm... Yeah." Arcus pursed his lips, tilting his head to the side. He looked at Jonathan, then at Twilight, his eyebrows knitted together in doubt.

"Heh, Arc, you don't look so convinced", remarked Jonathan.

"Pon- er, people often judge others by their mane and tail", said Twilight. "Unfortunately. I mean, there's so much more to everyone than meets the eye!"

Jonathan smiled, deciding to leave the 'mane and tail' uncorrected. "Come on", he said. "Let's try and find an old acquaintance of mine."

"Not a friend?", asked Twilight.

"No. Those are rare."

•°

They continued walking down the pipe until they arrived in another small cave. The pipe went further down on the opposite side. Arcus stepped towards it until Jonathan grabbed his cloak and cleared his throat. He pointed at a door in the right wall of the cave.

Following that new corridor was difficult for the ponies. Arcus cursed under his breath about the size of the stairs they had to descend. It was still bright enough to see; more torches along the walls made sure of that. Now that the stink was gone - at least for them - it was only half bad. But there was still a chilling draft.

They finally exited the corridor and found themselves in a wide torch-lit hall. It had a peculiar shape. If Twilight had to guess she would have assumed it was part of a circular structure. It appeared that they had entered the outer ring of the city. The ceiling was so high that they could hardly make it out. Tall stone arches, decorated with countless skull carvings, stretched upwards into the dark.

In the lower parts of the cavernous halls, Twilight made out small stands and alcoves, some with shelves, others contained tables and chairs. Each corner was occupied by at least one merchant - all of them undead humans. Smiths, herbalists, scribes selling parchment and strange powders – Twilight made a mental note to return to the outer ring to restock later. Ragged banners and curtains decorated the arches that separated different segments of the circle. Crooked lanterns lit the halls, leaving many corners dark. Small groups of undead stood together or walked beneath the arches. They cast glances at the new arrivals, then returned to their conversations.

And then there was the canal. Twilight was not sure whether the term 'water' was appropriate here. The liquid was not clear at all but so terribly green that it appeared to be glowing. It flowed suspisciously slowly. Bubbles the size of her head ascended to the surface now and then, bursting with an audible 'plop'.

Twilight pointed at the liquid. "Is that toxic?", she asked carefully.

Jonathan hummed, waving his hand. "No, not much. I wouldn't recommend drinking it though. There are some messed up creatures in it."

"I'd never drink that slime anyway", scoffed Arcus. "But these arches are amazing! How old is this place?"

"I dunno. The canal is pretty old but the big halls came later, maybe seven years ago? It was brand new when I first came here. Didn't look very new then but I think that's intentional. We've got a rep to uphold." He grinned, then pointed upwards. "Look, a bat."

Twilight and Arcus gasped. A screech echoed through the halls as a huge bat emerged from a circular hole in the wall high above them. Arcus assumed it was the pipe he had almost entered, suddenly glad about the stairs. The opening was easily thirty feet above the stone-paved floor they were standing on. If he had stepped into the pipe he would have fallen to his death.

Looking closer, he realized that the bat was flying steadily, much unlike the tiny bats of Equestria. And it was wearing a saddle! A small bony figure sat in it, a double-handed sword sheathed on its back. The face was hidden under a dark hood.

The bat turned right and disappeared behind an arch, flying high above the circular canal.

"Cool", said Arcus. "I want a mount like that."

Twilight frowned and said nothing.

"What?" Arcus turned to her, still grinning.

"I don't like flying on mounts", she said.

"Really? But you've got wings!"

Twilight coughed. "Yes, I do, but it's not the same. Not by far, I can tell you that. Jonathan likes flying much more", she added, noticing the human's enthusiasm in the corner of her eye.

They used one of the many stone bridges to cross the canal, then followed it until they found a corridor that led deeper into the city.

Another dark tunnel, much shorter than the pipe, then they were in the next hall. Its ceiling was lower, maybe twelve feet high, dark and very dirty. This hall was a ring just like the first one, this time with a much smaller radius.

That was the first time that Arcus saw orcs. As the ponies followed Jonathan through another gate and up a small flight of stairs, Arcus felt someone's gaze piercing his back. He looked over his shoulder.

On the narrow balcony that surrounded the central hall there was a large wooden board. The sigil of the Horde, a red dot surrounded by an arch that might symbolize a shield or a horned and winged head, marked the wood. A green humanoid stood next to it. He (for Arcus assumed that telling an orc's gender was similar as with humans) was much taller than the average human, much more muscular and heavily armed. He appeared to be guarding the board. The orc looked back at Arcus, narrowing his eyes to slits and baring the large fangs protruding from his jaw.

Arcus flinched and quickly caught up with Jonathan and Twilight.

"The green guy - is that an orc?", he whispered to Twilight.

She nodded. "It seems that he's a herald of some kind. I saw them in Orgrimmar, too."

They had reached the top of the stairs. Twilight inspected the small stone building that was before them.

It seemed to be in the exact center of Undercity. A sign at the side of its walls said, "Bank of Undercity". Each side of the bank had a big window in it. There were a few individuals inside: three undead men and, as it seemed, a ghost. Judging by the unnerved stare on Arcus's face, he could see it as clearly as she could. Twilight wondered how the bankers entered or left the builing. Through the intricate stone windows or a hidden trapdoor maybe?

The bank, however, was not their destination. Jonathan turned left and ascended another flight of stairs. None of the stairs had any handrails. Most of the floor consisted of a basin that surrounded the bank island so it would be a soft landing, should anyone fall off the balcony. The basin seemed to be connected with the canal. The green water gave it away.

Now they were on the balcony. They passed by the orc, Arcus walking on Jonathan's other side so that Jonathan was between him and the herald, and approached one of the many alcoves in the wall.

"The topography of this place is utter nonsense", remarked Arcus once the orc was a few feet away. "Going round and round just to get to the center of the city..."

Twilight giggled, then yawned.

Jonathan looked back at them. "Almost there."

The torch-lit alcove was quite roomy. Shelves stood along the left wall, flowing over with books. On the right side of the room, open coffins were lined up. A small table stood at the back wall of the room. Some burning candles stood on it, emitting a warm light. Twilight would almost call the place cozy if it had not been for the coffins.

Jonathan greeted the owner of the inn, a wiry man who appeared to have died in his fifties. They shook hands, then exchanged some muttered words with each other. The innkeeper nodded, looking at the ponies, them smirked.

Twilight could make out a "Thanks", then Jonathan smiled at them. "Twilight, Arcus, this is Norman. He is the innkeeper."

Norman nodded at the ponies, saying nothing, then sat down on his stool, returning to his book.

"He is a good guy but you better don't eat the food he sells", whispered Jonathan.

•°

Twilight pulled a blanket out of her saddlebags and spread it on the bottom of her coffin.

A tired sigh made her look up.

"Are you okay?", she asked.

Arcus shook his head. "I'll be fine." He was already sitting in his own coffin, trying to get comfortable on his blanket. "It's just..." He stopped shifting around and looked at Twilight.

"This place. It is kinda creepy. No offense, Jon."

"None taken", came Jonathan's voice from the next coffin. Twilight could only see his left hand holding the book he was reading.

Arcus leaned out of the coffin, towards Twilight. "My work took me to many strange places", he told her, "but this one is unlike anything I have ever seen. I get that Jon was undead, I saw him that way, but facing an entire city themed like this is something else. I don't think I realized what I agreed to do. Where I agreed to go." He hung his head.

Twilight looked at him, her thoughts racing. She had been to Orgrimmar, to Dalaran and even seen the Icecrown Citadel from a distance. She had had time to get used to Azeroth, first seeing only tauren who were so similar to minotaurs. The time in the barrens had left her the space she had needed to adjust. Her mission had been clear, her determination to get home driving her to try and make the best of her situation.

Arcus, on the other hoof, had only had a tiny glimpse of what Azeroth was like. And for Celestia's sake, the first thing he had to see was murlocs, a half crazy woman and lots and lots of corpses.

"I'm sorry if it's a bit much", she muttered, keeping her voice down so that Jonathan didn't hear what she was saying. "I can only guess how you feel. But please believe me when I say that there's many beautiful things in this world. These humans may be undead but they took us in. That counts for something, don't you think?"

He nodded, frowning. "I guess."

She smiled at him. "Jonathan seems to be pretty relaxed. I think we can sleep in peace here."

Arcus snorted. "I do hope I'm gonna wake up in the morning, preferably with a beating heart."

"You will", promised Twilight. "We all will. And then we can get supplies and go on the quest."

"The quest", echoed Arcus. "Yeah." He laid his head on his pillow, disappearing in his coffin. "Good night, Twilight", he said.

"Good night."

"Night", echoed Jonathan.

•°

Twilight couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned around in her coffin, still thinking about Undercity and Amanda and the forest.

If there was always such a dark mist in the sky, would she be able to see the moons in Tirisfal? Why didn't Amanda think that Jonathan was harmless despite their clothes in the colors of Undercity? Did Murlocs have children like ponies? What would they look like? Why didn't anyone notice that Jonathan was alive? And why would Jonathan go to Undercity if he was so scared of being discovered?

She looked over to her friends. Arcus was asleep, hugging his blanket like a foal. Jonathan snored almost as badly as Rainbow Dash, his book had fallen to the floor.

Twilight sighed and grabbed her saddlebags which were at her feet in the coffin. She drew an empty scroll, a quill and her inkpot from it and started writing.

•°

Someone poked Twilight.

Her eyes fluttering, she slowly raised her head. "What...", she mumbled, still confused. "Is it time yet?" No sun, she noticed. The inner part of Undercity had no windows.

"Morning", said Jonathan. "Ready for breakfast?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, then yawned. "Just a minute, please, I need to take care of my bedmane", she pleaded.

Jonathan leaned over the next coffin to wake up Arcus.

Twilight slowly climbed out of her coffin. "Breakfast?", she asked.

"Yeah, I made some." Jonathan pointed at the small table. A loaf of bread, a block of cheese and some flowers were arranged on a wooden plate. To Twilight's relief, the plate was clean. She remembered putting it into her -

"Where are my saddlebags?", she asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

"Over here", said Jonathan. "Sorry, I don't have any plates."

She waved it off, reliefed. "It's all right. Thanks for preparing the meal."

"Sure."

They ate in relative silence, still tired. Arcus kept yawning, muttering something about coffee. After cleaning the plate, Jonathan rolled up his blanket.

"I'm going to get some stuff", he said. "And maybe visit the priests. How about you?"

"I'm coming with you", said Twilight. "Can we go to the outer ring again? I want to buy some parchment and a cauldron."

"A cauldron?" Jonathan raised his eyebrows.

"For the health potions, remember?"

"Oh, right. Whatever, I've got enough gold, I think. So Arc, you coming, too?"

"Mh. What do we need?"

"More food", said Jonathan, counting on his fingers, "water, a map of the Plaguelands. Uh..." He looked at them expectantly.

"And more blankets", added Twilight. "I had no idea Tirisfal's winters would be so cold. This is almost as bad as Northrend."

"Northrend?", asked Arcus.

Jonathan grinned. "Come on, Princess, you can't compare this to the freezing winds of Dragonblight."

"Or the ghoul hordes roaming Wintergrasp", said Twilight, now smiling as well.

"Or the demon portal in Crystalsong", giggled Jonathan.

"Hey, what about Lady Eventide herself? She really gave me the shivers in the end."

"Shivers? She cast a Fear Spell on Tak. That was just plain evil."

"I need some air", said Arcus suddenly. "See you later." He turned on his heels and stomped off into the next corridor.

"W-wait!" Jonathan spun around, intending to go after him, but Twilight's hoof held him back.

"He's save here, isn't he?", she said slowly.

He frowned. "Yes, but -"

She shook her head. "Arcus is the one pony I know that will never get lost. Except Pinkie Pie maybe - and I'm not entirely sure about her. My point is: He'll come back. Please understand; this is a bit much for him. Give him time."

Jonathan grunted. "You are taking it pretty well..."

She grinned sheepishly. "I didn't even answer his question. He wanted to know what Northrend was. Do you remember the tavern in Dalaran?"

This made Jonathan laugh. How could he forget?

"The night Twilight Sparkle owned two orcs..." Still grinning, he muttered, "But I get it. You had time to get used to all this craziness... You think he'll cope?"

Twilight nodded, serious again. "Trust me, earth ponies can be tough. If he says that he wants to help you he means it. He'll come back", she repeated.

"Fine." Jonathan pointed with his thumb at the building in the center of the hall. "Come on, let's check my mail. Haven't done this in a long time."

"But it's a bank", said Twilight. "The sign above the counter says so!"

"Yes, it is."

"So it's not the post office."

"Yes, it is."

"Why?"

"They can store money and things, why not mail?"

Twilight lowered her gaze. "I suppose that makes sense..."

Jonathan approached the counter, facing the aetheral creature that was floating behind it. Twilight felt faintly reminded of Nightmare Night. The spirit might have been a human once. But maybe not. The shape of its transparent body was hard to make out, its hair and robes shimmering and shifting in a breeze Twilight could not feel. It turned its head toward Jonathan, giving him its full attention.

"I wish to have a look at my account. Baker, Jonathan." Twilight admired how casual Jonathan sounded. On the other hoof: It was a casual thing to do. Even if the bank clerk was a ghost.

The ghost wailed and turned around. It raised its arms above a small crystal orb Twilight had not noticed before. The orb was resting on a stone table in the exact middle of the small room. When the ghost touched the orb, it immediately floated off the table and in front of Jonathan.

He touched it without hesitation.

"Let's see... first things first", he said, staring into the crystal.

Twilight could not make out anything except for tiny streams of arcane mist flowing inside the orb but Jonathan seemed to see something else because he nodded. "Could be worse", he said, then turned to Twilight without retracting his hand from the floating orb. "Twilight, could you please open your saddlebags?"

"Er... sure", she said, confused.

He focused on the orb again and, to Twilight's surprise, a small bulky bag appeared in midair. She quickly caught it with her magic. It was heavy, bound together with a thick thread and it clinked as it slowed down in her magic field.

"What's in there?", she asked.

"Coins", said Jonathan. "All right, now the mail."

The orb glowed brighter for a second but nothing happened.

"No letters?", commented Twilight.

Jonathan let the orb float back to its place. The ghost sighed creepily and the orb's light died away.

"Thank you", said Jonathan. He nudged Twilight. "Over there."

"Oh! Very clever! You summoned it into the mailbox", realized Twilight. "If I could have just one more look at that orb..."

Jonathan smirked. "I doubt they would let you analyze it. You are only allowed to touch it if you have an account. If you don't and touch it anyway it electrocutes you."

"What?!"

He shrugged. "At least that's what they say. I actually never saw it happen." Jonathan walked past Twilight - who was temporarily petrified except for her twitching left eyelid - and emptied the mailbox.

In his case, this meant four envelopes. One of them was sealed with the eye of the Kirin Tor, the mages of Dalaran. "Huh." He turned it around. No address. So he broke the seal and opened it.

"A thank you letter", he told Twilight.

She had just unfrozen and joined his side.

"From Dalaran? That seal looks familiar."

"Yeah. They say I can return whenever I want." He raised an eyebrow. "Seems like that's not possible for just any Forsaken anymore. Strange..."

They exchanged clueless looks. Something must have happened. There had been political tensions before but maybe something had made it worse during their absence.

"All right, next one." Jonathan opened another envelope. "I won an item at an auction. They attached it to the letter. Heh, I totally forgot."

"Ooh, can I?", asked Twilight excitedly.

"Sure, why not." He held the parchment in front of her.

Twilight touched the seal on the paper with her hoof. The letter immediately started to glow in a red light. A flash right before her eyes, then there was a small leather bag on the floor. She took it into her magic and opened it.

"I know these herbs!", she said happily, drawing small leaves and light blue flower petals from the bag. "They are used for health potions, aren't they?"

"That's what the auctioneer said anyway", admitted Jonathan. "I don't know how it works but I wanted to ask an apothecary to brew some potions for me. It's cheaper overall if you bring the materials."

The alicorn smiled. "Well, it seems you are in luck. I can brew it, I think! There was a book in Dalaran that I read and I have a hoof for these things."

"That would be nice. Thanks!"

"Of course! So what's in the next letter?"

Jonathan opened said letter, stacking the empty envelopes on top of the mailbox. He snorted when he read it. "A reminder that there's food in my vault. We can ignore this one. I gotta throw it away some time."

"Why would you -? Oh, no..." Twilight rolled her eyes, rubbing her temple. "Don't tell me it's rotten food."

"Alright, then I won't."

She shook her head in disgust.

"Give me a break, I would have eaten it eventually", said Jonathan, annoyed.

"That's just it", said Twilight through clenched teeth.

Jonathan sighed and opened the last letter. He unfolded the paper, then he suddenly went very quiet.

"What is it?"

Jonathan passed her the paper.

"Oh my goodness!" Twilight's eyes went wide.

The letter was from Tak Rivermane.

•°

Arcus hurried along the corridor, panting with frustration. He had to get out of here, if only for just a few minutes. All those undead! The cold! The darkness! After a few steps, he found himself in front of a heavy stone door, guarded by a pair of abominations.

Before Arcus could find out how to open it, the door lifted with a hiss and quickly disappeared in the ceiling, revealing a circular chamber. The chamber floor was made of some greenish stone. Arcus shrugged and entered the chamber.

The door closed and he felt a strange sinking feeling in his gut as the floor moved upwards. This was an elevator, he realized.

The chamber stopped very soon. A door opened, this time on the opposite side, and Arcus quickly left the elevator. He followed the short corridor and arrived in a big round hall.

It had a high ceiling, balconies all around on the second floor, and a round window in the ceiling that let a beam of light fall into the room. Arcus was impressed; this room was obviously for council meetings or something. Heavy dark blue curtains decorated the arches that supported the balconies and ceiling.

No one else was here, no busy Forsaken walking around like in the lower city. There was a mosaic on the floor, in the exact center of the room. The lines formed an intricate letter or symbol Arcus could not read, combined with a sword and some spikes that might be thorns. He assumed it was the insignia of Undercity. The throne behind the mosaic was empty.

Arcus approached the throne. Curious, there was no sign that anyone was using it nowadays... It was dusty and dirty like the rest of Undercity.

He jumped when he heard a whisper behind his back.

Arcus turned around but there was no one there. He turned back to the throne, the hair on his neck rising, and listened as hard as he could.

There was another whisper, another voice. It sounded surprised. A clang followed, then the sound of something metallic rolling across the floor.

Arcus's golden eyes followed the noise. Again, there was nothing... except for a small red stain on the marble tiles. Was it blood?

He shivered and decided to move on. This was a riddle he could not solve on his own.

•°

"'Little Stardust,
It has been a year since Dalaran. I have returned to my family and started a business when the Siege of Orgrimmar started. I hope that you are save, wherever you are. Just in case, you can write me a letter using Thunderbluff as the address. I pray that the earthmother may guide you home safely. Hoping that you will find a quick way back to your friends and never need to read this, for it' - This one's hard to read - 'for it means you made it home, I remain your friend, Tak Rivermane

P.S.: I am sorry, Priest, for looking into your journal. It was the only way to determine your real name.'"

Jonathan touched the seal on the parchment and wordlessly summoned a small book.

"This message is confusing", said Twilight. "Why would anybody write a letter which they hope won't be read at all?"

Putting away his journal, Jonathan frowned. "Because as much as he hoped that you would make it back to Equestria, he also feared that you would fail. Maybe he waited for a message but thought that writing too soon would put you in danger. It's as good a guess as any."

"I want to write back. Come on, let's go to the scribes."

Jonathan started. "Wait a minute. 'Siege of Orgrimmar'?"

•°

Arcus walked through another hall. There was no ceiling. That had fallen in a long time ago. The sky above was brighter than yesterday, but it was still covered by a grey-green mist. Arcus could not see the sun from here. For some reason, this part of Undercity seemed to be much more neglected than the rest. Or was it actually Overcity here? Probably not. He would ask Jonathan when he returned.

His eyes rested on a fallen bell as he passed through a tower which served as a gate to the throne room's antechamber. For a moment, Arcus could have sworn to have heard the huge bell tolling again. He looked up. Another bell, as big as an orc, hung in the mouldy wooden contraption above him. No, it must have been his imagination. He left the tower behind and was finally outside.

The yard, surrounded by a sturdy, high wall, seemed to be the last thing that separated Undercity from the surrounding forest. It was desolate. A large fountain basin in the center, empty and cold, failed miserably at trying to make it look more inviting. Arcus looked back and saw that the wall from which he had emerged was surrounded by another canal.

The earth pony sat down next to the dead fountain and sighed. So nice and quiet...

He felt ashamed for his reaction. Celestia knew he had tried to pull himself together but for some reason Jonathan's casual behaviour had unnerved Arcus to no end. How could he treat this curse as if it was the most normal thing in the world?

This was just wrong. Maybe he should have stayed at home. But now it was too late. How was Arcus supposed to deal with this nightmarish place? He hung his head. Spirit and Mara would know what to do.

A wheezing breath interrupted his train of thoughts.

"What have we here? A little green pony... this is new. And it's alive and fresh! Hah! Today's my lucky day!"

•°

Shroom-Kah jumped across the yard, hiding behind stone columns and rocks. The ruins of Lordaeron were the perfect place for it.

Shroom-Kah didn't like the other Forsaken much. Shroom-Kah was no Scourge ghoul, no, sir! It was a good ghoul. It liked mushrooms and ate them and sold them. But besides that it stayed away from the other undead.

But now something interesting was happening. Even more interesting than Shroom-Kah's last trip to the lake, yes. Maybe Shroom-Kah could help. Sell some mushrooms or something. It sneaked out of its hiding place and followed the strange green thing.

•°

Arcus stared at the creature before him. An undead human – male, if Arcus was not mistaken - had drawn his sword and was currently pointing it at the earth pony.

He gulped, his knees suddenly very wobbly.

The undead grinned, revealing one and a half row of pointed, rotten teeth. "Now, little pony, hold still so I can stab you..."

"No thanks", uttered Arcus and ducked as the Forsaken swung his sword. He scrambled to his feet and prepared to run but the undead managed to catch his hind leg. Arcus, his face in the mud, felt anger rising in his gut.

"The pony can talk", laughed the Forsaken, still grinning wildly. "Scream then, for I will show no mercy."

His head swimming, Arcus rose to his feet, the Forsaken looming behind him. Now he was properly pissed. All the tension, all the uncertainty from before turned into rage. Arcus was angry at himself, his own weakness, but even more angry at the arrogant, creepy attacker.

Arcus decided to let him come a little closer, then he shifted his weight onto his front legs and bucked the Forsaken into the ribcage as hard as he could.

The undead fell to his knees, dropping his sword. He cursed in a language Arcus didn't understand, then picked up the sword. "Not so fast!", he snarled.

Arcus ignored that and charged, shouting like a madpony to gain courage. He jumped at him, kicking against his knees.

A sharp pain made Arcus yowl. There was a shallow cut on his back. That damned sword! He had to act quickly before he would get seriously wounded.

Arcus backhoofed the undead, then kicked him once more for good measure, making his opponent stumble. Then, when he was sure that the Forsaken could not go after him anymore, he ran across the yard, up some stairs and through an archway.

He listened carefully but it seemed that the Forsaken had lost interest. Apparently Arcus had turned out to be less fun than expected.

He sank to the ground, panting heavily.

Shit, he mouthed, hitting the grass with his hoof. How was he supposed to get back now?

•°

Shroom-Kah watched the green doggy run away and cackled.

Stupid Gary. Served him right. That idiot was always looking for trouble.

Shroom-Kah hobbled over to the frustrated man and offered him some mushrooms. For a few silver coins, of course.

Author's Note

Postbank. It's a thing. I have an account there. Is there something similar in your countries?

Level 4 - Arcus and the Blood Elves

Twilight Sparkle went shopping. She and Jonathan were currently walking the same way they had taken the night before, only in reverse.

"I'm worried about Orgrimmar", said Twilight suddenly. "Tak's letter didn't tell if the siege was still going on. I sure hope not..."

Jonathan hummed. "Maybe we can ask someone. But we should be careful. We shouldn't give away too much. Somebody might conclude that we're outsiders." He frowned. "Better to listen carefully. Maybe it won't be necessary to ask directly." He abruptly lowered his voice as they passed another Forsaken. Jonathan nodded greetings, the other one nodded back, his gaze momentarily resting on Twilight.

"Last time I was in Orgrimmar, things weren't looking so bright for anyone who wasn't an orc. The trolls had it especially rough. Forsaken were mainly ignored... until Warchief Hellscream started talking bullshit, saying he wanted to restore the 'true Horde', whatever that meant. He really pissed off our Queen. After his inspection, she came back in a mood so bad that half of Undercity stayed out of her way for a week. And i also noticed a shitload of guards and patrols in O.G."

"Yes, I remember those", said Twilight. "Tak always insisted on keeping a low profile even though he is a member of the Horde. That seemed pretty odd to me. Wasn't the idea of the new Horde to unite different peoples?"

"One should think so", grumbled Jonathan. "All right", he added, "I say we go to the Magic Quarter first. I can ask Zane for a second opinion. You know, where to get the best kind of wood for my wand. Maybe we're in luck and he's even got some in stock. Also, there's a book dealer."

Twilight's eyes lit up. "That sounds good to me", she beamed.

They entered the outer ring again, then turned right and followed the edge of the canal. The hall was slightly brighter than at night; a dull light fell through the grids that covered the rectangular holes in the ceiling. It didn't help much; the torches and lanterns still provided most of the light.

Twilight had expected more Forsaken to walk the streets in the day but there seemed to be no difference at all. When she asked Jonathan, he just shrugged.

"The dead don't sleep, they only rest", he explained. "Why should we, I mean they, care about day- or nighttime? It's not like we are going anywhere anytime soon. Nobody gives a damn about the sun down here."

They approached one of the alcoves on the right. It seemed to be a shop for staves and wands. The products were lined up in shelves, leaned against the wall and presented on the table that separated the vendor's space from the aisle. Twilight curiously eyed the exhibits. Most of the wands were made of wood, some barely more than a stick, others ornate and gilded with intricate carvings. Almost every wand had a crystal tip. Twilight was surprised that such simple sticks could be used as a magical focus. However, she suspected that they were affordable for a reason.

Jonathan started a conversation with the vendor, the man he called Zane, and they discussed possibilities for a new wand.

Twilight listened to them at first, especially when Zane told Jonathan that for his purposes a wand from the Silverpine would be best and that Zane was out of those. When they talked about the gem, using terms even the well-read Twilight wasn't familiar with, her thoughts drifted away from the conversation.

She had noticed by now that the Forsaken were much more than just a bunch of dead people, pale and ragged. Ponies in Equestria were more or less similar in height and build - with a few exceptions, the alicorn Princesses for instance. The other species of Azeroth looked different to humans in more than one aspect. Big orcs, wiry, blue trolls, the huge tauren... But she would not have thought that just humans could look so different from one another.

Here, the humans were big or small, bony or fat. Since they were dead, most did not manage to stand quite upright anymore, hunching into an unhealthy looking stance. The ghouls looked worst; they had lost most of their skin and tried to keep themselves together with bandages, much like Priest used to do. The Forsaken had different skin tones, ranging from veiny blue over green to grey. Some had lost limbs, others had no face. Those without eyes moved around with ease, probably relying on their other senses. Those with eyes unnerved Twilight with their yellow glowing stare. They wore their hair in many different fashions, often deliberately wild or in spikes or very long and shaggy. The hair had different tones, too, much like the manes of ponies, though not quite as colorful. The women often preferred to wear dresses or suits of armor, the men were in armor or robes like Zane's (in his case a blue one); a few wore ragged pants instead. Twilight could see their knees through the holes. And bones, lots of bones. Exposed bones, roughly hidden bones, raspy voices if they still had any, and faces without expression. A veil of melancholy lingered in the air, pressing down on her. Twilight suppressed a sigh. This place needed some severe Pinkie Pie treatment, that much was certain.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Zane had come to an agreement. They shook hands, Jonathan nodded at Zane and he and Twilight went on to the next alcove.

"So, the Plaguelands", said Jonathan.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking and didn't really follow", admitted Twilight.

"That's where we are going after the Silverpine Forest."

"Oh dear... 'Plaguelands' sounds like trouble."

"Maybe not", mused Jonathan. "Remember, they are partially Forsaken territory." He smirked. "As long as we stick to the roads we should be fine."

Twilight nodded, then her gaze fell on the books. There was a bookshop just like Jonathan had promised! She squeed with delight.

"You know", said Jonathan, "how about I go to the priests and pick you up when I'm done?"

"Sounds good", she said quickly and before Jonathan could say anything else she had opened the next book ("The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth") and started reading, getting an amused grin from the book dealer, a balding Forsaken who was wearing a relatively intact combination of a red shirt and dark pants.

•°

Jonathan threaded through the small crowd that had gathered in the War Quarter. There were cheers and the sounds of fighting: the clanging of metal on metal, muffled thuds as bodies collided. Jonathan could not see much over the heads of the crowd. He frowned, knowing that the training of Forsaken included a lot of entertainment for the audience. New warriors usually tested their skills on unfortunate captives, mostly living humans but also creatures that had been raised from the dead for this very purpose.

A sting in his palms made him realize that he was clenching his fists. Jonathan was surprised that it suddenly bothered him that much. Was it because he sympathized with the living?

But there was nothing he could do, not on his own. So he went on, heading for the big structure in the back of the cavernous hall.

If Twilight had seen it, she probably would have compared it to the setting of a Daring Do adventure. The canal branched out into the quarter, taking up most of the floor except for an island of stone. Two stone paths led to the island and the building on it, a conical house, its sides adorned with four giant spikes. There were neither handrails nor walls, you had to be careful not to fall into the green goo. More green water flowed down along the building's side and into the canal branch. Jonathan had always wondered about the purpose of that strange arrangement but eventually given up on his contemplations. It looked badass, that was probably the reason. He stepped onto one of the bridges.

As expected, Father Lazarus was there, leaning against the side of the building. His arms crossed, he frowned at Jonathan.

"Where the hell have you been?", the elder priest asked unceremoniously, his bariton unusually sonorous for a Forsaken.

Jonathan shrugged awkwardly. "Northrend, Orgrimmar, Northrend again...", he said casually.

"So I've heard. Tell me, why show up now that all the trouble's over? You could have helped in the siege, you know." Lazarus raised an eyebrow. The folds of his robe shifted as he moved away from the wall.

"I don't actually know how it ended", admitted Jonathan despite the advice he had given Twilight just a few minutes ago. For some reason he could never lie to the elder.

Lazarus coughed. Jonathan reognized that as a chuckle. "Welcome back. You do know that Vol'Jin is the new Warchief, though?"

Jonathan's shoulders sagged forward. "Oh, thank the Light." He smiled weakly. "Wait, what happened to Garrosh, then?", he asked, throwing the remains of his caution out the window.

Lazarus gestured for Jonathan to follow him to the dusty edge of the temple island. They sat down there, their legs dangling above the canal water. Lazarus did not care about getting his robes dirty once in a while, one of the things that made Jonathan like the man.

"Escaped. That cur made for the hills, with the help of a bronze dragon of all things, and is now planning an invasion with the orc tribes from old times. He's gone completely bananas. I mean, going to Draenor on purpose?" Lazarus whistled, imitating a cuckoo's call.

Jonathan grinned inwardly at the elder's choice of words. The Light values all life, he had once said. Even the greatest assholes and, in special cases, the cursed. Father Lazarus's priest training was unique, to put it mildly.

Wait a minute. 'Orc tribes from old times'?

"He enchanted the Dark Portal?", asked Jonathan, his eyes widened. "You're messing with me!"

"Nope", said Lazarus. "He travelled into the past and is now gathering an army. He's calling it the 'Iron Horde'. Thrall, Archmage Khadgar and others followed him, trying to stop him. The portal's been destroyed in the process. We haven't heard anything from Outland ever since."

Jonathan snorted. "So Hellscream is the same megalomaniac as before..."

"Basically, yes."

"I missed the Undercity", admitted Jonathan. "I remember last time I was here, the abominations were still in Northrend. The orcish replacement guards didn't really lighten up the mood."

Lazarus leaned back, using his outstretched arms for support. His shoulders creaked in protest. He ignored it.

"Jonathan, why are you here? I'd like to think you just wanted to pay a visit to your old teacher but that wouldn't be like you."

Jonathan heaved a sigh. "Right. That. Look, I -" he shifted his weight uncomfortably. Should he mention Twilight and Arcus? "I'm just passing through", he said. "Getting supplies and stuff. For a quest to get a wand. And since I was here anyway, I thought 'why not?'"

"Zane's wands not good enough for you?"

"Of course they're good. But I need a special combination for the wand I have in mind. Gotta go to Silverpine and the Plaguelands to get the mats."

"I see", hummed Lazarus, still in a thoughtful voice. His mouth split into a grin. "Spells turned out to be more difficult now that you're alive, huh?"

Fuck. Jonathan stiffened.

"Come on, how stupid do you think I am?" Lazarus cackled cheerfully.

•°

Arcus Tangens stood in front of a large red crystal. It was completely round, an orb held by the intricate golden sculptures of three human females with unusually long ears. He had discovered the orb immediately after hiding behind the archway. It was actually really hard to overlook. The globe or whatever it was, hovering in the magical grip of the strange ladies, was centered in the court and felt completely out of place, clean and mysterious looking. It glistened in a beautiful golden light and hummed in a tone that sounded almost like a song.

To touch or not to touch...

What was it for anyway? Arcus had never really understood magic. When he had attended the obligatory magic classes that all ponies had to endure, no matter what kind of pony they were, he had usually spent the time drawing little sketches and maps of imaginary lands into his notebook. As far as he was concerned, earth pony magic was easiest to understand. Unicorns could keep their fancy levitation, transformation, summoning and shit, pegasi their weather shtick! There was nothing like good ol' earth pony strength. The teacher had insisted that there was more to it, that earth ponies had a unique connection to the earth, the magical energy in it and whatnot but Arcus had been working on a nice compass rose at the time.

Now he deeply regretted he had not payed more attention. Maybe then he would have been able to take a guess what this floaty orb thing was meant to do. This way or another, he needed to distract himself from the pain. His legs were shaking from the shock of the wound in his back.

"Only one way to find out", he said aloud and reached for the crystal with his hoof.

•°

"Relax, boy. I'm not gonna tell anyone." Father Lazarus shook his head. "But seriously, are you out of your mind? Coming here of all places? You could have gone to Brill or Tarren's Mill. Hell, probably even an Alliance outpost! I doubt they would have noticed you used to be dead. You are looking like a normal human except for the white hair."

Jonathan hung his head. "I dunno", he admitted, heat rushing to his ears. "No one noticed before you. I... I don't know why I came here. Not really."

"I think I do. Though I'm not gonna tell you", smirked Lazarus. "That's something you need to find out on your own. Tell me when you got the answer, eh?"

Jonathan simply nodded, unable to look Lazarus in the eye.

"Well", said the elder, standing up with some effort, "I'm not gonna keep you from your quest. But you should really get a guide. Things changed a lot in the Silverpine, not to mention the Plaguelands."

"Uh, okay", said Jonathan and got up as well. Then he added, "Thank you."

Lazarus, who already walked off to the temple, waved it off. "Get your ass out of here, boy. Would hate it if you died for good. Too few good priests in these lands. Light be with you."

"And also with you", replied Jonathan automatically, still trying to make heads or tails of what had just happened.

•°

Arcus was not feeling well. He was lying on a stone pavement and everything was spinning around. His left hind leg was probably sprained, his back cold and strangely numb. There was a severe headache coming up and something sticky in his coat, on the right side. He held his head, trying to focus again. "Ow...", he hissed through gritted teeth.

At least the air was not cold anymore. A warm breeze caressed his coat.

So it really had been a transportation orb or whatever.

Finally, the pain in his forehead faded away and he opened his eyes. This was a marketplace. And it was definitely not in Tirisfal.

Arcus scrambled to his hooves, looking around. Thank goodness he was still wearing his armor and saddlebags. He stood on a place paved with red stone, surrounded by beautiful cream white buildings which reminded him of Canterlot. Their roofs were dark crimson, their balconies had golden balusters. Trees with green and bright golden leaves seamed the plaza.

"Where am I?", he wondered aloud.

"Are you all right?", asked a soft female voice.

"I - I think so", said Arcus.

"Welcome to Silvermoon. I am Sarithra", said the woman. She was wearing heavy red armor, a headband to keep her long blonde hair out of her face, and two maces on her back. Her skin looked as healthy as Jonathan's, maybe not as pale though. Was she human? Or some other species? Judging by her eyes which were glowing in a green magical light, probably the latter.

Sarithra smiled at Arcus, so he smiled back at her. "Arcus Tangens. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, Beldis, he's adorable!", whispered the woman, tugging at her companion's arm.

He, a man with ears as long as hers, dark blue hair and similar red armor, tried to suppress a grin. "If you say so, Mylady", he replied, obviously amused by his friend's antics.

Arcus raised an eyebrow. "Silvermoon?"

"You used the Orb of Translocation, unaware of where it would lead?" Beldis couldn't believe it.

"Uh... I was in Undercity a moment ago. Then I touched it and now I'm here - wherever this Silvermoon is." Arcus looked up at the two. "I was curious." He grinned sheepishly. "But I'd rather go back if you don't mind."

Sarithra crouched down, looking at Arcus's back and the stained floor under his hooves. "You are bleeding", she observed.

Arcus winced and nodded. "I had a bad encounter with a hungry Forsaken. He had a hard time accepting I wasn't for eating. Agh, buck it sideways..." he hissed as pain shot through his back once again.

The woman nodded at Belvis who immediately turned on the spot and jogged towards a grand white building. "You need to recieve first aid", stated Sarithra firmly. "Those abominations often poison their blades."

"Why are you... shaking?", asked Arcus. He felt strangely weightless. "And he wasn't an abomination, those guard... the pipe..."

"Easy", said Sarithra, catching the pony as he fainted.

•°

Jonathan almost walked past the bookstore, racking his brain to think of a possible guide to the Silverpine.

But I know the way!, he thought. When Twilight turned her head, he realized he had spoken out loud.

"Hello!" said Twilight, beaming at him.

He smiled back at her. Twilight was completely in her element. At least a dozen books were lying on the table and judging by the amount of parchment stacked next to them she had been busy taking notes.

"This is incredible!", she squeed, slightly out of breath. "There are so many books here that the library in Dalaran didn't have! So much history! I have learned more about the Forsaken today than in two months! Oh, hehe, sorry...", she added quickly when she saw the slightly sour frown on Jonathan's face.

He sighed. "I guess", he admitted after a moment. "So you had fun?"

She nodded vigorously. "Thanks to Mr Bloch, I could have a peek into the most crucial books about recent developments. And he told me a lot about last year, too."

"Now, little pony, I need to get some order back into mah store", rasped Mr Bloch. "Come on, Joe, help me with that."

His assistant walked over and started returning the books to their respective places on the shelves.

"Can I buy this one?", asked Twilight, levitating a book towards Mr Bloch.

He said, "No."

Her eager smile fell.

"I'll give it to you", Mr Bloch continued.

"Oh, thank you! But why?"

"Meeting you was worth a single paper book for me." The Book dealer winked at Twilight. "Now, can I help you with anything else?" He looked at Jonathan, ignoring Twilight's antics as she was performing a little dance of joy, hugging the book.

Jonathan grinned, his heart warming up as he saw how happy Twilight was. "Actually, yes", he said.

•°

When Arcus came to, he was not in the marketplace anymore. He was lying on a soft oval bed, covered by a weightless dark blue blanket. A dark pink ceiling was above him, with golden ornaments. Blue floating crystals gave away a dim light. He was immensely grateful for that - his head was still spinning and bright light probably would not have helped.

He cleared his dry throat. "Hello?"

"He's awake", said somebody. Was it Beldis? No, he sounded different.

A female voice Arcus didn't recognize said, "Very well. I will inform Sarithra." The voice was coming closer.

Arcus raised his head to look around but a slim hand touched the blanket, holding him down.

"You need to rest", said the woman. She was of the same kind as Sarithra but her hair was brown and wavy. She wore a elegant yet practical purple dress. "I will be back in a moment." The woman smiled at Arcus, then left the circular room.

There was another standing at the bed. He must be the one that had spoken first. "How are you feeling, little horse?"

Arcus frowned. "My back is itching. But it's not hurting anymore. What did you do? Where am I?"

The man, who had short red hair, grinned. "You are in Wayfarer's Rest. It's a tavern. We would have taken you to the hospital but it could have been too dangerous to move you too much. I have never seen anything like you. My name is Alestus", he added. "I am a healer."

Arcus sighed. "Thanks for taking care of me. But I don't think the wound is that bad. I was able to walk and stand for a while after I got hurt. And I'm not a horse, I'm a pony."

"It is not bad because we treated it", corrected Alestus. "You lost a lot of blood. It is half a miracle you were able to get there without passing out right away. There was a nasty stain on the Bazaar pavement where you arrived." He chuckled. "But you will feel better soon."

"Pardon me asking, but you are not humans, are you?"

Alestus's expression stiffened, then he relaxed. Did Arcus insult him?

"No. I am of the Sin'dorei." Getting a clueless look form Arcus, he translated it, "A Blood Elf."

Arcus's eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I had no idea there were so many tribes. So far, I've only known orcs, Forsaken and humans. I've heard there's trolls and minotaurs - er, Tauren, too." He grinned, slighty embarrassed.

"It seems that you are mainly familiar with the Horde", commented Alestus, frowning at the pony.

"I suppose. My friend is a member of the Horde so that's not really a surprise, I guess."

"Is he now? What is his name?"

"Um", said Arcus, hesitating. He had expected to get asked some questions about where he came from but why did Alestus want to know about his friends? Maybe to make sure that he was not a threat. Should he tell him? If he said that Jonathan was alive there could be trouble. As far as he understood it, living humans were enemies of the Horde. But he could simply leave out that fact and pretend the human was still an undead. He said himself that he still was a Forsaken...

"Jonathan Baker", he said finally. "He's a Forsaken priest. We are currently staying in Undercity. Well, that is until I touched that Translocation Orb thing..."

Alestus nodded. "I see. Have you always looked like this?", asked the elf.

"Of course!" Now Arcus was irritated. "My mom and dad are both earth ponies if that's what you mean." He raised his eyebrows. "I'm just not from around here."

"I meant no offense. Thank you for answering my questions."

"Sure..." Arcus frowned.

The elf stood up. "There is someone else who wants to talk to you. I think I can hear him coming upstairs. Do you want a glass of water?"

"Yes, please." Arcus nodded.

"A word of warning, little pony: If your 'friend' is indeed Forsaken you should be most careful. They cannot be trusted."

He turned around and left the room before Arcus could comment on that.

"Seriously... who the hay does he think he is?", the pony muttered under his breath. "Jon is one of the most trustworthy people I know." Right at the top, along with Spirit Rez, AJ and Rainbow Dash. He heard some whispers from the stairs, then footsteps towards him.

To Arcus's surprise, the new visitor was Beldis, still in his red armor. Which reminded him...

Arcus frantically looked around, then relaxed when he saw that his armor had been cleaned and neatly stored in an open chest next to his bed. He sighed and greeted Beldis.

The elf nodded at him and sat down on the next bed, putting down a tray with a glass of water on the small table close to Arcus's bed. He folded his hands, a strange gesture to Arcus, and looked at the pony without saying anything.

Arcus shifted around in the bed and took a sip from the glass as the silence stretched out. "Um", he finally said, "so when does the doctor say I'm ready to leave?"

"Let me explain the situation to you", said Beldis. "Your wound has been healed and you will only need a few hours until it's safe to walk again. Quite convenient that horse anatomy is not unknown to us, is it not? However..."

"Yes?"

Beldis frowned. "However, the magic within you is."

Arcus grinned, waving the remark off. "Ah, that must be the translation spell", he explained. "It was cast on me yesterday."

The elf shook his head. "No, we discovered the spell rather quickly. It is rare but we know of it. What I am talking about is something else."

"Maybe it's the anti-smell-spell then. You know", Arcus smirked, "because of the Forsaken."

The corner of Beldis's mouth went up but he said, "No. Though I have to admit that the spell is ingenius. You must know quite an experienced mage. The magic I am talking about is rooted in your own body. You must have been born with it, there is no other way to explain it. It is flowing through your veins, woven into your muscles, binding your bones together. And judging by what Alestus said and what I can detect with my ability, you recently used that magic to cast a spell, focusing it", he pointed at the blanket where Arcus's hooves were, "here."

"Impossible! Earth ponies can't cast spells!", protested Arcus.

"Are you absolutely certain? Did you not use your legs or maybe even your voice during the fight that left you injured? Pray tell, how did you, a - forgive me - fairly small creature that is barely going up to my chest, defeat an armed Forsaken?"

Arcus could not find an answer to that. He looked up to the elf, saying half-heartedly, "I guess I was lucky."

Beldis shook his head. "You fought well, horse, that is what happened." Suddenly, the elf smiled. "You would make a fine warrior."

"I'm a pony", corrected Arcus once again. What Beldis said surprised him. He had worn the armor as a precaution only. If he had expected a fight, he would have asked somepony to accompany him outside Undercity. Maybe he would not even have accepted the offer to go to Azeroth in the first place. In a group, he was able to handle a single timberwolf or the like but that was about it. And yet he had managed to incapacitate a humanoid twice his size! Beldis was right: It was weird. "I don't know how it happened", he said.

"You are lucky that we were the ones to find you", said Beldis and grinned. "I talked to my superior and she agreed that I make you an offer."

"Okay. I'm listening."

Beldis frowned at Arcus who immediatly tensed up again. "I will teach you some basic fighting rules and moves - in exchange for your secrecy. You must not tell your friends that you were here.

"The Orb is supposed to be inactive at the moment. It probably only brought you here because your species is not covered by the spell that blocks the connection."

Arcus pondered that, crossing his forelegs. It seemed logical to him that Beldis wanted to protect the city. He did not see Arcus as a threat, that much was obvious. Sarithra had called him 'adorable'. Plus, he got rescued from bleeding to death. Keeping the connection a secret would not harm his friends: It meant that he would not see Silvermoon again anyway. All in all it was a good deal.

"Okay, I accept", he said.

Beldis sat up, satisfied. "Excellent." He wrung his hands, thinking. Beldis eyed Arcus, then seemed to come to a decision.

"You are still bound to stay here for a few more hours. I could teach you some rules first. Do you think you can already concentrate enough for that?"

Arcus nodded. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. Whatever you did seems to have worked. Thank you for all of this. It's very kind." Arcus could not help but feel a bit giddy. He was about to get fighting lessions!

"Let's do this!", said Arcus. He sat up carefully and assumed a position that let him rest on his haunches. Beldis raised a brow, confused for a moment, then it seemed to dawn on him that sitting like this was comfortable for the pony.

"All right. Rules, rules... I need to adapt them to your anatomy, of course, but the principles will inevitably remain the same. Now, a warrior who wishes to protect his friends needs to bear a few important things in mind, some even in the heat of battle", said Beldis without further introduction.

"One is your armor. You already have one that is adapted to your build, that is very good. But make sure to keep it repaired and well cared for. Your hooves make a good weapon but you might want to consider using short blades."

"I've seen blades like that before", commented Arcus. "Though I never consciously thought about them. Some of the Night Guards use them..."

Beldis tilted his head. "What other weapons do your guards use?"

Arcus shrugged. "Spears sometimes, or wingblades - but I don't have wings - or spells - but I don't have a horn. I think my hooves are the most logical option for now."

Beldis nodded. "I see. Very well. Another thing is to keep the goal in mind: You want to keep yourself and your group alive. You only harm your opponent to make sure of that. As a horse" - "Pony." - "forgiveness, as a pony you can run fast. An ability which you can use to charge the opponent and force him to fight where you want. Another weapon you have is your voice. You can use it to coordinate attacks and to distract..."

Level 5 - Death and Knight

Shroom-Kah sat on the stairs, its eyes emptily staring into the distance. Now and then it slowly chewed on a mushroom.

Its neighbor did the same thing though the stuff seemed to affect him much more. Drool dripped out of Gary's mouth and he kept humming to himself.

"Shroom good?", asked Shroom-Kah for the umpteenth time.

"Yeahhh", sighed Gary. "Shuddup... I wann... wanna watch the fountain. It's melting... so... beautif'lly!" He raised his hands, drawing a circle in the air to emphasize his words.

"No", disagreed Shroom-Kah, "not melting. Is growing."

"Wha'ever."

Their trip suddenly became more colorful when a purple creature stepped into their line of sight.

"Excuse me", said the purple wolpertinger that lacked antlers, "have you seen a green pony about my height?"

"Nope, nope, nope, nope", Gary said, shaking his head vehemently with each word. The remains of his dark eyebrows knitted together as he demanded more mushrooms.

"Oookay?" The Forsaken next to the wolpertinger crossed his arms. He had a frowney face. The wolpertinger's purple wings folded, its feathers rustling. To compensate for that, the fountain now grew and melted at the same time.

Shroom-Kah came to his aid and slurred, "There was been no pony. Serious." It sighed. "Shroom-Kah used to be clever. Sell much stuff, not just mushrooms. But... before Shroom-Kah died."

The Forsaken rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go to the inn and ask Norman."

"Sell informatiun, too, but is all over, yes", added Shroom-Kah.

The purple wolpertinger hung its head. "All right. I just hope he didn't get into trouble. It's been hours..."

"I know." The man touched the wolpertinger's shoulder to comfort it.

"There was a dog, though", continued Shroom-Kah. Gary giggled hysterically, then the giggle turned into a desperate whine. Shroom-Kah hesitantly patted his back. "But is gone", it said.

Gary nodded slowly. "Gone..." His voice trailed off and he hummed a tuneless melody, bobbing his head with the rhythm.

"Which way did the dog go?"

Both pointed at the passage at the top of their staircase.

•°

Arcus limped away from the Translocation Orb and quickly hid behind the edge of a building as soon as he heard voices.

They were getting closer and the last thing he wanted was to get into trouble. Now after three hours of warrior schooling and four more of actual fighting. His legs were heavy, heavier than that time when he had walked fifty miles through the White Tail Woods. He could feel his mane clinging to his neck; he had forgotten to ask for a towel to rub his coat dry. The cold air made him shiver and wish for a warm bed... a coffin would be okay, too.

It seemed his wound had been healed just to make him ready to get mangled again. But what use was there in complaining? He had agreed to this. So it was time to suck it up and get back to the inn.

The voices were distinguishable now, a female and a male one.

"I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'm gonna teach him to wander off", said the male.

The female sighed. Wait a minute, she sounded familiar. "I'm sure he had a good reason. At least somepony saw him walk past here, we might be in luck this time!"

A groan. "I know I'm not really responsible for him but seriously, we've got to stick together."

Oh dear. He needed an alibi, and fast. What would be a good enough reason to stay away for hours? A long walk? Spiders? Diarrhea? Ahh crap, here they were.

"Arcus!", shouted Twilight. "Are you there?"

He sighed and walked around the corner, hiding his farewell gift from the elves - a small red crystal orb - underneath the barding.

"Arcus! Oh, Celestia, I was so worried!" Twilight stormed over to him and hugged him.

Arcus awkwardly patted her back. Then the alicorn let go of him, stepped back and cleared her throat, suddenly aware of their surroundings.

Jonathan seemed to be torn between a frown and a smirk. Eventually, he settled for a frown. "I would say you could have gotten hurt but apparently we can skip that part. What the hell happened?"

Arcus dug at the ground, a strange knot in his stomach that had nothing to do with his training. "I... have no excuse. I'm sorry for disappearing like that." He inhaled, unsure whether to add something else or not. He waited and just stared at Twilight's hooves.

He could feel Twilight's gaze on his barrel for a moment, right where his armor had been repaired, but she didn't say anything.

"I understand why you left", she said suddenly, "but you've been gone the entire day! We looked for you everywhere!"

"Except the Royal Quarter", added Jonathan.

Twilight glared at him for a moment, then focused on Arcus again. "Is there anything you want to share with us?"

"Uh... no?" He didn't manage to sound as firm as he had hoped, his tone rising with the last word.

She sighed, disappointed. "Be that way, then... I'm sure that you're hungry, though."

Arcus nodded and finally raised his head to look at Twilight. "Thanks for looking for me."

She shook her head. "It's what friends do, Arcus. But we would really appreciate if you told us where you're going the next time you decide to get 'some air'."

"I already thought someone caught you, or worse", said Jonathan without elaborating on 'worse'.

Arcus nodded again and promised, "I will. If that happens again... which I doubt." I have learned my lesson, he added sourly in his thoughts.

•°

Arcus followed the Priest and the Mage back though the archway, his ears down as they passed two apathetic figures on the broad stairway down into the courtyard. The ghoul was sitting more or less upright (meaning that his feet were lower than his head), its stare unfocused, while the other one rested face-down in the corner under a handrail, muttering under his breath. He seemed somewhat familiar to Arcus. He winced as he recognized in him the attacker from before.

They went through the bell tower - the echoes were still there, putting Arcus slightly on edge - then the roofless hall and the abandoned throne room. The hollow steps of hooves on stone reverberated in the cavernous tunnel to the elevators. Twilight and Jonathan still didn't say a word. When they stepped out of the elevator cabin, Arcus noticed the difference in temperature. It had been freezing on the surface; only a few degrees less and there would have been ice covering the grass. Down here, in the center of the Undercity, it was simply bucking cold.

Arcus felt increasingly uncomfortable as the silence stretched out like sticky green goo. He sighed in resignation. The search for him had put a real damper on their initial enthusiasm, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Guys, I -", he began.

"Look, Arcus -", said Twilight at the same time.

Jonathan snorted.

"You go first", offered Twilight.

Arcus glanced at her. "Seriously, what's up with this mood? I mean, I get why you are sulking or whatever, but I'm back, and I said that I was sorry..."

Twilight frowned. "I'm not 'sulking'. Your apology is not the issue here."

"Then what is?", demanded Arcus.

Her ears splayed back. "It's just... when you didn't return we really assumed that something pretty bad must have happened."

Tell me about it, thought Arcus and grimaced.

"Then I realized that we don't even have a backup plan. Something really bad could happen, even if we don't want it to happen. We have to take the possibility into account."

Arcus nodded slowly. "That makes sense", he admitted.

"How about we think of a way of communicating over a distance?", suggested Jonathan. "In case we get separated again."

"Or a point for regrouping", offered Arcus, tapping his chin. "I think the real problem was that I got lost, though."

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "We are going to move around a lot on this quest. I doubt we'd easily find each other again in the deep woods."

"Right... right." Arcus huffed in frustration.

They walked along the gallery and finally arrived at the Inn's alcove.

"Jon's idea sounds good, though", commented Arcus. "But I have no plan how to pull that off. I mean, we can't write letters or use a megaphone. Or could we?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I used to write letters to Princess Celestia on a weekly basis", said Twilight, sitting down at the inn's small round table, "using Spike's dragon fire. There are spells for that as well. I have learned them some time ago, they're basic teleportation spells for small objects, pretty easy ones actually."

Arcus slumped down on the other chair. "Yeah, for unicorns or alicorns all right", he countered.

"I can't cast teleportation spells either", added Jonathan. He sat down on the edge of the next coffin. Then he rolled his shoulders around until a resounding crack made Twilight flinch. "Ahh." The human momentarily closed his eyes, seemingly relaxing.

Twilight frowned. "Do you have to do that?"

"Give me a break, we've been searching in the cold all day. No offense", he said in Arcus's direction.

"None taken", said Arcus, still feeling guilty.

"But what if", continued Jonathan, "the letter remains at the same place and only the message travels?"

"Errr, what?" The earth pony was completely confused now.

"There must be a way to copy a text", explained Jonathan.

Twilght's eyes widened. "Oh, I see! Of course!" She pulled her saddlebacks out of her coffin and floated them over to the table to get her writing materials.

Arcus heaved a sigh. Finally the mood was more or less back to normal.

•°

Twilight prepared three parchment sheets and enchanted them so that whatever was written on one of them appeared on the other two as well.

"I read something about books like that some time ago", she remembered. "I think Princess Celestia used them occasionally but creating entire message books is pretty tedious. I guess we'll have to do with just a sheet but that should be enough in case of an emergency."

Dinner was uneventful. Jonathan and Twilight discussed the enchantment some more, comparing their experience with magical scrolls, while Arcus quietly ate his soup. He was still occupied by repeating the warrior lessons from earlier in his mind.

The trio cleaned up their wooden bowls and returned them to their respective bags, then decided to hit the hay.

•°

The next morning, Jonathan was already done with packing as Twilight and Arcus woke up. The ponies stretched their limbs, yawning with their mouths wide open. Jonathan folded a cotton towel around a small stack of bread slices, tying the corners together to a knot.

Arcus blinked and climbed out of his coffin. "Mornin'", he mumbled.

"Morning." Jonathan flashed him a brief smile. "You ready for some flying?"

Arcus slowly shook his head. "Not really. What about breakfast?"

Jonathan gestured at the towel. "In there", he explained. "We are supposed to meet our guide in half an hour at the sewer exit. So you and Twilight better roll up your blankets."

Twilight's eyes widened. "So soon?"

"I wanted to wake you earlier but after yesterday I figured you needed the rest."

The alicorn rolled up her blanket and pillow and tied them to her saddlebags. "I can't argue with that. I'm still not looking forward to flying on mounts. Is it going to be wyverns again?"

"No", grinned Jonathan. "You'll see."

•°

Twilight stared at the two bats that sat on the ground next to the Flightmaster, a Forsaken called Garrett. The bat ignored her, eyeing a mouse that Mr Garrett held close to its mouth. It swiftly grabbed it with its fangs and bent its head back to swallow the critter, not without sucking its blood out first.

"There, take it slow", cackled Garrett, patting the bat's furry grey back. It spread its huge pink leathery wings as it forced the breakfast down.

Arcus's face was awfully pale beneath his leaf green coat, his ears down, and he swallowed dryly. "Forget what I said yesterday. I am so not ready for this."

Twilight tore her gaze from the bat and gaped at Jonathan. "You can't be serious." She shuffled her wings uncomfortably.

The human frowned. "Damn right I am. Look, bats are the flying mount of choice here. In fact, their flight is way more steady than the wyverns, they glide less but when they beat their wings it's pretty regular. They're nothing like the small fruit bats you probably know."

Twilight shook her head. "I only wish we could use just one bat."

"You shouldn't", cut Garrett in. "The weight would be too much. The big ones are airborne right now so you either take Finn and Redwing or wait another five days. What's it gonna be?"

Jonathan spread his arms, an apologizing gesture towards Twilight.

She rolled her eyes. "All right, but I'll secure Arcus and myself with a rope, just to be sure."

"Would've recommended it anyway", drawled Garrett and continued, "So, Mr Baker, you should take Redwing since he is the alpha. Finn is gonna follow him anywhere you wanna fly. Any questions?"

"How much?"

"Five Silver a day. Feeding not included."

Jonathan counted some money from his still bulbous purse and handed it over to Mr Garrett who, a content smile on the remains of his face, gave the other bat its breakfast and stepped back after that.

"Save journey. And bring my bats back in one piece!"

"Thanks", replied Jonathan, giving a lopsided smile, and helped Arcus to climb into Finn's saddle.

Twilight flew up, sitting down behind Arcus with her forelegs on on side of the saddle, her hind legs on the other. "Don't give me that look, Arcus, I can only fly this way." She drew a rope from her saddlebags and tied their barrels to the saddle.

The earth pony, who sat on his haunches, grinned but refrained from commenting on her slightly awkward-looking position. He was still way too nervous to criticize.

Jonathan then climbed onto Redwing's saddle and looked back at his friends. "Brace yourselves", he warned them.

He bent forward and pressed his knees into the bat's sides. It squeaked and started flapping its red wings which were even larger than Finn's. The bat leapt off the gallery and flew upwards in a big spiral around the bank house. Finn followed suit, right on his tail. The two beasts left the Trade Quarter through a pipe which led them directly to the outer ring.

"Wah!", came a shout from Arcus.

Jonathan turned his head. "What?", he called back.

"Nevermind!" The earth pony's grin was wiped off his muzzle as he hung on for his dear life. "J-j-just keep flying."

The human rolled his eyes. "Killjoys", he muttered to himself. Of all the ponies to accompany him, it had to be the two that hated flying. And one even had wings for Light's sake!

He led the mounts through the sewer system, upwards to the entrance cave. They passed the monstrous guards in a heartbeat. The bats eased through the tunnel, taking each turn with a grace the ponies had not expected. Jonathan heard no more comments from Twilight and Arcus and drew the conclusion that they preferred to keep their mouths shut during the flight.

It still didn't keep him from enjoying it; the fresh wind blew the used air of the city away as they left the cave; Jonathan's dark purple scarf fluttered in the breeze behind him; his hood slipped off his white hair but he didn't care; he blinked at the pale sun that shone through the mist and smiled. They were above the forest now, and still on time for the meetup.

He muttered a silent prayer to the Light to take the airsickness away from his pony friends. The warm embrace calmed him down, too, taking some of the nervousness.

Jonathan only knew the guide's name, a Darren Houndslayer. Innkeeper Norman had insisted that he was the man for the job so Jonathan had taken the hint and written a letter to the guy. He still had some doubts about that character but if Norman said he was fine then he probably was. Meaning that he would actually lead them through SIlverpine and not murder and/or rob them in the dead of night.

He directed his bat to turn hard starboard and landed at a small crossroads in the forest close to the ruins of the city, the meeting point that Houndslayer had suggested in his reply. Jonathan turned his head, looking around for the guide. He spotted a figure just above them as Finn landed next to Redwing.

A groan escaped Twilight while Arcus simply stared forward into the distance.

"Are you okay?" Jonathan frowned, not without an indistinct wave of guilt.

Arcus waved at him weakly. "Yeah, yeah. It got... less worse... during the last minutes."

"Good. I can see our guide over there." Jonathan raised his hand to greet the bony creature and its rider that descended next to him.

It was a griffin or, to be more precise, it used to be one. The griffin had no meat on its bones and an eerie blue glow filled his ribcage. Its flight seemed to be supported not by its wings but by some kind of dark magic. Jonathan tried not to think about it. The rider pulled at the reins, making the bird raise its front legs and flap its bony wings repeatedly to come to a halt.

As far as he could tell, the heavily armored person was a human of average height and a fairly muscular build. The dark ice blue plate armor, complete with a deep purple tabard that depicted a black blade, reflected what little sunlight managed to get to the ground through the treetops. He was carrying no obvious weapons with him expect for a gigantic two-handed sword on his back. The sword glowed in a cold blue mist that rose from the engraved blade, leaving a faint trail behind the knight's cloak. It was as if he was a harbinger of winter, slightly ahead of schedule considering that Winter's Veil was still a few weeks away.

Jonathan lowered his hand and gave his friends a worried look, hoping they would not comment on the knight's appearance. Twilight and Arcus straightened up in their saddle and eyed the stranger suspisciously.

That was when the man spoke. His deep voice was as cold as his looks; the hint of an echo in his speech. Jonathan saw Twilight and Arcus shiver in the corner of his eye.

"Are you the Forsaken Baker?"

"Yes. Yes, I am", said Jonathan, trying to ignore the knight's cold tone. He had met Death Knights before and Light dammit he wouldn't make the mistake to piss one off, especially now that he had a life and two friends to lose. He was regretting his poor choice already but turning away after asking him to be their guide? Nope.

"I've been to Silverpine and the Plaguelands before but, as it seems, there's been some shit going on down there. I wanna make sure that we get through in one piece."

The knight smirked, his humorless grin the only visible part of his face under the hood. "Fair enough. I am Darren. They call me the Houndslayer."

Arcus gulped audibly.

The death knight turned his hooded head to look at the ponies. "You have curious luggage", he observed.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Just to be clear about that: They're not luggage. This is the mage Twilight Sparkle", the alicorn waved a hoof at the knight, "and Arcus Tangens, a surveyor." The earth pony nodded politely.

"And why would I help a living man and his unlikely company through Forsaken land? I am not so foolish as to make a journey not worth its compensation."

"Not this again", groaned Jonathan involuntarily, heat rushing to his cheeks. He roughly pulled the cloth from his head, exposing his completely healthy face but also his white hair. Light, give me patience, he prayed. "I'm gonna say this once: I am a Forsaken. I've only encountered some weird-ass magic that healed me. But you of all people should know that loyalty is not about a friggin' pulse. We will travel through Silverpine, with or without a guide. So either take it or leave it, Death Knight, because I will not discuss this any further. Got it?"

The knight's grin widened and he chuckled. "Calm yourself, boy. This could turn out to be a nice little distraction. Your behavior at least suggests a certain familarity with the Undead. I will guide you, provided that you tell me what it is that you seek."

Jonathan relaxed a little. "I want to get wood and a gem for a special wand."

"Hm - very well. Are you properly prepared for a flight to the Sepulcher?"

"We can take off any moment."

"Naturally, I expect some of the payment in advance."

Twilight and Arcus watched curiously as Jonathan turned all businesslike. They had rarely seen this side of him before.

The priest pulled a small purse from his backpack and tossed it over to the knight who caught it easily with his left hand. After a brief look at the purse's content, he nodded. "We have a deal", he confirmed.

"One more thing, though", said Jonathan. "We are not flying directly to the Sepulcher. There's a place halfway to Ambermill we're going to visit first."

"All the same to me", commented Houndslayer. He yanked the reins around without hesitation. His griffin took off and rose above the trees.

Jonathan quickly urged his mount to do the same and lead it ahead of the griffin. Finn followed close behind. Jonathan heard the surprised gasps of the ponies.

At least they did not seem to feel sick anymore. They were probably still trying to make their mind up about the Death Knight. Jonathan did not assume Twilight had seen one before. Dalaran had been full of mages after all.

•°

Arcus poked Twilight's side as Finn rose to follow Redwing. "What kind of knight is that?", he asked as quietly as he could above the wind.

She frowned deeply, an expression she had hidden a few moments before. "Death Knights are undead, mostly human or elves though other species died in the Scourge War, too. Look, he's wearing a tabard of the Ebon Blade. That means he vowed to take revenge on the Lich King for enslaving and killing his people. They are extremely dangerous fighters. I read a lot about it yesterday."

Arcus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Great."

"I'm sure Jonathan knows what he is doing. We have got to trust each other."

He nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But I don't like him. He gives me the creeps. And it's different this time, not like Undercity."

Twilight looked ahead at the shilouette of the two other flying mounts. "I know what you mean. Being close to him feels dangerous. It's like he's carrying around his own winter night and can freeze you to death any moment."

"Yeah, exactly."

They continued the flight in silence, keeping their bodies close to each other in the biting winds.

•°

"There!", shouted Jonathan over the wind and pointed at a clearing below.

A stream snaked through the woods, heading towards the lake. It had been easy not to lose the way despite the monotonous pine tree landscape. The lake had come into sight a few hours ago and had been at their left for the entire time. On the clearing, a few hundred yards away from the stream, stood three small wooden buildings, arranged in a rough U, its open side facing away from the lake.

Jonathan guided Redwing downwards, landing right between the buildings. Finn and the griffin followed suit, descending on both sides. Redwing shook his head, shrieking and looking here and there in rapid movements. It was already late afternoon. Jonathan hoped that they did not have to continue their flight at night. It was already cold enough; in the dark their butts would probably get frozen to their mounts. He climbed off and led the bat to the barn at the left. Finn followed in a weird wobble, reminding Jonathan of a dromedar.

The barn door was unlocked. Jonathan entered and let Redwing rest on a pile of hay that was still surprisingly big. Only the lower parts of it had turned to earth. Then he turned around to help Arcus off of Finn's back but Twilight was ahead of him. She had already loosened the security rope and the two ponies stiffly climbed down.

The bat shook his fur, then joined Redwing in his box, slumping down next to the taller alpha.

"Finally", sighed Arcus. "Hello, oh dearest ground, never have I missed you so."

Twilight eyed him. "How are you feeling? I didn't feel too bad this time." She adjusted her blue saddlebags with her hoof.

"Nah, me neither. Just wanted to be a bit melodramatic", grinned the earth pony. "Besides, the lunch break helped."

The death knight led his griffin inside by the reins and placed his mount in the box next to Redwing's. "How long will we remain here?", he asked.

Jonathan tilted his head. "Depends. I want to look for something. Should take an hour at most. Theoretically, we could fly to the Sepulcher then. But it's so cold that it might be a better idea to stay here for the night. What do you think?", he asked Twilight and Arcus.

"I think so, too. We are not in a hurry after all. The flight was exhausting", said Twilight.

"Yeah, let's look for whatever you wanted to see and have dinner after that", suggested Arcus.

Jonathan nodded. "Sounds good to me. I'm gonna visit my sister's grave so yeah, you don't have to come along if you don't want to."

Twilight's eyes went wide. "Of course we'll come with you!"

Arcus nodded assertively.

Houndslayer crossed his arms. "I will watch the premises. There might be wolves around. Or worse, werewolves."

"Wait a minute, werewolves?" Jonathan was aghast. "That's new!"

The knight nodded. "Yes, it is. Did you not hear that the Gilnean Wall has been opened?"

"No! Definitely not! Don't tell me there's Worgen roaming the land! Does the Queen know about this?"

"Of course she does", snorted Houndslayer. "There was a battle. And after that, the Gilnean Worgen joined the Alliance. It turned out they retained part of their sanity even when transformed."

Jonathan was speechless. He had never thought that there would be a cure to lycanthropy, partial or not. Worgen were the stuff of nightmares, even Forsaken were used to talking about them in disgusted whispers. "Okay", he said finally. "We'll still keep our guard up."

Arcus and Twilight's ears splayed back but Arcus still raised his head and Twilight proclaimed, "Let's go."

•°

The clearing ended only a few feet behind the barn. It seemed that the forest was successful in slowly reclaiming the place as its own. Younger trees and bushes grew on the edge and ivy covered the entire backside of the barn. A cart with a broken axle lay next to a splintered barrel.

"Kinda gloomy here", commented Arcus.

Jonathan hummed. "No one's lived here for over six years."

"Was this your home?", asked Twilight meekly.

The human nodded. He chewed on his lip, unsure whether to add anything, then straightened up. "This way", he decided.

Twilight and Arcus followed him along a narrow path. It seemed to be used frequently by the local wildlife. Jonathan needed to duck now and then to avoid hanging branches and the ponies had some trouble climbing over the underwood. The hooting of owls and the distant repetitive knocking of a woodpecker reminded them that they were not alone. Something briefly brushed against Jonathan's leg, maybe a mouse or a squirrel.

Jonathan was nervous. The forest suddenly felt so unfamiliar to him; its appearance had changed a lot. It was darker than before, not only because of winter approaching. Jonathan hoped he would not miss the spot where the grave was. He did not know what he was hoping for anyway. Maybe he just wanted closure and say goodbye to his sister for one last time. Maybe he wanted to check if the grave was all right, lay down some flowers and clean the stone a bit. It was probably very mossy by now.

Eventually the path ended and they stood at the edge of the stream they had seen just before landing.

Jonathan frowned, trying to recall the right direction. Finally, he recognized the tree with the funny face. A thick branch had broken off, the remaining stump looking like a long nose. A hole sat next to it and it was not hard to complete the features in your mind. The tree winked at him from across the stream. He turned left, against the direction of the flow, and kept following the water. He could still hear Twilight and Arcus, panting and breaking twigs, but they did not speak, busy trying to keep up.

•°

Twilight quietly trotted after Jonathan, her head low to watch the ground. It soon became more even; less and less bushes blocked their path. They arrived at another clearing, this one very different to the one where the houses stood. Her eyes widened and she gasped, stopping abruptly. Arcus bumped into her rear end and muttered an apology.

The clearing had a diameter of roughly thirty yards. The ground was dark and firm, only a few tiny plants grew on it. The trees on the edge, black and crippled, showed scorch marks. But what kind of fire just stopped after burning down a circle in the forest? The place smelled like nothing Twilight knew. If she had to describe it, she would have said, 'hollow'.

"What happened here?", whispered Twilight. "What is this?"

"A magical explosion maybe", offered Arcus, as stricken as Twilight.

"Priest, wait up!" Twilight ran after the man who was already several steps ahead.

He turned around, registering the ponies, and shook his head. "That was me", he said, just loud enough for them to hear. "I did that."

Twilight mouthed, Why?

"I wanted the ground to be clean."

"Clean?"

"For her."

Twilight lowered her gaze, her stomach tying into a knot.

"Its - it's over there." He pointed at the center of the black clearing.

"Should we wait here?", offered Twilight. "To give you some privacy?"

Jonathan nodded curtly.

"Okay." Arcus sat down on his haunches, only to immediately get up again. "Cold", he explained.

The two ponies watched Jonathan walk away from them. He went slowly, like a sleepwalker.

•°

Jonathan searched the area for the stone. It was a small regular rock, not bigger than a plate, the name "Elizabeth Baker" roughly scratched into the surface. It had taken him two days to get the letters right. He was sure he would not miss it.

•°

He could not find it.

Jonathan went up and down, circling the area. He eventually spotted something.

This was not right. The clearing had been nearly flat after his nice little fire. He came closer and bent down to inspect the small hill. The earth had been broken open and it was now covered in grass. It looked as if someone had tried to dig a hole. But he remembered flattening the grave after... it.

"Oh no", he muttered.

A flat stone as small as a regular dish plate lay next to the patch of grass. Jonathan turned it over. The letters were still mostly there.

E IZA ETH B KER

Jonathan stared at the desecrated grave. A gag got stuck halfway up in his throat.

They couldn't have. They mustn't have! Not his sister! Not Lizzie!

But it seemed that they had. Nobody had tried to dig a hole here. Something had digged its way out. Somebody had awoken her, most likely the Scourge. And now she was gone.

Jonathan gasped, clenching his fists in helpless anger and sadness. Was he not even allowed to mourn her?

•°

"He's taking awfully long", muttered Twilight. There was something about the clearing that made her keep her voice down.

"Let's walk over. I don't like this at all." Arcus stomped over to Jonathan with determination. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

When Jonathan fell to his knees, touching something on the ground with his hands, Arcus hesitated for a moment. Then cantered over to his friend.

"Jon, what are you... doing?" His voice faltered.

The human slowly faced Arcus, still half-sitting, half-kneeling on the ground. His face was like a mask and much paler than it should be.

"She's gone." His voice was steady, too steady, and very quiet. He shook his head. "She's undead. Or worse. She's gone." He covered his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut.

In front of him there was a small stone with foreign, scratchy letters on it. Arcus figured it must be the sister's name. Grass grew around the stone.

Arcus swallowed dryliy. "Damn", he breathed. He felt pity for his friend rising up in his chest. Arcus rarely cried; he could hurt his head on the edge of hard furniture without uttering a word of complaint. But now he was struggling to keep his composure.

Jonathan bent over, covering his face with both hands, and shook with silent sobs.

•°

Arcus averted his face and slowly trotted back to Twilight who was catching up. "Leave him be", he said quietly and, to his surprise, Twilight simply nodded and grimaced. She looked deep in thought, as if remembering something.

They waited for as long as they could despite the cold but eventually Arcus got over his embarrassment and approached Jonathan again. Twilight followed, nervously shuffling her wings under her cloak. Arcus gently nudged him.

"Come on, dude, let's go back to the house", he said. "We can get a fire going, rest for the night."

Jonathan's head jerked up. It seemed that he suddenly remembered where he was.

"Yeah. Okay... Right. Let's do that." He quickly wiped his nose and cleared his throat, then, with determination, he rose back to his feet. "Sorry", he muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"There's no need." Twilight tried to smile at him, though the smile turned out pretty sad, not reaching her eyes, and her ears were still down. She focused and cast a spell. The tip of her horn lit up like a wand.

Arcus nodded at the human encouragingly, still unable to think of anything clever to say, then led the way back. He was immensely grateful for his almost eidetic ability to remember paths now. Jonathan looked in no condition to concentrate, much less find the way back. On top of that, it was already pretty late and the trees cast shadows so dark that it was hard to recognize anything at all. Twilight's light shone just bright enough to illuminate the next few steps. The alicorn herself stayed behind Jonathan, occasionally looking back to make sure nothing dangerous was nearby.

•°

When they returned to the yard, they saw that somebody had lit a fire in the main building. A warm light shone through the window on the right to the entrance.

Arcus and Twilight looked at each other, with no clue why Jonathan was suddenly alert again. Jonathan tensed up, then ran for the door. He pushed it open with force; it was heavy and only moved slowly. They went through a short corridor, then another much lighter wooden door.

The death knight sat on a dusty padded chair close to the fireplace.

Jonathan relaxed immediately. "Ah, it's you", he breathed.

"Who else would it be?", replied Houndslayer. "I figured you would like it to be warm when you return. Unfortunately, there is not enough wood available to heat up more rooms."

Jonathan nodded, a tiny polite smile on his face. "Thanks. And it's only for one night. We can sleep here."

Twilight extinguised the light of her horn; the shine of the fire easily lit the entire room.

They took off their cloaks and spread them on the sofa. Twilight and Jonathan sat down; Arcus stepped closer to the fireplace and sat down on his haunches. He did it slowly; everything was dusty. At least the walls had kept out the humidity. The dust aside, the simple furniture was unharmed. Apparently the trading post had not been very lucrative.

Twilight took her saddlebags off and placed them close to the sofa. She started rummaging in them and finally found what she had been looking for. She used her magic to float a small kettle over the fire and set it down on the iron grid that stood above it. Another spell and the kettle was filling with water.

Everyone watched in fascination as the alicorn produced three tin cups and placed them on the dusty table before the fireplace. Her muzzle disappeared in her bag once more and she gave Jonathan and Arcus some bread and cheese, along with an apple for each of them. She cast a questioning look at the knight who simply shook his head.

"I do not eat", he said, his breath turning into mist as if he was outside in the cold.

She nodded. "I thought so", she smiled and sat down on the sofa.

They ate their food in relative silence. Arcus was the first to finish; he even ate the apple's core and stem. When the water boiled, Twilight added some herbs to it. Up to that point, Jonathan was still not finished. He chewed halfheartedly on his piece of bread, leaving the cheese untouched.

Houndslayer simply sat there and watched them. His gaze, still hidden under the hood, seemed to wander from one to the other. "What is the matter? Arcus Tangens?"

Arcus huffed sadly but refrained from a comment.

Jonathan cleared his throat. "Ah, well, that's my fault. I probably shouldn't have gone to the grave."

"Why?", asked Twilight very seriously. "It was probably the last chance in your life to do that."

He grimaced. "Yes. But if I hadn't done it I'd still think that she's dead. Like, properly dead", he added quietly.

Houndslayer tilted his head curiously. "Your wife?"

He shook his head. "Sister."

"I'm sorry", said the knight abruptly, his voice almost normal.

"Was it your fault?", asked Jonathan, a hint of sharpness in his inquiry.

"No."

"Good." He looked away, embarrassed that he had even asked, then perked up when something came to his mind. "You... you haven't heard of anybody raising the dead again, have you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. It was the Val'kyr", grunted the knight. "Four of them are now under orders of Sylvanas. Shouldn't you know that, being a Forsaken?"

"I've been away for years, so no, not really", replied Jonathan, ignoring the accusation in Darren's voice. "How in the world did she - "

"She recruited them after the Lich King fell."

"Damn it. Connect that with the battle against the Worgen and there you have it", explained Jonathan to the ponies.

"Oh dear", muttered Twilight. "Are you thinking the Val'kyr raised your sister to fight the werewolves?"

Jonathan nodded slowly. "I had hoped that she wouldn't have to go through the same shit as me. Apparently I was wrong." He clenched his fist, crumbling his remaining piece of bread.

When he fell silent, Houndslayer added, "She could have perished in the battle, or continue her existence as an undead, probably unrecognizable to you." He seemed agrravated, shuffling around in his armchair. A cold breeze emanated from him.

Arcus wrinkled his muzzle in confusion. "What are Val'kyr?"

"Tall undead women with wings. They have the ability to raise the dead and turn them into undead", explained Twilight quickly.

Arcus whistled through his teeth. "Dear Celestia... There's no way to find her, is there?", he wondered. Jonathan shook his head.

"I'm not hungry", he stated after swallowing down the last of his bread. "Anypony want the cheese?"

The knight scoffed. It sounded a little creepy with the echo, yet he seemed to be genuinely amused.

"What?", asked a bewildered Jonathan.

"Your words. You said, 'anypony'", observed Houndslayer.

"Yeah. So?"

Arcus raised his hoof. "I'll take it." His mouth watered as he fixed his eyes on the food.

"Ah, I suppose the term fits. Still, it sounds strange coming from a man." Darren shook his head.

Jonathan smiled briefly and handed the cheese over to Arcus. "You get used to it. After all, you can get used to a lot of things. That includes talking ponies."

"Or undead humans", retorted Twilight, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah", smiled Jonathan, the sadness retreating from his face. "Oh!" He opened his backpack and removed a paper bag from it. "I just remembered I still got this. Maybe I can eat some more after all", he mused, eyeing the bag.

Arcus rolled his eyes. "There was nothing wrong with the cheese."

"Are those what I think they are?" Twilight smiled encouragingly.

Jonathan opened the bag and peered inside. "Five of them. Figures." He gave Arcus and Twilight two of the cupcakes. Both had pink sugar frosting. His own had was coated with chocolate.

"Who made these?", asked Houndslayer, getting curious again.

He somehow seems to be thawing, observed Arcus.

"Pinkie Pie, an earth pony as pink as a Naaru crystal", said Jonathan between two bites. "You can try one if you want. The taste is fucking awesome." He all but shoved another chocolate cupcake into the knight's hand.

"Seriously?", deadpanned Houndslayer.

"Just eat the damn thing", insisted Jonathan.

He carefully took a bit. "Indeed." Surprised, he ate the rest of the baked good with enthusiasm.

"I know, right?!" Jonathan kept smirking, then sobered up again, chewing and enjoying the sweet flavor. He stared into the fire and mulled things over, his thoughts returning to his sister.

Why did it shock him so much? He used to be undead, too. His sister would manage... hopefully.

Damn it, why did he have to go there? Six years were a long time, why couldn't he let it go? Sometimes it felt so distant but then it was all fresh again.

At least he was not anymore in zombie mode like on the way back. Jonathan straightened up and decided never to go to the grave again. She was the last of his family and now that he would not ever find her there was nothing keeping him in Azeroth. It was time to get the wand materials and return to Equestria as soon as possible.

"I've been mourning her for so long... For far too long actually", he finally said, his voice sounding as dusty as it had before he had been healed. "I can't go back. In any way. This place is not my home anymore. It's all empty and... useless. Better for the whole thing to rot and disappear." Jonathan wrung his hands, staring at the fire, and hung his head. He sighed, sniffling a bit.

"What Sylvanas did... I can't say in earnest that I blame her for raising people from the dead. One way or another, I can't undo it. Maybe my sister got lucky and isn't in any trouble at all." He smiled sadly at Twilight. "As I said, I can't go back."

There was an awkward pause, then Jonathan rubbed his nose. "Oh, man. Pinkie would probably know how to raise the mood. Hell, only this one cupcake of hers does wonders." He decided to eat the fourth cupcake, staining his fingers with sugary frosting in the process.

"What's your sister's name?", asked Arcus quietly. "You never told us."

Twilight decided to hazard a guess. "Her name is Lizzie, isn't it?"

Jonathan nodded. "You're remembering my Nightmare Night story", he concluded.

She poured tea into the three cups. "You looked so sad when you told it. Was any of it made up at all?"

"Yeah", admitted Jonathan, "but not much. Only the part about the ghost and some minor details." He frowned and rubbed his neck.

"I see", muttered Twilight. She still remembered the entire story.

And when they grab her and raise their blades she recognizes one of them: The one right at the front is her brother.

"We'll be with you no matter what happens", she said warmly.

Jonathan nodded curtly and wiped his wet cheeks. He felt deeply thankful that the death knight didn't give a snarky comment.

They went to sleep after finishing their tea. Arcus had shared the last cupcake with Twilight and washed the tin cups with some snow from outside. Houndslayer wordlessly stood up and positioned himself near the windows.

For some reason, Jonathan slept much better than the previous night, completely undisturbed by the distant howling from outside.

Level 6 - A Fine Piece of Pine

Jonathan rarely remembered his dreams. This morning was one of few exceptions. He woke up to the noise of Twilight and Arcus making breakfast and found himself lying next to the sofa. Apparently he had rolled over during the night and fallen off. The tangled mess that were his clothes and cloak had prevented him from getting injured though.

Sunlight shone through the dirty glass window, revealing the myriad dust particles dancing in the air. There was no birdsong - no surprise there.

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. The blurry image of a dark blue pony was still floating around in his mind. Apparently Princess Luna had managed to check up on him. He had no idea how she had done that but he suspected that it had something to do with the fact that time perception worked differently in dreams. How else could Luna visit him when time in Azeroth passed thirty times faster than in Equestria? He smiled faintly and muttered, "Morning."

"Oh! You're awake!" Twilight beamed at him. "How do you like your eggs?"

"How in the world did you manage to transport raw eggs safely through the portal?", wondered Jonathan.

"I know a cushioning spell. Spike insisted that I learn one since my first flight with him on my back."

Arcus chuckled. "Hah, I wish I had seen that", he muttered.

Twilight gave him a scolding glance. "Anyway, I've been thinking."

Unsurprised by that, Jonathan stretched his limbs. He still felt slightly groggy.

"We could skip the flight to the Sepulcher and directly find a suitable tree instead. What do you think?"

There was some movement at the window. Houndslayer, who had been keeping watch the entire night, turned around, unfolding his crossed arms. He approached the low fire and sat down on the armchair.

"Why do you wish to go there?", he asked.

Jonathan frowned. "To rest for the night. So I guess Twilight is right. Flying there would be a detour... That would be kinda dumb."

Arcus, who was busy watching the kettle, agreed by shrugging. He was wearing his armor again. It looked cleaner than the day before.

"Then it's settled. We find a tree today, then go on to the Plaguelands", summarized Twilight.

"Not before buying food in Andorhal", threw Jonathan in and sat down on the sofa, rearranging his cloak and trying to comb his white hair with his hand. "Uch, we're starting to get smelly", he admitted. "Let's take a stop at the lake, okay?"

The ponies agreed. Houndslayer smirked and shook his head.

•°

"You know", said Arcus when they left the house, "I still don't understand that whole Worgen business. Why are cursed humans fighting other cursed humans again?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Because it's not the same curse. Also, because the Worgen joined the Alliance. Genn Greymane, their king, hates Queen Sylvanas. You don't even wanna know the names she calls the Worgen either. There was something that involved Greymane's son but I don't know the whole story." He pulled up his hood - this time tugging at its strings to prevent it from falling down again - and rubbed his hands together. Today, everybody's breath was visible, not just the Death Knight's, and Twilight felt tempted to cast a shield spell against the chilling breeze.

"There is indeed a little more to that", said Houndslayer dryly as he tried to push the barn door open. When it did not budge, he used more force. The door rattled but remained shut, to the irritation of the knight.

"Wait, don't smash it in! I locked it." Jonathan quickly intervened, presenting a rusty key. He inserted the key and turned it around. The door finally unlocked with a satisfying clack.

During the night, the bats had moved to another box. The griffin was still in the exact same spot, only shifting his weight a little when he noticed his owner.

As Houndslayer patted his mount's bony spine, Jonathan approached Redwing. He tugged at the straps that held the harness and saddle in place to make sure they were still alright. Twilight observed this and quickly joined Finn to do the same there. The bats were slightly agitated; Redwing kept turning his head to watch Jonathan's work, sqeaking and shifting his weight.

Jonathan rubbed the bat's side; maybe the beast's side was itching? Then his gaze fell on the its snout and his eyes widened.

"What the hay?", commented Arcus, pointing at Redwing's mouth. "That's dried blood!"

"Here, too", added Twilight, pointing at Finn. "What happened?"

"But I locked the door! They couldn't have been hunting." Jonathan was perplexed.

"Did you repair the roof as well?" Houndslayer pointed at the - well, at what was remaining of the roof. In the evening, it had not looked as damaged but now it was obvious that the bats had not been shut in in the slightest. Gaping holes had opened over the years and the barn ground had only been protected from the weather because of the second layer of wood that was the remains of an upper floor.

Jonathan buried his face in his hand, speechless, as his face took on the shade of beetroot.

Twilight smiled bravely and pulled a piece of cloth from her saddlebags, using her magic. "I can do this, I don't need to touch them." She wiped Finn's face clean, then proceeded with Redwing's. However, she failed at hiding her disgust, her mouth curling up in a small scowl.

"Hey, cheer up, Jon, look at the bright side: The bats returned from their hunt. Also, we don't need to feed them today, right?" Arcus gave Jonathan a reassuring pat on the back.

"Right, well... The harnesses are okay, I think we're good to go." Jonathan shrugged, his ears still red, and helped Arcus onto Finn's saddle.

•°

After the obligatory anti-nausea spell from Jonathan, Twilight's dismal groans stopped and Arcus got to enjoy the scenery. They were high above the forest now. It was equally chilling everywhere and actually easier to navigate without rushing through the treetops. With the lake on their left, the three flying mounts headed south, keeping their eyes peeled for healthy-looking trees.

Finally, after an hour or two, the pine trees started to look significantly better; they stood taller and had sturdier branches, and the color of their needles was richer and darker. Jonathan waved his hand and descended next to a group of particularly tall trees. Finn and Houndslayer's griffin, whose name was still a mystery, followed suit.

Twilight and Arcus needed to duck when Finn sped through the trees, completely ignoring the fact that a bat with ponies on its back needed more space than without them. A branch brushed Arcus's head and he yelped, quickly lowering his head until his chin touched the bat. Since he was sitting in front of Twilight, who was smaller and sitting sideways, he would have been the only one to recieve a nasty bump on his forehead.

Twilight gasped. It seemed to Arcus that it was for a different reason than the branches, though. When they climbed from the mounts and joined Jonathan, the alicorn sped over to the human and asked quickly, "Jonathan, did you remember to close the door?"

Jonathan smirked. "No, I didn't."

When Twilight's mouth opened again, he continued, "Intentionally. Don't worry, Princess, I don't forget that kind of stuff. Unlike anniversaries", he muttered the last part to himself.

She tilted her head, confused, and raised an eyebrow. Arcus set his saddlebags down on the ground and stretched his limbs.

"Why, you wanna accelerate the decay of that trading post?", he asked bluntly. Jonathan nodded and started inspecting the trees.

Houndslayer stayed a few feet away, watching their surroundings. "I do not understand why you wanted a guide", he muttered. "A guard: that would have made more sense."

Twilight approached the knight, surprising him with a friendly smile. "It's just a precaution", she said. "I am curious, have you always been called Houndslayer?"

"No. I usually travel the Plaguelands, hunting plague dogs, ghouls and wraiths. Hence the name."

"Oh, so you are, er, taking care of the wildlife, so to speak." Twilight giggled nervously and flashed him an friendly smile. In the back of her mind she prayed for Rarity to inspire her. She always knew how to approach people with her natural charm.

"Well said, unicorn", smirked Houndslayer, unaware of the correct term for Twilight's race. "Curious", he added after a few moments.

"What is?", asked Twilight, setting her own saddlebags down and occasionally turning her head to look over to Jonathan and Arcus. The two stood near a tree with reddish brown bark, the diameter of its trunk easily two feet, and seemed to be discussing its quality. Now Arcus tilted his head back, looking up into the tree's high branches, and nodded confidently.

"There is something strange about you and the other pony creature. Even Mr Baker expressed his feelings without hesitation, though I, a stranger, was present at the time."

Twilight smiled. "We are really good friends. He wasn't very open at first, you can trust me on that." She winked at the knight.

"There, again. I can sense your accelerated heartbeat. Yet you converse with me as if I was merely a harmless farmer from your hometown. Why?"

"I... I don't know, I'm just... don't you like me being nice?", asked Twilight timidly.

"Twilight Sparkle, are you pitying me?" His words were sharp, precise.

Her face fell. "No", she said firmly. "I would never befriend po-, I mean people, out of pity. That would be disrespectful and devaluate the friendship, don't you think?"

"I see. However, this would be the first time that someone wants to fraternize with me, at least since my death."

"Wow, then it's about time, isn't it? I can't lie about it: I'm still feeling uneasy with this. But I won't let it control me. I've gotten used to Jonathan when he was undead, too." Twilight paced up and down in front of the knight. "You may be a mercenary but that doesn't mean that we have to stay strictly professional all the time. This journey is going to take a while, so I wouldn't want any hard feelings or complications." She dug at the ground. "Please tell me if I'm too intrusive. I know my curiousity can go a little... overboard sometimes. I got reminded of that very recently."

"I will do that."

"Though I have one more question", admitted Twilight, grinning sheepishly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Houndslayer was faster with his own question. "Why does Mr Baker call you 'Princess'?"

"Because it annoys me. I told him he doesn't have to do it and he's been teasing me with it ever since. It's not so bad." Twilight rolled her eyes.

"You are of royal blood?"

She nodded hesitantly. "Well, technically... sort of."

"I see", said Houndslayer, dropping the subject as he registered Twilight's discomfort. "So what is your question?"

"Would you mind taking off the hood? It's a bit strange to talk to you without seeing your eyes."

•°

Jonathan knocked on the tree's bark, listening to the sound. "M-hm", he said.

"It's a nice and healthy specimen", said Arcus. "I'd take it."

Jonathan grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Whatever, earth pony."

"Hey, I'm a surveyor, I get to see my share of trees!", protested Arcus.

"Shut up, I agree with you." Jonathan set his backpack down on the ground and opened it to get his knife.

Suddenly, an anxious squeak from Twilight alarmed the two, and Arcus quickly cantered over to her. "You all right?" he asked the alicorn.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry about the scream", she said, blushing violently.

"All right... I'll go over and help Jon, then", said Arcus, looking at her and then Darren with a remnant of worry, then returning to the tree.

•°

"I'm sorry, Mr Houndslayer, I was just surprised", stammered Twilight, begging the knight's forgiveness with pleading eyes.

Houndslayer, who had done nothing but remove the hood from his head, sighed. "You were 'surprised'?" His voice's temperature dropped by a few degrees.

"Yes, I was. It's not like I haven't seen eyes like this before, but they were glowing yellow, not... icy blue..." She fell silent as she tried not to stare into the knight's cold gaze like a young deer into the headlights of a carriage.

His facial features were, to Twilight's big fascination, intact, if only way too pale for a human and with dark rings around his eyes. With a straight nose and a wider chin than Jonathan's, he looked probably handsome by human standards. A dark purple tattoo, shaped like an abstract lightling bolt or maybe a blade, decorated his left temple and cheek, giving his face a somewhat viscious expression. Even though he looked as if he had died in his forties, his long hair was of a greyish white and bound together in his neck to keep it out of his eyes. Twilight sighed inwardly as she realized that Jonathan's hair had been better groomed even when he had been undead. He was shaved, though, just like Jonathan, so that indicated that he cared for his appearance, at least a little.

When Houndslayer, his pale face distorted by a frown, raised his hands to pull up the hood again, Twilight shook her head. "No, really, it's okay", she insisted.

"Very well." He did not smile. However, the frown nearly disappeared.

"Look, Mr Houndslayer", observed Twilight, who had been looking around for new subjects to talk about, "I think they picked a tree."

"Ah, don't do that", said the knight harshly.

Twilight winced. "Sorry?"

"Just call me Darren. Unless you want me to continuously call you 'Your royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle'."

"Hey, Twilight!" hollered Jonathan, interrupting their conversation.

She turned her head. "Yes?", she replied loudly.

"What do you think?" He gestured at the tree.

"Excuse me for a moment, Darren", said Twilight, raising a hoof. She smiled at him and trotted over to the priest.

Jonathan rubbed his arm awkwardly. "It's looking healthy but I can't check its magical aptness. Could you...?"

"Sure!" Twilight, happy to help her friend, focused and cast the spell. She expanded the aura of her horn until it touched the tree, engulfing it in a narrow ring of pink glittering light. The she let go of the spell and it quickly dissipated. "The arcane signature is pretty unique." Twilight was fascinated. "I think it would make an extraordinary wand."

Arcus grinned. "You're in luck, 'man."

"Good work, Princess. Thanks", said Jonathan. He readied the knife to cut the bark.

However, as soon as he touched the wood, an angry cry made him flinch. Jonathan lowered the blade and spun around, along with everyone else.

The cry had come from a slim creature running towards them at an incredible speed. She had the lower body of a deer, with four legs and light brown fur, and the upper body of an elven woman. An intricate vest made of blooming ivy vines covered her pale violet chest, still exposing most of her skin. Her cobalt blue hair fell down in elegant waves. Her face, however, was distorted with fury.

"How dare you lay hand on my tree!", she spat, dashing towards Jonathan.

Darren swiftly drew his two-handed sword and Twilight's horn lit up.

Jonathan, who only barely managed to sheath the knife, found himself knocked against the tree before he could cast a shield spell. The impact took his breath away. He gasped for air. His back hurt but he was glad that the thick clothing had cushioned the collision somewhat.

"Leave him alone!", cried Twilight, pointing her horn at the attacker. A giant viscious blade met the forest nymph's throat, forcing her chin upwards.

"Step back or I'll kill you", stated Darren coldly. Apparently she registered the icy mist and the glowing runes on the saronite steel that threatened her. The woman's eyes widened and she forced herself to retreat two steps from Jonathan.

"How dare you", she whispered, now both angry and terrified. She trembled like a leaf as she realized that she was heavily outnumbered. Her slim hands clenched into fists.

Arcus threw his hooves into the air. "It would have been just a slice! We didn't intend to chop it off or anything like that. I mean seriously, what else could a knife do!"

Jonathan raised his hands. "Everybody calm down", he begged, although he still appeared a little shocked.

Darren slowly withdrew his sword and sheathed it. He looked a little disappointed.

"Who are you?", asked Twilight, the sparks around her horn fading away.

"The guardian of this tree?", completed Jonathan the question.

The nymph straightened up. "I am Sokalla, guardian spirit of the silverpines in this part of the forest", she introduced herself with pride in her tone. She took several deep breaths, then looked at the members of the group, first the death knight, then the ponies. While Darren obviously scared her, she smiled feebly at the ponies. "Are you also a nature spirit?", she asked Arcus. Now that she spoke normally, her voice sounded much more melodious.

The green earth pony grimaced. "Uh, not like you, I suppose. I work outdoors a lot..."

Sokalla turned back to Jonathan. "You have surrounded me, I can see that now. But I still ask you to reconsider. Please do not fell these trees!", she pleaded, desperation in her eyes.

Jonathan smiled stiffly. "Arcus said the truth", he tried to calm her. "I just need a little piece of it. The tree will recover soon."

"Why do you want to cut it?" The nymph seemed honestly confused and appalled.

"I need a wand", said Jonathan, thinking to himself, This is getting old.

Sokalla's eyes widened with realization. "You are a bearer of magic?", she asked.

Jonathan nodded. "You could say that", he said, shrugging.

"So you only wish to obtain a very small piece of this mine tree? And you want it for your magic?"

Arcus raised an eyebrow. What was with the lustful tone?

Darren frowned, confused by Sokalla's sudden change of attitude.

"Errr, yes, please", confirmed Jonathan again, stepping back from the now advancing nymph. She was about a head shorter than him but he seemed to be shrinking away from her.

"If it is a request so humble and one so humbly made, I think I will grant it", cooed Sokalla, walking even closer to the blushing human.

"Great, thank you very much", stammered Jonathan. "Would you mind stepping back a little?"

Darren raised his hand to reach for the handle of his sword again but a grinning Twilight shook her head. He dropped the hand and crossed his arms, watching closely.

"I think somebody's in love", whispered the alicorn into Arcus's ear. The stallion smirked, trying hard not to snicker.

Sokalla bent forward, her bosom pressing against Jonathan's chest - his cheeks were positively burning - and tilted her head to whisper into his ear. "Go ahead, dear, unsheath your knife and show me how you cut my prescious bark."

Twilight facehooved while Arcus was sitting on his rump, holding his belly and shuddering with silent laughter.

Darren, his ears not as sensitive as the ponies', had not understood what the nymph had said but Jonathan yelping "Nope!" and quickly ducking away was enough of a message.

"That shall be enough, nymph", said Darren coolly.

Sokalla scrunched her face, pretending to be insulted. However, she did not dare to disobey the death knight. With a sigh, she waved her hand, permitting Jonathan to proceed.

Jonathan quickly readied the knife and started cutting, trying his best to ignore Sokalla's moaning. His ears burned a bright crimson and he was suddenly in a big hurry. When he was done, Sokalla walked over to her tree and stroked it affectionately. The bark creaked as if the pine was talking back to her. She looked at Jonathan.

"Thank you for being gentle", said Sokalla and approached him once again, this time not as aggressively as before, one way or the other. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then galloped away. The rustling of a few branches was heard, then relative silence, disturbed only by the hooting of an owl.

"Don't. Say. A word." Jonathan frowned darkly, especially at the males.

"I'm not saying anything", stated Darren, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Snrk", said Arcus.

"Let's fly to the lake", muttered Jonathan and stomped over to Redwing.

•°

It was a short ride to the lake but at least long enough for Jonathan to calm down. Sokalla's behavior had embarrassed him greatly. It was not as if he had sworn to live a life of celibacy but he was - despite the natural reaction of his body - not interested in doing anything funny with a random nymph. On the other hand, nature spirits were known to be unpredictable like that, aggressive or timid or passionate, simply following their instincts. Maybe she just wanted to make fun of him. It would be understandable; she obviously knew she would not have stood a chance if it had come to an actual fight. Mocking him could have been a way of defending herself. His back still hurt from the collision with the tree, though.

He rolled his eyes. At least the ponies had something to laugh about. Even the death knight had looked amused. Jonathan wondered why Houndslayer did not hide his face anymore. That talk with Twilight must have been pretty enlightning.

•°

When they landed on the narrow patch of grass that divided the forest from the edge of the lake, Twilight eagerly jumped off of Finn's back and cantered over to Jonathan.

"How clean is the water?", she asked.

He shrugged, then climbed down. "Pretty clean, I guess. Good enough for drinking anyway."

She squeed and immediately started drawing empty bottles from her saddlebags. Jonathan grinned and set his bag on the ground to look for his own bottles.

Arcus wobbled over to him. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. Can I try to fly without your spell next time?"

"Are you sure?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You're still looking a little green."

"Ha ha", deadpanned Arcus.

Only then did Jonathan realize the possible reference to the natural color of the earth pony's coat. He grimaced as an apology, too lazy to clarify what he had meant. Closing his backpack and collecting three bottles in his arms, Jonathan walked over to the water.

The foreshore's grass was short and flabby and mingled with sharp rocks. Jonathan tried his best to keep his balance as he followed the decline. He managed to reach the lake shortly after Twilight.

They refilled their bottles in silence, Arcus joining them after a few moments.

Twilight, who had drunk some water directly from the lake, looked back at the mounts. "Darren's just standing there. Don't the Undead drink water, too?"

"Only when we've been weakened or worn out by using magic", reminded Jonathan her. Then he noticed something. "Since when are you guys on a first name basis?"

Twilight smiled and shrugged with her wings. "We had an interesting talk and decided to become friends."

"Sweet", said Arcus.

"Why, because I haven't known him for long?" Twilight had not missed the sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, yeah."

"I became friends with Pinkie Pie, Applejack and others in about the same time", pointed Twilight out. "Although I didn't realize it at first."

Arcus's eyes widened. "Wow", he commented, this time without irony. "I sometimes forget how good you are at making friends."

Twilight waved it off. "Pinkie Pie played a big part in it."

Jonathan hummed while screwing the last bottle shut. "Pinkie's not here, though, and becoming friends with a death knight is not the easiest thing to do."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you are behaving a little prejudiced", snapped Twilight. "He may not be very approachable but I think he is a nice person. Did you notice that his hood is down? He was wearing it because he didn't want to scare us. But I asked him to keep it down so I can see his face."

Jonathan sighed. "All right, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt. He did not kill us when we slept, so he passed the basic test", he tried to joke. "Though I wouldn't bet on him still being friendly once the quest is over." He gave Twilight a concerned frown, rubbing his chin.

The alicorn said nothing and returned to the mounts.

Arcus eyed Jonathan. "That's inspiring, you know. Maybe I should talk to Darren a bit more, see what he likes and stuff."

•°

Twilight stomped back to join Darren, grinding her teeth. What was it with Jonathan and his scepticism? Still frowning, she recalled her first encounter with him on a Zeppelin. He had looked much worse than Darren, though she had to admit that the sub-zero vibe the death knight gave away was unique. Still, friendly conversation with him was possible. She had a good feeling about him.

And she was always careful. You were supposed to learn from your mistakes. Twilight had learned her lesson when she had been betrayed by Lady Eventide.

Or was Jonathan just cranky because of Sokalla? Twilight sighed curtly and nodded at Arcus who was smiling at her.

Don't be rude, you're not mad at him, she chasticed herself.

"You okay?", asked the earth pony, stretching his legs to get rid of the stiffness from the flight.

She hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. "Yes. Yes, I'm all right and ready to go. I think Jonathan is washing himself, let's give him a moment."

"Oh, good thinking", said Arcus, "because I need to pee." He grinned and waved at Twilight before disappearing between the trees.

"Don't go too far away!", called Twilight after him. "It's going to get dark soon."

"No worries!", came the shout back.

Author's Note

Fun fact:
In many ancient cultures all over the globe pine trees were considered sacred, symbolizing purity, light (of the sun) and immortality, and were used for cleansing rituals and the like. I did not know that when I picked the pine tree as suitable for Jonnie's wand. I just like their smell and appearance. Also, Silverpine Forest is located right next to Tirisfal, so it was a fairly obvious choice.

Level 7 - Wolves

Jonathan watched the lakewater rise and fall in small waves, washing the closest rocks clean. The parts of the rocks constantly below the water surface were covered by algae and moss.

He felt dirty. And it wasn't because of the three days he hadn't taken a shower.

Twilight had hit a sore spot when she had scolded him. Not too long ago, he had looked fairly intimidating - just like Houndslayer. He was in no place to judge the death knight. But the fact remained that they didn't know jack about him.

He dropped his cloak and turned around to make sure the others were busy. Jonathan wanted to remain in earshot but preferably not in a direct line of sight. Getting rid of his remaining clothes, he gave an exasperated sigh and squeezed his eyes shut.

A great group leader he turned out to be. He kept making one mistake after another. It was a good thing the ponies were this tolerant. If Twilight had been more familiar with the area Jonathan would have had no problem with her being in charge instead of him. She already started making friends again. He, on the other hand, had managed to let the bats fly around freely, he offended a forest nymph and almost lost Arcus in the ruins of Lordaeron, and all of this in three days.

He was in no place to judge the knight. Being careful was one thing, being paranoid another.

Jonathan took a hesitant step towards the water, tiptoeing into the cold liquid. There was no way in hell he was going to go in further than knee-depth.

After washing himself with a wet cloth and quickly putting his clothes back on, he drew his tin cup out of his backpack and filled it with lake water. Time to make use of one of the glorious achievements of Equestrian civilization.

Jonathan brushed his teeth like Spike had taught him, them spat unceremoniously into the lake water and rinsed his mouth with the water from the tin cup. He washed the toothbrush and put it away, along with the cup. He rubbed his chin. It was weird; Jonathan had thought that after coming back to life his facial hair would start growing again. For some reason there was still no stubble - and it had been weeks. Not that it bothered him; at least he didn't need to shave anymore. Jonathan knew he was not a beard kind of guy.

He already felt much better - and definitely more awake than before.

It was beginning to grow dark. Thin clouds covered the sky like zhevra stripes, a beautiful picture. In two hours, the sky would probably glow in the orange light of the setting sun. They could still make it to Andorhal before that.

Jonathan hurried back to Twilight and the others. When he saw only the knight and Twilight, he got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Where's Arc?"

Darren pointed with his thumb at the trees. "Taking a leak."

"Oh. Good idea actually." Jonathan grinned at Twilight, then went away as well.

•°

"Come to think of it", muttered Twilight, "Arcus is taking very long."

Darren smirked. "He does know how to... ?"

Twilight shot him a glance. "Please, don't go there."

"Calm yourself, Twilight. He will be fine."

"I hope so", she sighed. Then her ears perked up. There was a strangely familiar sound coming from the forest. A rhythmic pounding, creaking branches, then the rustle of leaves moved by a creature. Twilight had to think of Applejack for some reason, then she realized it almost sounded like her applebucking.

"What is that?" Darren stood up, alarmed, and tried to figure out the source of the noise. Twilight left her saddlebags where they were and ran towards the trees. Branches brushed her face as she skipped towards the noise.

"Arcus! Where are you?", she called with a hint of panic in her voice.

The noise stopped. "Over here!" His voice was closer than she had expected. She turned right and followed his call.

"Arcus?"

"Hey, Twilight. You look tense. Is everything all right?" Arcus seemed perfectly fine, save for a bead of sweat on his forehead. He was drawing short breaths as if he had been running.

"What are you doing?", demanded Twilight, both worry and relief audible in her question.

"Errr..." Arcus hesitated.

"Come on, you can tell me", she encouraged him.

Arcus frowned, then he heaved a deep sigh. "I guess it's unavoidable anyway. I've been training."

"Training?" Twilight raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, training. Look." He pointed at a nearby tree. Twilight registered that the poor tree had been through a lot. Its bark was cut, dented and in some places it had even fallen off completely.

"Have... you been fighting a tree?"

Arcus nodded. "Yes. Pinius here is my makeshift training dummy." He smirked and winked at her. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Twilight glowered at him. "We were worried something might have happened to you. You said you wanted to relieve yourself. It's been an hour since you left!"

"Oops. Sorry." At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Come on, let's go back", requested Twilight.

"Of course." Arcus followed her without hesitation. "Sorry again", he offered.

"I'm just glad that you're safe." She thought back to losing him in Undercity and shivered.

Maybe Arcus thought the same thing because he simply said, "Me too", then cleared his throat as if he had already said too much.

•°

They easily found their way back, thanks to Arcus who had memorized the path, and emerged from the forest a few steps away from the humans.

Jonathan was already back and patting Redwing's side while Darren stood a few steps away, eyeing the forest. He was the one who spotted the ponies. The knight raised his hand, then beckoned them to hurry.

"The sun is setting", he said as soon as Twilight was close enough. "Let us make haste."

Arcus grimaced. "Sorry", he repeated. "I lost track of time."

Before Darren could ask, Twilight quickly said, "He was taking a walk. We ponies are not used to sitting on a mount for such long periods of time."

Darren accepted the explanation and walked over to his griffin.

"Thanks", muttered Arcus. Twilight just smiled innocently.

When Arcus grabbed the strap of his saddlebags with his teeth, there was a howling that sounded suspiciously like a wolf.

"That was pretty close", observed Jonathan.

"Too close. Get your things!", urged Darren. Twilight floated her own saddlebags to Finn and tied them to his saddle, together with Arcus' supplies.

"Watch out!", shouted Arcus suddenly.

Jonathan spun around and instantly found himself face to face with an enormous wolf. It had shaggy fur so dark that it seemed black in the evening dusk. The animal bared its sharp teeth and growled at the surprised human.

"Whoa!" Jonathan quickly said a prayer to conjure a protective sphere around himself.

The wolf charged, scratching at the sphere with its paws. The sphere flickered, apparently it was not very stable.

"Twilight, a little help?" Jonathan drew his knife, the only weapon he was carrying, and crouched down into a defensive stance.

"Coming!" Twilight turned to run over to him but another wolf had managed to creep up on her. She gasped and shot a beam of arcane energy from her horn to scare it off.

The wolf was not impressed. It approached her, its head low and claws at the ready.

She fired up her horn, creating a transparent pink sphere around herself and Arcus. The two of them stood fairly close to each other. "Sorry, I can't help you right now!", she warned Jonathan. "Kind of busy here."

Jonathan nodded and braced himself, praying for courage. His first prayer had been a bit too sloppy, it seemed. He had to concentrate more. The moment his shield broke, the wolf jumped forward - and into Darren's sword.

"What are you doing?", barked the knight. "Get to the mounts! Let me handle this!" Darren moved his sword in a low arc, striking the beast's side at an impressive speed. The runes on his blade glowed as it absorbed the wolf's lifeforce. The animal crumpled to a heap, its fur covered by a thin layer of ice.

"Right!" Jonathan retreated, running over to Twilight.

The pony was busy with two wolves at once, shooting beams of arcane energy at them. The wolves howled when they got hit but Twilight's attacks could not incapacitate them or scare them off.

"It's no use!", cried Arcus. "We have to actually injure them or they won't leave us alone!"

"You're right." Now that he had time to focus, Jonathan was able to engulf one of the wolves in light. This time, however, it was not the warm glow that Twilight had seen before. Instead, he had conjured a blinding flash of yellow fire that burned the wolf's flesh. It whimpered and flinched backwards, then stumbled and fell.

Arcus glared at the other wolf, then ran directly towards it. He was afraid of it but he was also angry, mostly at himself for keeping the truth from his friends. But who cared where his strength came from? Trying to direct that anger at the wolf, Arcus let out a wild scream.

Twilight quickly used a blinking spell to teleport out of the way and reappear close to Finn. She flapped her wings, took off and stood on his saddle. Once again she shot beams at the remaining wolves to keep them at bay until Darren had the time to handle them.

Arcus hit his wolf's side with his front hooves, then ducked to avoid the paws. The wolf snapped at him with his jaw so he raised his front leg. The animal bit into the hoofguard, its teeth sliding off the metal. It repeatedly tried to bite Arcus's neck or barrel but the pony kept blocking its attacks, then swiftly turned around to buck it into the face.

His opponent retaliated by biting his left hind ankle which was unprotected by his armor. Arcus gasped as the pain shot up his leg. He kicked again. This time, he managed to hit the beast's snout and was awarded with a pained yip from the wolf.

It was finally enough to make the wolf run away with its tail between its legs.

Darren already had a body count of three. He ran over to Arcus, grabbed him roughly around the barrel and shoved him onto Finn's back before the earth pony could utter a word of protest.

Twilight secured Arcus with the rope. "You're hurt!"

"Later", panted Arcus, keeping his eyes peeled for Jonathan.

The priest was currently busy with two wolves, bathing one in the burning light. The other wolf growled fearfully, the tone rising and falling, and ran for the trees. He panted, exhausted from using so much magic in quick succession.

Only a few wolves were left now. As they realized that the other members of the pack were scared, injured or dead, they dashed out of sight.

Jonathan spun around to assess the situation. Darren seemed to be all right, though creepily delighted, if the sadistic grin that distorted his face and the bright blue glow that his eyes emitted were any indication. He appeared to be the only one who had enjoyed the fight. Twilight and Arcus were on the mount - good. Arc was shivering with pain - not good.

"Jon, Arcus is hurt!", said Twilight. "What do we do?"

Jonathan said a last prayer. He asked the Light to heal the earth pony's wounds and thanked it for surviving the attack. The priest felt the last of his magical resources leave him as he channelled the spell.

Arcus gasped with surprise. He relaxed as the pain in his leg subsided.

"Whoa", he muttered. "That feels nice." He tentatively moved his leg and, to his joy, it did not hurt at all. "Thanks, I think I'm okay now. Somewhat."

Jonathan nodded curtly, then ran over to Redwing and climbed into the saddle.

"Let's get out of here before something else comes after us", he said.

He roughly put his hood up over his ruffled hair and made Redwing flap his wings and take off. Finn and the griffin followed right away, dashing to the east, in the direction where the sky was the darkest.

•°

They flew across a mountain ridge and left Lake Lordaeron behind. The forest soon thinned out into plains with more mountains on the horizon. Small groups of deciduous trees were strewn about the landscape and snow covered everything. Twilight was glad; she had enough of pine trees for the moment.

Jonathan landed his bat as soon as he spotted a farm below. There was a single shaggy one-story house next to a small garden, surrounded by a fence. It was hard to make out what kinds of plants grew there even though Finn set down pretty close to the farm. The plants rustled in the chilling wind. Apparently they were resistant to the cold.

As soon as Finn hit the ground, Twilight loosened the safety rope and helped Arcus down. The earth pony was still feeling a strange stiffness in his limbs and he was pretty sure that it was not from the flight.

Jonathan dismounted and jogged over to the ponies. "How are you doing? I only cast a quick healing spell."

"Physically? I think I'm okay. But I can still see that wolf ripping my flank apart." He shivered. "Again... and again. But... give me a few more fights and I think I will get used to it." He smiled bravely even though he would have preferred to whimper instead.

Maybe his smile was not convincing enough because Jonathan raised his eyebrows and stepped closer. "I'm sorry", he said. "I didn't react quickly enough. I'm not the best fighter and Houndslayer can't be everywhere at once. I messed up."

Arcus shook his head. "Darren fought well and so did you. We were too far apart for him to keep control over the threat. Next time, we should stay closer together."

"Hear, hear", said the death knight. "Any other conclusions?"

"Maybe", Arcus admitted hesitantly.

"So?" Now Twilight was curious as well.

"You meant well with your barrier, Twilight, but it also kept me from interacting with the wolf. Maybe it would make more sense if you only cast it on yourself. You're able to fire your spells through it, right?" Twilight nodded. Arcus turned to Jonathan. "It's good to know that the Light answers to your prayers again. That offensive spell of yours is something else. What did you do to the wolf that wimpered so much?"

"I said a Shadow Word. It caused him pain. How did you observe all of that during just one fight?" Jonathan was perplexed.

"I -" Arcus stopped, then he hung his head. "Twilight, remember what I did just before we returned to the bats?"

"Yes, you were training. Fighting, apparently. Why did you try to hide it anyway?"

"It's... complicated." His ears splayed back.

Jonathan put his hands on his hips. "Care to enlighten us?"

"I've decided to take this armor seriously. I want to become a warrior."

"Indeed." Darren stepped forward. "You analyzed the fight well. Now I see why. Somebody taught you some basics, am I correct?"

"Yeah." Arcus nodded and smiled weakly.

Twilight lowered her voice. "Who taught you? Priest? Another Forsaken? Or did you already know those moves before we came to Tirisfal?"

"I can't tell you. Sorry, Twilight." The corners of his mouth went down. He looked to the ground, poking at it with his hoof.

She huffed, disappointed. "I see. Well, in that case, I won't force you to tell us. But please think about it. Honesty is always better in the long run."

"Gotta agree with that", said Jonathan, huddling up under his cloak. "Damn, it's cold."

"It is going to snow soon", said Darren.

Arcus sighed and his frown deepened. "I really want to tell you guys, but I can't", he insisted.

Jonathan smiled. "Then don't. Maybe later, eh?"

He nodded hesitantly, more to appease Jonathan and Twilight than anything else.

"So", said Jonathan, "what now? It's too dark to keep flying. We need to set up a camp."

"What about that house?", asked Twilight. "Somebody seems to be inside, there's a light shining through the window."

"We don't know if they're friendly", pointed Arcus out.

"Then we should find out." Twilight shook her head. "Or else we stay out here in the cold, freezing to death."

"All but one", smirked Arcus, eyeing Darren.

The corners of Darren's mouth twitched, then he got serious again. "It is a small house. There are probably only a few people inside. We can depart in the morning before they call for help. Or we could simply dispose of them."

Twilight frowned, her disapproval almost tangible. "What I meant was that we should knock and ask nicely if we can stay for the night."

"Let's do that", agreed Jonathan. He went over to the door, but before he could knock it opened by a few inches. His fist remained in the air for a second, then he quickly dropped it. "Hi", he said evenly.

He had to look downwards to meet the eyes of the person that had opened the door. It was a goblin. The nightcap on his big green head indicated that he had not expected guests at this hour.

"Yes?", the goblin said cautiously, taking the nightcap off. He peered through the door crack. "What are two humans doing here after dark? We're closed! Come back tomorrow."

"Closed? I... we don't want to buy anything", said Jonathan.

The goblin frowned and grunted, about to close the door in Jonathan's face.

Jonathan quickly put a foot into the crack. "But maybe we can come to an agreement? My name is Jonathan Baker, this is Darren Houndslayer. We need a place to stay for the night and we are willing to pay for the trouble."

"Huh." The door opened again. "How much?"

"One gold", offered Jonathan.

"Two gold", raised the goblin, "for each of you."

"Three, for all of us, and we brought our own food."

"Alright." The goblin opened the door. "Hurry up, get inside. Put the mounts over there." He pointed at a small shack that was sitting at the side of the building.

Darren took care of that while Jonathan and the ponies followed the goblin inside.

"I'm Brazie", said the goblin, his large ears bopping up and down as he walked through the single room that was the entire house. "Sit down, I'll get you water. The one thing I have plenty of." He let out a short cackle.

"Thanks", said Jonathan.

"Sure, how could I have left you outside with the zombies walking around? You must not be from around here, friend."

"Well", said Jonathan, frowning at the self-righteous comment, "I haven't been around for some time."

Darren returned from the shack, closing the door.

"Zombies?" Twilight sat down next to the fire in hope of warming her bones.

Brazie yelped and almost dropped the jar he was holding. "It can talk?!" He pointed at Twilight and Arcus, his eyes wide open. "Holy crap!"

"It", said Twilight, "has a name. I am Twilight Sparkle and this is Arcus Tangens. We are a group of four, not of two." She gazed at Jonathan accusingly.

He winked at her, a gesture which caught her off guard. "Huh?", she muttered. What was he up to?

"Hey, that's not fair!" Brazie narrowed his eyes. "You said, 'three gold'!"

"He said, 'three for all of us'", clarified Arcus. "You agreed to that. I don't see the problem. You saw us when you peeked outside, didn't you?"

"Hmpf, yes, but..."

"Then there is no reason to change the agreement", said Darren, who was still standing.

Brazie gulped, then waved his hand.

"Okay, okay, whatever. If you brought your food then I guess it's all right." He tried to sound annoyed but did not remember to hide his trembling hands. He hurried to the door, locked and barred it, and sat down on one of the only two chairs.

Darren nodded contently and sat down on the other chair. Brazie twitched but stayed put.

Twilight laughed inwardly. So that was why Jonathan had not introduced them all. Right, Goblins were generally known for being greedy. Twilight had thought it to be just some prejudice. She winked back at Jonathan. Surely Brazie had also agreed because a death knight was towering over him. His hood was up again but the chill in the air and the sword could not be overlooked that easily. Twilight just hoped that Darren would keep an eye on him while they slept.

Brazie regarded the ponies again. "What are you exactly?" He eyed their coats and Twilight's horn. Her wings were hidden by her cloak.

"What do you think?", asked Twilight, her voice friendly.

"You look like small horses to me, except for the unusual colors", said Brazie slowly.

Twilight kept her smile even though she was confused by his comment. He was only slightly taller than Arcus. Did he think of himself as a small person? Or had he seen Azerothian horses before? They were much taller than Equestrian ponies.

"Close enough", grinned Arcus. "We're ponies. Not from around here, mind you. Just passing through."

Brazie raised an eyebrow. "To where?"

"Plaguelands", said Jonathan.

"Ugh. Fine, fine, I've heard enough. I don't want to be associated with anything Plague-related. No offense, death knight." Brazie raised both hands defensively and trotted over to a short bed in the corner of the room. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He slapped the nightcap onto his head and sat on the bed. "I've been sleeping. I intend to keep doing that until the sun comes up again."

"We'll try to keep it down", promised Twilight. "But you said something about zombies."

"Just don't leave before it's daytime again, keep the door and windows locked and the light on", grunted Brazie. "Then you'll be fine. The walls are tough and zombies are stupid, they can't figure out locks. And don't stab me in my sleep."

"What?!" Twilight was offended. "I would never -"

"It was a joke", Jonathan cut her off.

"Oh." She grinned sheepishly. "Of course." She sighed inwardly.

"Well, partially", commented the goblin, then covered himself with a blanket, his face towards the visitors. "Sleep well... if you can." He grinned, then the grin faded as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Yeah, mon, da fastest way to a man's heart is through his ribcage", muttered Jonathan, grinning to himself and spreading his blanket out before the fire.

"That is barbaric!", whispered Twilight. "And is goes, 'the fastest way to a pony's heart is through their stomach'."

"No", said Jonathan, "it's not barbaric, it's anatomy. In all seriousness, though, can I have some bread?" He kept smirking.

Arcus giggled and Darren let out an amused scoff.

"Sorry, we ran out", said Twilight. "I can conjure a mana cupcake if you like."

"Please."

Twilight lit her horn. With a magical pop, a single cupcake, complete with chocolate frosting, appeared out of thin air.

"Cool! Can I have one, too?", asked Arcus.

Twilight cast the spell again. "Here you go."

"Thanks!", Arcus beamed.

Both males enjoyed their sugary supper while Twilight consumed the last cheese leftovers. "We really need to buy food tomorrow", she said.

Jonathan nodded, chewing happily on his cupcake. Memories of Pinkie Pie's daily cupcakes seemed to return to him. He smiled.

"Who told you this macabre version of the saying anyway?", wondered Twilight.

Jonathan swallowed, still smiling. "Ah, that was Vol'shalai", he said. "A Darkspear troll I once met in Northrend", he explained when he saw Twilight's confused expression. "We went through the ruins of Zul'Drak... fighting banshees, along with an orc. I think his name was Gardok. Anyway, Vol'Shalai was a shaman and witch doctor. A pretty good one, too." Jonathan shuffled around on his blanket to get more comfortable.

"Was?", asked Twilight.

"Haven't seen him ever since. That was... oh, Light, five years ago, I think? He was kinda cool, great with potions, definitely had a better sense of humor than Gardok. Even though I was not the nicest guy back then." He grimaced uncomfortably.

"What does a shaman do? Do they use Light magic like you do?", asked Arcus.

Jonathan shook his head. "It's more primal than that. But they can heal, too. Shamans communicate with the basic elemental spirits; air, water, fire and earth, usually with totems. Think of them as... talismans for focusing."

"Like a wand", said Twilight.

"Yeah, a bit like a wand. Though they are more than just tools. Shamans consider their totems sacred. And the elements are wild, totally different from arcane magic. You need to keep your mind and soul in check if you want to work with them, maybe even more than as a priest or paladin."

Twilight lied down, resting her head on her crossed forelegs. "I'm glad you've been healed", she said.

"Do you have any idea how it happened? I thought about it but couldn't come up with an explanation", admitted Jonathan.

Twilight hummed. "I think it might have to do with the ambient magic of Azeroth. Or, to be exact, the lack thereof in Equestria. Basically, it's a similar reason why your enchanting magic was blocked."

"I don't get it. The Light was never really gone, I just couldn't focus it. Only the arcane magic returned after a while - and I still can't use that in Equestria."

"I have the theory", Twilight said slowly, "that the Light was 'busy'."

"What?", chuckled Jonathan incredulously.

"Hear me out", requested Twilight. "It was busy healing you. Do you remember how, during your first week in Ponyville, you got an almost uncontrollable appetite and raided the fridge?"

"...Yes?"

"I think the Light could finally heal you because, by travelling to Equestria, you entered an environment where the curse could not be maintained. And you ate a lot to keep your mana up. It's quite possible that the curse only works when there is enough ambient magic that it can draw energy from. We've already established that the magic threshold in Equestria is higher than in Azeroth."

"In laypony's terms?", cut Arcus in.

"There wasn't enough dark magic around to keep the curse going. Apparently, the Light is the only kind of magic that is present in any dimension - and always at the same level. Even Friendship magic has different ways of manifesting itself."

"Oh", said Arcus. "Heh. So, basically, Jon's got the failsafe class. That's kinda cool." He rummaged in his bag, sorting his supplies. With a thoughtful look, he drew a small red crystal ball from it, then shrugged and put it back into the bag.

Jonathan snorted.

Twilight grinned. "Well, considering that my magic is stronger here than it is in Equestria, I am probably more powerful, but yes. He's got the failsafe class."

"Interesting theory", said Jonathan. "One way or another, it's nice to be able to breath, eat and sleep and... pee again." He lowered his voice somewhat at the last part of the sentence.

Darren heaved an unexpected sigh, almost startling Twilight. "That Equestria sounds very appealing."

They turned their heads. The knight looked back, saying nothing.

"Sorry." Jonathan grimaced with discomfort, he had actually forgotten that the death knight was still with them in the room. He was sitting too far away for his cold aura to reach them.

Darren removed his hood, looking at Twilight with his blue glowing eyes. His expression was surprisingly soft. "Do you think it may be possible that I... accompany you once this is over?"

"Wow. Er, I... I think so, maybe", stammered Twilight. She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I don't know you very well and Jonathan ended up in Equestria by accident. I never planned for anyone else to return except for us. Though it's possible. But we better keep this to ourselves or I might end up opening a portal for half the population of Tirisfal. The Pri-, I mean, my superiors might have to say a word about that."

Darren forced a smile. "I can't ask for anything more. I do not intend to impose - but to be alive again... Mr Baker could heal me... I could leave you alone after that."

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves", said Jonathan, frowning at the knight. "First things first. Let's talk about it after we got the gem, okay?"

Daren nodded. "Very well."

"Will you finally shut up?!", hissed Brazie from his bed. "Whisper in the morning and let me have my shut-eye!"

They decided to heed his advice and soon quiet snoring filled the tiny house.

Level 8 - Advanced Gardening

When Jonathan woke up, Brazie was gone. Was it already morning? He raised his head from the pillow and found himself alone in the room with the death knight. Darren stood at the window, looking outside.

"Where are Twilight and Arcus?", muttered Jonathan groggily.

"Brazie went outside to tend to his garden", explained Darren, turning his head to look at Jonathan. "The ponies joined him. I can see them from here." He pointed outside. "And I fed the bats. You have a deep sleep."

"Um... Thanks." Jonathan staggered to his feet, his head still a bit light. He rolled the blanket and pillow up and stuffed them into his backpack. When he was content with the result, he declared, "I'm outside."

Darren nodded and stepped away from the window, silently sitting down at the table.

Jonathan left the house, casting a last look at the knight before closing the door. Darren was reading a small mangled book. His icy blue eyes were hidden under the hood again.

The priest shrugged and went around the corner to see what the ponies were up to.

Brazie was wearing a thick coat and a fur cap. He seemed to be busy covering some of his plants with large sheets of linen. Arcus helped him by grabbing the opposing ends with his mouth. Together, they tied the ends to fence posts to prevent the wind from blowing the sheets away. Twilight took care of the plants next to them, gracefully floating a sheet over some bulky brown plants that resembled a mixture between rock tablets and ugly oversized walnuts.

"I'm done here", she declared happily. "What can I do next?"

Brazie waved it off. "Meh, go take a break. We're good, right, earth pony?"

"Yep", confirmed Arcus, grinning at Jonathan. The exercise seemed to do him good. Jonathan could relate; doing something productive like gardening was a great way to reconnect with one's self - even if it just meant covering plants to protect them against the frost.

Twilight walked past Jonathan, towards the hut, and smiled at him warmly. "Good morning", she greeted him. "How are you feeling?"

Jonathan thought about that for a moment. Still no snow, friendly faces, and the prospect of returning home soon: "I'm good", he said. The previous days were still fresh in his mind but a good night's sleep had dulled his worries somehow. He felt as if he had managed closing a book of unpleasant stories to start a better one. Was it because he had finally let his feelings out? One way or another, he suspected the ponies played a part in his recovery.

"See you later", he said, smiling back.

Twilight's smile grew wider and she entered the house, closing the door.

Jonathan stepped closer to the fence. "Mornin'."

Brazie looked up. "Morning, friend. Slept enough?"

"Yes", he said, greeting Arcus with a wave.

The pony raised his hoof and grinned at him. "How you doing?"

Jonathan nodded affirmatively. "You?"

"Good." Arcus stepped away from the plants. "I've never seen plants like this before", he said. "What are they? They look like carnivores with those big mouth... things." He waved at the ones that were still uncovered; Jonathan could not deny that they strongly resembled pitfall plants. Large balloon-like containers sat at the end of a long stem, all of them facing away from the house. The big leathery leaves rustled even though there was hardly any wind. Were they moving on their own? It looked that way. Some hybrid maybe? Or an elemental? Jonathan was not sure whether to be fascinated or disgusted.

"Do you like them? I call them spitters. 'Cause they spit. The plants secrete an acid into these pods." Brazie pointed at the 'mouth' of one spitter. "They can contract the pods and propel the acid towards natural enemies. Amazing, huh?"

"Er", said Arcus. "I guess..."

"I cultivated them myself", continued the goblin, proudly puffing his chest out.

"To what end?" Jonathan was confused. "Aren't they a lot of trouble to grow?"

"Hah, you bet", sighed Brazie. "But it's totally worth it. They sell exceptionally well. Do you have any idea how many people are interested in guard dogs that don't bark all the time or, even worse, run after carriages? I tested them, they are flawless. Except..." he frowned. "Except they don't like when it freezes. They contain too much water."

"So that's why you cover them", realized Arcus.

"But hey, I managed to grow another breed which is more resilient!" He grinned toothily from ear to ear, creeping Jonathan out a little. Goblin smiles needed some getting used to. "Interested?"

Jonathan snorted. "No, thanks. I don't have a garden."

"For a friend maybe?"

He pondered that for a moment. Derpy did not have a green hoof and Mara disliked exotic plants. Spirit did not have that much time, a plant like this would be more of a burden than a gift to him. Rarity would be aghast. Fluttershy? Hard to say but Jonathan considered it too risky. Luna might like it but Jonathan did not intend to bring the Princess of the Night a humongous ugly-looking pitfall monster plant. It might get the wrong message across. Pinkie Pie? Can you spell 'doom'? The only one who would maybe like it was Rainbow Dash - and she lived in a cloudhouse. Could you put normal items in a cloudhouse? "No, thank you", he decided.

"My wife would like them", said Arcus, "But I can't transport any. I mean, look at me and then compare the size!" He made an exaggerated pose next to the smallest uncovered plant. The pod was about as tall as Jonathan and significantly bigger than Arcus.

Brazie snickered. "I get your point. Eh, it was worth the try. Anyway -" his train of thought derailed as he gaped at something that was fourty yards or so away from the house. His eyes almost popped out of his head and he was suddenly in a big hurry to leave the garden.

Slim humanoid figures shuffled towards them in small groups. Their heads hung low and their clothes were torn to shreds. It was hard to make out any more details at this distance.

"Get inside!", urged the goblin, trying in vain to keep the panic out of his voice. "The zombies are coming!"

•°

The door opened so fast that it hit the wall.

Twilight jumped and, in an instinctive jerk, pressed the open book she had been reading to her chest. She regretted it instantly - the tome basically took her breath away. "Ugk!"

"Quickly, get inside!", shouted Brazie through the door. "Hurry up, hurry up!"

"But there's only a score or so", came Jonathan's voice from outside. "And they're slower than a turbo trike in Vashj'ir."

Twilight grinned. Vashj'ir was an underwater kingdom.

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't take them on! And neither can my spitters", insisted Brazie.

Darren rose from the chair and quickly hid his little book. "There are four of us. Judging from our previous experience, I believe we can take care of this rather quickly."

"F-four?!"

Jonathan and Arcus entered the house. The priest counted on his fingers. "He's right. One mage, one healer, one warrior and a death knight. That makes a ratio of one to five."

"What are we waiting for?", asked Arcus. "Let's go out and meet them!"

"Not so fast", said Darren, closing the door before the earth pony could storm out again. "We do require a plan."

Brazie looked from one to the other, pulling his own ears down in frustration. "You're mad, all of you. Don't you dare open that door!"

"And then what?", objected Arcus. "We wait until they fall apart? That might take a while. Can't we just get this over with?"

Jonathan silently pointed at the chair.

"Fine", groaned Arcus through clenched teeth and planted his rump on it.

"So", said Jonathan, "how do we do it? We've got to separate them somehow."

"Twilight", said Darren, "I understand that you are a mage. Can you cast any transformation spells?"

Twilight grimaced, her ears down. She didn't like where this was going. "Theoretically, yes, but I have only managed minor transformations so far. It needs a lot of concentration to do so and I am not sure it would be the best idea to try anything new in such a dangerous situation. I could levitate some of the zombies, though. If they can't get close, they can't hurt us."

I hope, she added in her thoughts, a bead of sweat running down her neck.

Darren nodded, rubbing his chin.

"That sounds reasonable enough", agreed Jonathan.

"Should I try and get their attention", said Arcus, "so Twilight can focus on a smaller bunch of them?"

"You should watch his back, priest", suggested Darren. "That will enable him to fight several of them without risking severe injuries."

Jonathan nodded slowly. "That should work. So, Arc, you think you're up to the job?"

Arcus hesitated, being asked so directly, then looked at Twilight. He tensed up, slowly rubbing his front hoof, then he averted his gaze. His ears flopped down, then slowly rose again as made a decision. "Yes", he said firmly and nodded. "I can do it."

"I will take care of the most dangerous ones first", declared the death knight, rising to his feet. "Remember to stay close together. We have to be able to assist each other quickly. Do not let the zombies divide us or drive us too far away from the house. Certainly we cannot expect any help from Brazie", he added, his mouth curling into a disgusted snarl.

The goblin sat on his bed, his big hands folded before his face, and stared at them with wide eyes. "You are definitely mad", he wailed.

"Maybe", snapped Jonathan, "but at least we are putting that madness to use." He turned back to Darren and the ponies. His expression turned grave as he looked Twilight in the eyes, then Arcus. They looked back at him with wide eyes, waiting for him to say something. His frown deepened as understanding dawned in his eyes.

Jonathan sighed and gave the ponies a friendly smile. "I can see you're scared. I know I am. It's a completely natural response. Up to now, we've almost always been surprised and didn't have time to think about what's going to happen."

Twilight nodded and shivered. "And this time it isn't a single opponent but a small army of walking dead", she admitted. She tried in vain to fight back a wave of panic that welled up inside her. Even when she had faced Chrysalis, she had not felt such a strong agitation. Jonathan was right, her previous fights had usually been against forces she had not fully understood at the time. Sometimes, she had been too surprised, but in many other instances she simply had not considered the possibility of death as an outcome. Darren was right; Equestria felt very appealing at the moment.

"I just want to remind you that I know how brave you can be. And I know now", he took a deep breath, "that we don't need to ignore our fear. Let's accept it instead - and remember why we are doing this. I want to thank you again for joining me on this quest. I wouldn't have gotten very far without you - my friends.

"Light, please fortify our hearts to fight this evil", he ended his little speech with a short prayer.

Twilight suddenly felt her fear subside. It was still there but it was somehow less important now, like a background noise. The tension left her limbs and she took a steady breath. The alicorn smiled, feeling calm enough to face the threat. A look at Arcus confimed that he felt the same way. He grinned cockily, jumping off the chair and flexing his muscles. Even Darren's movements were less tense; Twilight could not see his eyes because of the hood but his entire demeanor was changing into something else, something that made her feel safer. So that was what a 'blessing' felt like. Twilight's respect for Jonathan's regained abilities grew.

Combined with the strength her friends gave her just by being with her, she felt capable of facing anything.

"How do we know whom to attack first?", asked Arcus.

"I don't think it really matters. Pick a few and we'll adapt", suggested Jonathan.

"All right, let's do this", said Twilight, straightening up.

Darren approached the window and peered outside. "They are about fifteen yards away", he reported.

•°

The door burst open and Arcus stormed forward, throwing himself against the nearest zombie.

The undead was surprisingly squishy. The bones were hard to break but the innards and dangling limbs were easy prey. The zombies groaned and drew raspy breaths, reaching out for him with rotten hands or rather what was left of them. They probably stank to high heaven. Once again, Arcus thanked Twilight in his mind for her anti-smell charm.

He delivered kicks and blows, always on the move, and kept an eye out for his friends. Jonathan cast a spell to shield him from injury. Good, then it was safe enough to attack another zombie.

While Darren was busy with his own small group of undead, a violent whirlwind slashing and punting the staggering and groaning humanoids, Twilight floated several other zombies above the ground in a pink bubble of magic. It took most of her concentration so she was flying above them. She hoped to avoid nasty surprises this way.

Arcus pummelled zombie number four into oblivion. With grim satisfaction, he realized that he was starting to get the hang of it. They went down when you destroyed their knees, when you smashed their face in they got disoriented. Since they were already dead you could not kill them - but was that even necessary if they were nothing more than a twitching heap in the dirt?

A cold wind made the hair on Arcus's neck stand on edge. He staggered and hesitated, then realized that the cold was not dangerous to him. Darren had cast a spell to freeze a zombie on the spot. He punched it with his gloved fist. It shattered into a myriad pieces. His runeblade glowed brighter as he stuck it into another undead's head.

A female voice - Twilight's - shouted, "Look out!"

Arcus found himself surrounded by six zombies at once. His light shield flickered and went out.

Jonathan sang something, a sharp shout in five rising tones. Two zombies next to Arcus burst into flames. The earth pony yelped in terror and recoiled from the walking torches. The fire crackled, bathing Arcus in an eerie glow as his opponents shriveled to ashes.

Then, the bristling sound of Twilight casting offensive spells. She was releasing some kind of purple arcane missiles in quick succession, throwing another zombie to the ground.

Everything after that turned into a blur; Arcus tried to defend and attack, occasionally getting a burst of strength from Jonathan's healing spells. He had no idea how badly hurt he was. He just kept kicking, running, beating; his hooves felt as if they were on fire.

The fizzling of more ice magic, the sound of breaking bones, Twilight's spells - it all piled up to a cacophony that hurt Arcus's sensitive pony ears. One noise was the worst, though, a grating scream full of rage, and at first he did not even recognize the voice.

When he stood above the last zombie, panting and sweating, Arcus realized the screams had been his own. He gritted his teeth and with a passionate buck of his hind leg he cracked the creature's skull.

Silence fell, only interrupted by heavy breathing and a small dismal groan from Jonathan.

Arcus shook his head. He felt fuzzy and lightheaded, as if he was awakening from a colorful, disturbing dream. He looked around.

Jonathan and Darren were still standing, both dirty and covered with dark gooey zombie blood. The most stains were on Darren's armor, he had yet again destroyed most of their enemies. The priest panted as badly as Arcus and looked as if he was going to collapse any moment. His left leg was injured; red blood flowed down in a small stream. Jonathan sat down with a shiver and tried to heal it. A warm yellow glow encompassed the leg.

Twilight landed next to them and made a visible effort of keeping her mouth shut. Her ears were down, her mane dissheveled, and she did her best to avoid looking at the corpses.

Arcus walked over to them and noticed a stinging pain in his hooves. Was it from the constant kicking? Probably. And since when was it that hard to keep his head up?

"Guys...", he muttered. He felt dizzy but not really sick. Arcus could not shake the feeling that fighting the undead had somehow changed something inside of him. He was not sure if it was for better or worse. He pushed the thought aside and listened for a reply.

"I'm okay", offered Jonathan after checking his body for further injuries. "Twilight?"

"Give me - a moment", forced the alicorn out. She ran towards the house, away from the bodies, without a second glance at her friends.

Darren looked after her. "How often has she been in a fight?", he asked as casually as if he was asking about the weather. His voice was as cold as ever. The knight cleaned his runeblade by sticking it into the almost frozen ground. After polishing the sword with the rags from one of the corpses, he tilted it in the light. When he was satisfied with the result, he sheathed the sword and secured it on his back.

"Depends", replied Jonathan shakily. "For a pony: Too often. Concerning her experience: not often enough. No wonder she's feeling sick. I'm not doing so well either. Must be 'cause I'm alive. The blessing's still gonna hold for a while but I'm not a miracle worker."

Twilight confirmed this by disappearing behind the house. Arcus could hear hiccups, a disgusting splash, then more hiccups. He followed the alicorn and found her with her head low, a puddle of bile in front of her.

"Twilight", he said softly.

She looked up at him, lost for words. Her eyes were wet with tears. He touched her shoulder with a hoof, then, when she did not withdraw, he gave her a careful hug. She hiccuped again and cried on his shoulder.

They stayed like this for a while. Eventually, Twilight broke the hug and wiped her eyes, then her mouth. "I'm sorry", she muttered. As her pain appeared to be fading away, embarrassment took over.

Arcus shrugged. "Me too", he admitted. "I - I feel really bad. But to be honest..." He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I feel bad because I liked it."

Twilight flinched and took a step back. Her eyes widened, the corners of her mouth turning down with a hint of disgust.

Arcus hung his head and dug at the ground. "I dunno why... but I really like fighting. Never thought myself to be royal guard material. But this... this is different. They are undead. I can't think of them as people." He looked up, seeing the frozen expression on Twilight's face. He noticed that in the far back of his mind, he was amused by her being speechless. He hated himself for this even more. Stop it!, he called himself to order.

"I know this is wrong", he continued. "Darren is undead, too... and Jon used to be. I don't understand it. Sorry, I'm rambling", he muttered and turned away to go back to the others.

"Wait!" Twilight had raised a hoof.

Arcus's ears perked up. "Y-yeah?"

"Sorry I reacted like that ", she said quietly. "Maybe you're just coping with it this way, trying to look away from your feelings. I'm in no place to judge you. But please, Arcus... be careful. Don't lose yourself."

He nodded curtly and left, trying to ignore the lump in his throat and the pain in his legs.

•°

It took them the next few hours to clean up the mess. Twilight's magic helped a lot but in the end even she was exhausted and drained. The cruelty of the fight had left her shaken and sad and it was still showing. Arcus did not talk much as they piled the corpses up in a big heap.

Jonathan was worried about the ponies. It was obvious that he needed to do something about this. Up to now, he did not know what exactly. He needed to figure it out somehow. It was probably better to avoid fights as much as possible.

He and Darren had the least problems with touching the zombie remains. Jonathan was exhausted from the fight but the Light could compensate for it - to a certain degree. He frowned deeply as he was painfully reminded how used he was to burying people.

This burial, of course, was going to be a short one. Once all the zombies were piled up, everybody stood back. Brazie poured oil over the corpses and walked back to the house, closing the door. He had also been way less talkative. Jonathan suspected that the goblin was ashamed of his earlier behavior, now that he had watched a group of strangers defend his home.

It was up to Twilight to levitate a burning torch above the pile. She dropped it on the zombies and they watched the bodies catch fire.

The ponies could not keep their eyes on the scene for long and both joined Brazie in the house, their heads hung low and ears down. Jonathan and Darren remained at the site, standing watch over the fire.

"Did you recognize any of them?", asked Jonathan quietly.

Darren shook his head. "Fortunately not." His hood was down, and he looked sternly at the fire.

Jonathan nodded and fell silent again, praying for the nameless souls that they had freed.

•°

"What is this?" Jonathan eyed the small paper bag Brazie was offering him.

"It's my way of saying thank you for saving my hide and my garden", explained Brazie. "And... please don't tell anyone how I behaved, okay? That would damage my rep really badly. I mean, I grow plants against zombies - and then you are the ones who defeat them. Gods, I can't believe I'm doing this..." He frowned at Jonathan. "Are you taking it or not?"

Jonathan slowly stretched his arm out and reached for the bag. It was about as heavy as a handful of apples. He peered inside the bag and let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, good, no spitter."

"Of course not!" Brazie was offended. "You declined the offer, how stupid do you think I am?"

And they are definitely way more expensive than this. Jonathan grinned.

"So, can I see it?" Twilight shuffled around, making her saddlebags shift on her back.

Jonathan rolled the edge of the paper bag down to reveal the yellow petals of a small pretty sunflower. It sat in a light brown ceramic pot and had unusual leaves at the base of its stem. They almost looked like vines. The flower moved on its own, tilting its head towards the source of the noise.

Twilight's eyes lit up. "Oh my goodness, it's adorable! Look at its face!"

Arcus stepped closer to the plant in Jonathan's hands and hummed. "Yeah, you're right, that's an actual face. I always thought something like that would look creepy on a plant. Apparently I was wrong." He reached for the sunflower, his cloak rustling, then withdrew his hoof. "Nope, still not gonna touch it."

The flower looked at Jonathan, smiling warmly at the human. He wondered how long it would stay in its pot. He had seen this species before, following a gnome around in Dalaran, using her roots like feet. The pet flower had been as tall as the gnome herself so it was likely that Jonathan's flower would still grow. Hopefully they would already be back in Equestria when it started to outgrow the pot.

Jonathan snorted. "Thanks."

"Sure." Brazie grinned, happy that his gift had been accepted. "Now get out of here before I change my mind and sue you for the property damage from the fire."

Author's Note

I have always been surprised by how easily many protagonists appear to be handling violent situations, especially 'human' OCs.

Level 9 - A Town and a Half

As they passed the Alterac mountains, the air around them grew colder with each moment. Jonathan was now completely relying on his flight training from Northrend, firmly clutching the straps that secured his saddle and hugging Redwing tightly to keep his exposure to the icy wind at a minimum. The bat appeared to be all right, though. Jonathan was jealous; the cold was beginning to seep into his marrow. They would not be able to keep flying for much longer.

He doubted the ponies were doing any better. Maybe Twilight had a spell against the cold, like that protective force field she had conjured up before. How long did those things last anyway? One way or another, they would have to walk once they were over the mountain ridge. Alterac was maybe the coldest place on this continent, granted, but being aware of that did not make it easier to bear the cold.

Jonathan groaned, a sound that got lost in the howl around him, and moved his face closer to Redwing's furry neck. The bat itself stank like hell, but the wind carried the smell away quickly so it wasn't too bad. Jonathan glanced over the bat's neck and spotted the snow line.

They were almost there. Just a few more miles north, down the mountains, and then he could finally get off this mount and stretch his trembling legs.

•°

Twilight realized that something was wrong when Jonathan landed a few hundred yards away from the town. Finn and the griffin landed next to Redwing but the human did not get off his mount.

"What's going on?", asked Twilight. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. There's just one problem", explained Jonathan. He jerked his head towards the settlement. "Look."

She had not noticed it before but Andorhal appeared to be a town consisting of suspisciously different houses. On the left and beyond the river, where the road would lead them first, bright sturdy stone houses stood along a paved street. Their roof tiles shone in a bright blue, giving this part of Andorhal a friendly, inviting appearance. Towers, a wall and a big gate separated the town from the area around it. The buildings on the other side of the town were built in the same dark material as the halls of Undercity. They were slimmer than the bright houses, more gloomy and crooked. The picture was completed by a cloud of greenish mist that hovered above them. The road in between was paved but it, too, was much darker than the 'light' road. Twilight came to the conclusion that the dark half was a place where Forsaken lived whereas the light part was for the living inhabitants of Andorhal.

The strangest thing was the area in between. The buildings resembled the bright ones but they were neglected and mostly in ruins. The roofs had fallen in, entire walls were missing. The wood was rotten, cracked and crumbled as if all the water had been sucked out of it. The ground was scorched and upheaved. Just like the Forsaken half, this part of town looked like it was haunted.

Arcus's eyes lit up as he understood. He muttered something, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Andorhal is divided. And the area between the two parts, it's deserted and serves as a buffer. Is that it?"

"Pretty much", agreed Jonathan. "Now: Alliance or Horde?"

"Well, what's the difference? I can see that the Horde people seem to have a different taste in Architecture", laughed Arcus. "And their weather team is apparently terribly incompetent. But that aside... just pick one, Jon."

Darren cleared his throat. His griffin dug at the ground as the knight explained, "The Alliance and the Horde are enemies. While Mr Baker still claims to be a Forsaken, he is not actually undead anymore."

"I don't know which side to choose", admitted Jonathan, "because I don't know which side would take me." He made a sour face. "Either the Alliance reject me because I am Horde - or the Horde rejects me because I am alive."

"Wow, this sucks", was Arcus's contribution.

Twilight tapped her chin. "Well, you are a human by species", she said. "How would you feel if we went to the Alliance half?"

"Okay, I guess", he said. "I'd have to keep quiet about my past. It's not helping that we've got bats as mounts. They are a trademark mount of the Forsaken."

"Couldn't you have gotten them in Northrend?", offered Twilight. "Didn't both factions join forces to defeat the Scourge? You could use that as an explanation."

Jonathan shrugged uncomfortably.

Darren lowered his hood and faced Jonathan. "There are Death Knights who are members of the Alliance. However, as far as I am concerned, I only took one side: The Knights of the Ebon Blade. Our only objective was to destroy the Lich King. Which means that now that this is done I can go wherever I wish. You should be free to do the same. Or do you, despite your claims, still bear a grudge against the living?"

"No... honestly, I just kept my distance. But maybe I can face'em now. - Alright, Alliance it is. Let's release the bats, they will find their way home. It's probably best if we arrive on foot."

The others nodded. Everyone except for Darren climbed off their mounts and recollected their bags which they had tied to the saddles. Jonathan counted some coins from his purse and placed them in a tiny leather bag that was attached to Redwing's saddle. He stroked the bat's fur, giving the mount a friendly pat on the side.

"They were reliable", he said, frowning at the beasts. "I'm gonna miss Redwing."

Arcus grinned. "How could you not after hugging him for days?"

Twilight gave Finn a friendly hug which looked a bit funny since the alicorn was so much smaller than him. The bat stretched its wings but did not flinch away. It squeaked and shook its head.

"Have a safe journey home", said Twilight, smiling at the beast.

Jonathan gave Redwing a slap on the flank. The bat jumped with surprise but understood the signal. It gave an ear-piercing squeak, then flapped its wings in quick succession and took off. Finn swiftly followed the alpha. A few moments later they were only tiny dots in the western skies, disappearing above the brown band of mountains.

"Sooo - Let's go." Jonathan adjusted his backpack and put the hood down. It was still cold but, compared to the sky, the ground was still warmer. After a moment of hesitation, he retied his purple scarf and smiled awkwardly at the ponies. He bent down and picked up the second bag, the paper bag that contained his new pet. After taking a peek inside, Jonathan nodded. The flower was undamaged.

Twilight smiled back at him. "A new town. It's going to be fun", she reassured him.

"I hope they've got something decent to eat", mused Arcus.

•°

"So, Jon", said Arcus, walking next to the priest, "got a name for your flower yet?"

"Errr, no. Should I? It's a plant." Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "I never named what stood on my windowsill."

Arcus rolled his eyes, smirking. "Whatever you say."

Twilight quickened her step to catch up with them. "I think it should have a name. It has a face after all. And it reacts to seeing you. Maybe she likes you already. My plant has a name, too, you know." She smiled encouragingly.

"Huh?" Jonathan was confused.

"Golden Oaks Library", explained Twilight.

"Riiight", snorted Jonathan. He peered into the bag. The wide smile of the flower greeted him.

He frowned down on it. The smile faltered.

He forced a smile and the flower seemed happy again.

Jonathan heaved a sigh and closed the bag. "Fine, I'll give it a name."

"Great", beamed Twilight.

"So?", repeated Arcus expectantly.

"I dunno yet. Let me think about it."

They approached the broad gate. It was open, the drawbridge down. Apparently, they only closed it at night. Guards, most likely humans, flanked the entrance, standing at attention with spears and swords in their hands. Arcus wondered whether all the guards were warriors. Probably not. Arcus noticed the shine their armor gave off in the sunshine. Their blue tabards depicted a lion's head in golden outlines. He nudged Jonathan's side.

"Is that the Alliance's coat of arms?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yes." He snorted and rubbed his mouth; Arcus could not really tell whether the human was amused or annoyed. "I'm used to avoiding that tabard. It's weird as hell to just... casually take a stroll towards them." He quickly fell silent as they came into earshot. Then he nodded at the guards, who nodded back.

"King's honor, travelers. Your business?", asked one of the guards, a dark haired man with a slightly bored expression.

"Passing through to the Plaguelands", gave Jonathan back in the same even tone.

The guard waved them through.

"That's it?" Arcus could not keep the tinge of disappointment out of his voice. "I had somehow expected more procedure."

"Well, there's a shitload of guards in town anyway, why bother to thoroughly control visitors when they can randomly do that anyway? Besides, we're not members of Horde races. Nobody is that stupid to just try and sneak in here. And Houndslayer's wearing his own Ebon Blade tabard."

"Nevermind then."

"I am hungry", complained Twilight. "Can we please go to the inn first?"

"Sure", said Jonathan. "As soon as I - ah, over there."

He headed for a two-story building at the right side of the street. Arcus huffed reluctantly. He hoped he could have a closer look at the buildings later. It was rare to see three so blatantly different styles this close to each other. Even in Griffonia they usually built similar houses, with the official buildings such as town halls as an exception to the rule.

His body, however, begged for a rest. His feet were heavy, the saddlebags weighed his body down and his ears felt numb despite the cloak. He tentatively flopped them up and down. Well, at least nothing had died up there. Arcus sighed. It had not been wise to ride on a bat for hours directly after the fight. Sitting in roughly the same position and trying to stay firmly in the saddle had been anything but easy, safety rope or not. He did not dare to complain though - Twilight had endured the ordeal with dignity and so should he.

The ground felt strange. Every time he set a hoof down, Arcus could not shake the feeling that something was off. As if the ground was hollow. He shook his head and followed Jonathan inside the inn.

The inn was bigger and brighter than Arcus had expected. This was certainly a nice change after the gloomy Undercity. A warm fire crackled in the hearth and candles along the walls and on the tables illuminated the room. It was divided into smaller sections with stairs and wooden railings in between, giving it a comfy atmosphere. The subdued buzz of dozens of conversations filled the inn. Somebody played on a flute, an instrument that Arcus had occasionally seen griffins and unicorns play. The melody rose and fell to a harmony he was not familiar with. It was the first time that he heard music in Azeroth. He smiled, feeling the tension in his back subside.

Jonathan approached the counter and asked for the price for two nights.

Arcus waited patiently, observing the other guests. Mostly humans, he noticed, some smaller, more sturdy people which were probably dwarves, also pale purple-skinned elves with long ears that resembled the dark rangers from Undercity. They were wearing plate or leather armor, chainmail or long robes. Many were eating and drinking since it was late in the day. Most stopped to ogle the newcomers. He ignored them, being used to strange looks from his job. When the guests saw that the ponies did not do anythingout of the ordinary, they turned away again.

However, as Darren entered the inn, silence fell. There was some rustling as people shifted around in their seats. Arcus half-expected a tumbleweed to roll across the inn floor. Then a human cleared his throat and the silence broke. People averted their heads again and the buzzing of conversations returned.

Somebody touched Arcus's back. He flinched involuntarily, then relaxed as he realized it was Jonathan. "We've got the room upstairs, to the left", said the human. "Two keys." He held one of them out to Twilight who levitated it into her bag.

Arcus nodded and eyed the inn again. "I wanna go to the blacksmith if you don't mind. There are some uncomfortable dents in my armor."

"Okay, but I'd prefer if you didn't go alone", replied Jonathan.

"I will join him", volunteered Darren. Arcus cringed uncomfortably when he noticed Twilight's stiff smile.

"See you later", said Arcus.

Darren opened the door - it was easier for the human to do that since it opened inwards and had a doorknob - and they stepped outside.

•°

"You know", began Arcus as he followed Darren, "I never really liked that part."

"What part?" Darren's voice was level, almost disinterested. His cloak flapped in a gust of wind that rushed through Andorhal.

"That part when you come to a new town and enter the inn. That moment of awkward silence. They evaluate and assess you and you never know what conclusions they draw. Ever."

"You did not solely work in your own people's lands", assumed Darren.

"Correct."

They passed the town square. A few townspeople - mostly soldiers but also a few civilians - stared at them. A pointed, icy look from beneath Darren's hood and they returned to their respective business.

"The Griffin Empire was kinda awesome and once I even had to go to the borderlands. But other than that it's been Equestria most of the time. For what it's worth, you are way nicer than some ponies I've met. The herd mentality can mess us up sometimes." Arcus rotated his hoof next to his head and grimaced. "I began to notice the difference when I first met other species."

"Noted." Darren sounded slightly less sullen. Arcus made a mental note of success.

"We have arrived." Darren pointed at a one-story house with a roof. This one was different from the other buildings by having red roof tiles instead of blue ones. Smoke rose from an extraordinarily large and dented chimney. "The Andorhal Forge."

Arcus smirked. "That's... a boring yet appropriate name. Is everybody here this original?"

"Do not let the Blacksmith hear that. She is", hinted Darren, "very devoted to her craft."

"Okay, okay, I'll play nice. Besides, I do want her to repair my armor. It would be really dumb to upset someone if I want to conduct business with them."

"I concur."

Arcus chuckled. "I see we understand each other."

He pushed the door open. As they entered it felt like walking into an oven, especially compared to the cold outside. The room was well-lit at the front and darker next to the fire. Arcus remembered that it needed to be that way for the blacksmith to recognize certain temperatures. When the iron was too cold it had to be reheated.

He jumped with surprise when a sharp hiss and a small cloud of steam greeted him. A blonde muscular lady, her hair bound in a ponytail, had just pushed a spear blade into a water filled trough. She drew it out with a pair of black tongs and eyed it with pursed lips, turning it this way and that. She nodded curtly, satisfied with the result, and put the blade on top of a pile of other half-finished weaponry. The woman wiped her hands on her leather apron, then looked straight at Darren.

"Hi", she said nonchalantly. "And welcome. Never seen ye here before. Not that death knights usually come to an ordinary forge. I hope yer runeblade isn't what needs fixing - I don't do Saronite."

"That will not be an issue", replied Darren. "It is not I who requires your assistance."

Arcus cleared his throat. The dwarf slowly looked at the pony, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Yeah, that would be me. Arcus Tangens, nice to meet you." The earth pony raised a hoof to greet her, then put it down again when he did not get any reaction. He tugged at his cloak to pull it off his back, revealing the scratches and dents in his armor.

The woman blinked, then she seemed to get her thoughts back together as she cracked a smile and put her hands on her hips.

"Likewise. Ingamura Ironfolder - but only the Mayor, newbies and idiots use my full name. Call me Inga. What'che got that needs work?"

"You see, there's some damage here, here and there", said Arcus as he pointed at the respective spots. "I need it fixed if you would be so kind." He smiled politely.

Inga's gaze darted from Arcus to Darren, who remained silent, to Arcus. "Er. Right. Sure. I can tell ye a price once I've taken a closer look. Care to take the parts off?"

"On it."

The dexterity with which he removed the parts of his armor surprised Inga; her eyes widened as she watched the pony with amusement and interest. She eyed Darren for a moment.

"I'm afraid ye have me at a disadvantage."

"Apologies", said Darren, bowing slightly to her. "My name is Darren Houndslayer, Knight of the Ebon Blade."

"Pleasure."

Arcus set down the last piece, the cuirass that protected his back, and sat on his haunches. "Nice workshop", he said, looking around.

"Thanks. Inherited from my father. Good man, Light bless his soul." She snatched the smallest piece of armor from the pile and eyed it, tilting it in her hands. "Those shoulderplates are tough", she observed. "So what happened?"

"Zombies."

"Urgh, don't get me started. All right, shouldn't be too hard. Six Silver. That one's a bit worse, ten Silver if I just remove the dent, fifteen with a polish. And - what the hell?"

She held up the last piece. "That's a nasty one all right. I mean, the first ain't so bad, Elven blade, but this one tore right through. I'd say Forsaken dagger? Or a sword. Never underestimate the Horde, eh, laddie?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow.

Arcus shrugged. "Yeah, well, that one stung the worst."

"Stung? Judging by the width of the cut, I'm surprised ye could still walk. Must know one hell of a healer. Anyway, that one's twenty."

Arcus nodded. "Fine with me. Go ahead." He leaned over to Darren and nudged him.

The knight bent down to hear what the pony muttered into his ear.

"I forgot to bring my money. Would you mind...?" Darren nodded and straightened up again.

"How about fourty Silver?", he asked as if he had planned to pay all along.

"Agreed." She stoked the fire and started removing the cloth straps from the plate.

Again, a hint of confusion was in her eyes. She must think it weird that no leather was used. Pony armor - what would you expect? Arcus frowned. Leather was a sturdy material but having to kill a sentient being for wearing their skin? No way. Here, of course, many of the animals were not sapient. He had noticed that Twilight's blue saddlebags were made of leather. She probably got them on her last adventure in Azeroth.

"Did you say 'Elven blade'?" Darren stepped closer, making Inga snort and lean backwards.

"See the angle of the dent? That was a curved sword, though prob'ly dulled. The shape of the damage hints towards a hard alloy, something not all races can produce. I recognize a dent from a Blood Elf blade when I see it, mate. It was prob'ly nothing more than a training weapon. Ye were lucky, horse."

"Pony."

"Anyway, shouldn't be too hard to fix. Ye can wait here 'til I'm done, or take a short walk."

"Oh, okay. See you later, then."

They did not walk far off; there was a bench a few feet away from the forge. Both knights sat down on it and watched the people walking around town. The sky was getting darker already, the shadows grew long. It would be night in less than an hour.

Arcus pursed his lips as his thoughts began to wander. Inga's comment had reminded him of his day in Silvermoon. Did Darren suspect anything? Maybe not; he probably thought that it had been an involuntary fight like the one with the zombies. Arcus still had not told Twilight or Jon about the Elves.

How would they react? Arcus had managed to hide the damage but now Twilight knew that he had been training. The alicorn was smart: She might have connected the dots already.

Even though Blood Elves were lighter in build than the average human, Beldis had given Arcus a hard time. At first it had been easy; Arcus had no problem following the verbal instructions. Then there had been the actual sparring. Arcus smiled when he remembered how the warrior trainer had noticed that his reflexes were as quick as his mind. The Elf had started to include weapons in the training. The blades had been dull but, as Beldis had explained, heavier than actual ones. Arcus had to fight against swords, spears, staves and melee weapons. Tartarus, he even dodged fireballs thrown by a mage who had stood nearby and agreed to help with the training.

It had been fun. And dangerous; but yet again that was part of the fun. Arcus had been able to use his newly acquired knowledge in the fight at Brazie's garden. That had to count for something.

Still, lying about it sucked. Arcus's ears flopped down as his insides clenched together. He forced himself to breathe normally.

Why did the magical path to Silvermoon have to remain a secret? Weren't the Blood Elves allies of the Forsaken? What political situation made them close down the connection? If a pony could still get through, what about other creatures? Spies, for instance? There might be a good reason why Beldis asked him to keep his mouth shut.

He shuffled around on the bench, absent-mindedly tapping his left hind leg in a steady rhythm. Darren tilted his head. Arcus could see a short flash of his icy blue eyes under the hood.

"Is everything in order?"

He froze. The tapping ceased. "Er, I -" He nodded slowly. "Yeah. Don't mind me. I'll be okay. But... I'd be grateful if you didn't tell Twilight anything about the damage from the elven blade", pleaded Arcus. "I want to take care of it when the time comes."

"Very well."

"About the money..."

"As far as I understand it, you borrowed your money from Mr Baker. I will simply ask him for it when we return to the inn."

"Right! Makes sense. Thank you, though. Really." Arcus sighed and relaxed a little.

"Worry not."

And with this, the conversation was over. Everything important had been said.

They waited in peaceful silence until they returned to the forge.

•°

Jonathan took a sip from his mug. "Look", he said, "I'm not saying that it's easy to retake a town. Andorhal used to be a lich's base of operations. Among other things. Anyway, why would they try to keep it? Because it's a strategic point. If you take control of key locations, you are able to control an entire region."

Twilight hummed and swallowed the piece of bread she had been chewing on. "I think I saw Forsaken walking around in the middle part. It sure doesn't look to me like the Alliance controls it."

"Guess not." Jonathan picked up his spoon and dabbed at the still hot soup. "That's probably the reason why they are talking about getting reinforcements."

"We should get out of here as soon as we can", muttered Twilight, her ears down. "The last thing we need to get involved in political affairs... or worse, a battle."

"Yeah." The human took his own lump of bread and started to rip off little pieces. They talked in hushed voices, trying to avoid people overhearing their conversation. They would have preferred going upstairs but guests were not allowed to take the food to their room. Jonathan sighed and eyed the soup.

"Still too hot to eat?", asked Twilight, raising her eyebrows.

He grinned and drowned four pieces of bread in the soup, then tried to eat a spoonful. He nodded and swallowed happily. "Bearable. Definitely better than that slimy mud they give you in the Undercity Trade Quarter." He whispered the last two words and stuck out his tongue.

Twilight giggled, then her expression turned serious again. "I'm glad you warned me about it... What's taking them so long? Didn't Arcus just want to repair some armor?"

"Maybe the damage was worse than he led on", asssumed Jonathan.

"Maybe", she agreed. "I've got the feeling that Arcus is overexerting himself."

"Hm, okay, we better keep an eye on that. But hey, if we get in a tough spot again, bin mog g'thazag cha. So no worries."

Twilight blinked dumbly. "Excuse me, could you repeat that?"

Jonathan frowned, then said something in a strange guttural language. Then he stopped and said something else in a different speech.

"Oh dear. I think I know what is happening", muttered Twilight.

Jonathan replied in the third language he knew; again, she could not understand a word, except for her name. He grimaced, rolling his eyes, then pointed at his soup. Twilight nodded and finished her meal, pretending nothing was amiss, then she quickly led Jonathan to the staircase, thankful that the food had been paid for in advance. They went to their room and closed the door.

"Okay, it's obvious the translation spell wore off", said Twilight to Jonathan She facehooved as she realized what she had just said. Twilight pointed at the floor. "Just stand there, please."

Jonathan waited patiently with his arms crossed until she had cast her spell. A flash of light later he said, "Is it working?"

"Yes! Perfect!" Twilight beamed at him. "Oh goodness, I'm glad that happened in a harmless situation. Imagine what would have happened if we couldn't communicate in a fight!"

"You'd be surprised", countered Jonathan, snorting. "Come on, let's go back to the table before someone else takes it."

Level 10 - Dwarven Stout

Inga gave the chestpiece on her knee a last finish. Arcus had already reattached the other two parts and examined himself in a polished round brass shield that was leaned against the wall and served as a mirror.

"Thank you, Inga, this is perfect." Arcus smiled happily.

"I do what I can", replied the dwarf and handed him the chestpiece. "There's something odd about yer armor, though."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Darren took the plate as Arcus passed it on to him. He helped him to attach the piece of armor to its designated place.

"The colors. They're the colors of the Forsaken tabard."

"Uh, w-well, I guess so", stuttered Arcus. "A friend of mine made the cloth parts, I don't think she was aware of that."

"But ye seem to know about it", insisted Inga, leaning forward and frowning at Arcus. Only a few noses away from his face, she studied him closely. "And I've never seen a sentient pony before. Strange coincidence, dont'che think?"

"It's not a tabard, for Celestia's sake", replied Arcus testily. "I just happen to like the colors. Do you see a white broken face on this? Because there isn't." His ears flopped down and his face blushed as he glared back at Inga.

"I must ask you to refrain from intimidating my friend", chimed Darren in. His voice was neutral on the surface but Arcus - and probably Inga, too - sensed a thinly veiled threat. Inga leaned backwards, raising her hands defensively. She looked half amused, half offended.

"Fine, I'll drop the issue. But ye should consider different colors, ter be on the safe side. Just a thought, lad."

Darren silently payed Inga and she put the money away, still grumbling a little. Arcus went outside first, breathing a sigh of relief when the door slammed shut behind them.

"Luna's mane", he muttered to himself, still frowning.

"Now that she mentioned it, the semblance to the flag is there", commented Darren.

"No, really?" Arcus gave him a deadpan look, then trotted off to the inn. "Come on, let's go back. I gotta fill that gaping hole in my stomach."

"Certainly."

After a few moments of quiet walking, Arcus mused, "Maybe it would have been better to go to the other half of Andorhal. The armor wouldn't have been foreign over there."

"Are you already forgetting Mr Baker's dilemma?"

Arcus sighed. "No, of course not. It's just... uch, nevermind." He shook his head in annoyance.

The knight just nodded and let the matter slide.

That was good enough for Arcus. He felt his heart getting lighter. Darren was obviously not the most outspoken kind of guy. And Arcus liked that a lot right now.

He could feel a strange connection with the knight. He was not sure why or how. Was it because of how the human seemed to respect him? Whatever it was, Arcus was glad that he was not alone. Jonathan was a nice guy, of course, but he seemed to prefer hanging out with Twilight. They had met each other sooner so that was kind of a given. Arcus did not want to feel like the third wheel.

He remembered what Darren had said to Inga. I must ask you to refrain from intimidating my friend.

A friend. Now Arcus felt a little bit less lost. He grinned at the death knight and pushed the inn door open.

•°

It took Darren a moment to spot his employer in the candle-lit room. The young man sat in a corner halfway to the stairs, with his back to the wall. Even though he was talking to Twilight, whose hood concealed her features, Mr Baker's eyes kept darting around the room, constantly alert.

Darren followed Arcus as the earth pony happily trotted over to his friends. Again, curious glances met the death knight, but his arrival was not as big a surprise as the last time. He shrugged it off and focused on his own group.

Baker was done eating but made no attempt to stand up. Twilight's ear twitched as she noticed their approach; Darren could make out the movement underneath the unicorn's hood. She rose from her chair and smiled broadly.

"Hello, you two! Did everything go well?"

"Yep", confirmed Arcus, slumping down on the seat next to Baker. "See? All fixed. Aw, I'm so hungry I could eat a pasture. What's for dinner?" He expectantly tapped his forehooves on the table.

Baker smirked. "Soup. But make sure to tell them you're a vegetarian."

Darren cleared his throat and proclaimed he would be spending the remaining evening upstairs. Baker simply nodded, muttering a confirmation. Twilight yawned, covering her mouth with a hoof.

"I think I'll go upstairs, too", she said. "Reading a bit and then taking a good night's sleep would be great." She ascended the stairs and used her freshly acquired key to unlock the door to their room.

It was equipped with three beds. One of them was a regular bed, the other two were in fact a bunk bed. A small window looked out at the town square. It was so dirty that you could hardly see through the glass. The furniture, however, was sturdy, in good shape and clean.

Darren found a candle in the tall closet, lit it and placed it in the brass candlestick on the table. He sat down on one of the three stools and pulled his little book out. Twilight, however, still stood in the doorframe.

"This can't be right", she said.

Darren lowered his hood and raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"We don't have enough beds! I'll have to talk to Jonathan about this."

"No", said Darren.

"But the sooner we get this corrected - "

"It is alright", stated Darren. He put his book down. "Remember, Twilight: I do not require any sleep."

"Oh." Her ears folded down and she smiled sheepishly. "Of course. I forgot for a second. Sorry!"

How nice of her to treat him like a living being! "Do not worry about it", said Darren.

•°

Arcus tried something new. He eyed the pint he had just taken a sip from.

"The beer's good", he said. "Where is it from?"

"I'm not sure", admitted Jonathan. "I think they got it from Khaz Modan."

Arcus gave him a clueless look.

"The continent to the south", explained Jonathan. "It's where most of the Bronzebeard Dwarves live. And this is definitely dwarven beer. The only poeple who can rival their brewing skills are the Pandaren. I've never had the chance to try their drinks. But I heard that if you overdo it you can lose your eyesight. Dunno if it's really true, though." He grinned and drank from his own glass. "So what do you think of Azeroth so far?"

•°

Twilight sat on the upper mattress of the bunk bed, a book between her forelegs. A roll of parchment (Darren knew by now that Twilight used the word merely as a synonym for paper) floated beside her. Now and then she would take notes. She paused for a moment, eyeing Darren. The knight was still reading in his book. It was much quieter than downstairs but she could still hear music, shouts and laughter filtering through the planks of the uninsulated floor. Twilight's left ear twitched as she tried her best to ignore the noise.

•°

"And then he says, 'Oh, thank thee very much, thine Majesty art as generous as thou art benevolent', and he looks King Sombra in the eye and adds, 'Actually, if it's all the same to thee, I wish for a one-way train ticket to Canterlot.'"

Jonathan snorted, bending over the table and holding his belly to contain his laughter. He carefully pushed his glass aside, shaking with suppressed giggles, and wiped his eyes.

"Excuse me", said somebody. Jonathan and Arcus looked up, trying to quickly regain their cool.

"Would you mind if we join you?" A couple of Night Elves stood next to their table.

Jonathan quickly looked around the inn and noticed for the first time how full it was.

"Ah, not at all", he lied, rising to his feet. Arcus did the same, topping it off by pulling out a chair for the female elf. She raised her eyebrows in surprise but did not object, sitting down elegantly on the offered seat. Her partner or colleague took the last remaining chair and nodded a greeting at Arcus and Jonathan. Both elves wore the golden lion of the Alliance and light leather armor. They were significantly taller than Jonathan or any human for that matter. Arcus immediately felt some kind of careful respect for them. There was something in their movements that made him think of tigers. The look in their eyes was friendly, though.

"I am Ivadryn", the male elf introduced himself, "and this is my wife, Sariya."

"Jonathan Baker, nice to meet you."

"Arcus Tangens."

Arcus registered with satisfaction that the elves made no comment about his non-humanoid appearance.

Sariya's lips curled upwards and her eyes twinkled as she regarded him. Maybe she just mirrored the grin that still lingered on his face.

Jonathan leaned back to make room for a barmaid who approached the table and served them another round of beer, this time including two more for the new guests. He still smiled but his eyebrows were low and his gaze wandered around the room. "Hm, can't think of another one yet."

"Are you telling jokes?", asked Sariya curiously, brushing a strand of her long moss green hair out of her face. Most of it was bound together with a ribbon. After a long day's work, some strands had slipped out of the knot. Was she a hunter? Or maybe a warrior?

"Yup", said Jonathan aloud. "Do you know any good ones?"

She shook her head. Ivadryn leaned forward, shifting his weight on his arm, and took a sip from his beer. "I do not know any jokes", he said slowly, "however, there was an incident that once occured to my wife and I when we were on an expedition in the Hinterlands."

Sariya smirked, lowering her head to hide her amusement. "That one", she said, more to herself.

Ivadryn ignored her comment. "We were lying peacefully on our backs, watching the sky, when she said, 'What do you see?'

"I replied, 'I see the stars and the moons. Over there we have the Centaur, and there's the Raven. That is the Lion and those two bright ones are the Sail.'

"She said, 'What does that tell you?'

"I answered, 'It means that it is Spring. Elune is smiling on us tonight. And it also means that beyond our little world, there is so much more to see. In comparison, we can seem so very insignificant, just two small beings on a mote of dust.'"

"But then I frowned at him", concluded Sariyan, "and said, 'Ivadryn. It means that somebody stole our tent.'"

•°

"Do you have any family?"

Darren froze, then he slowly lowered his book. Twilight had torn her eyes from the pages and was looking directly at him.

"I did", he said very quietly.

Her ears folded down, a sign of her regret, he assumed. "Sorry", she whispered. "I should have expected that answer." Twilight inhaled, then she changed her mind, closed her mouth and resumed reading.

She flinched when Darren spoke. "What is your book about?"

Twilight smiled and levitated the tome over to him so he could read the title. It was written in the Common language.

"'Potions for the Battlemage. Alchemy fit for Use in Combat and Healing'."

"It's basically a book of recipes", elaborated Twilight quickly. "Those healing and stealth potions are especially intriguing."

"You might want to study potions with long-term effects as well", recommended Darren. "I imagine you would find the Troll's Blood Potion rather useful."

"Ew!" Twilight scrunched her nose. "Wait, is there actual Troll blood in it?"

He shook his head. "The term refers to the potion's effect. Trolls have highly regenerative abilities. So does the elixir."

"I see. Hm, that does sound useful", mused Twilight. She flipped through the pages. "Aha! There it is! It's very simple. I think I'm going to try and brew it soon. Maybe together with that one, an Arcane Elixir to boost the power of my spells. The book says they can be used at the same time! I wonder where I can get some vials -"

A rustling on the windowsill interrupted her. Baker's paper bag shivered and almost fell off. Twilight quickly caught it in her magic before Darren could lift a finger. She drew the sunflower out of the bag and into the light.

She looked at Twilight with limp leaves dangling off the pot's sides. The flower kept her head steady with way too much effort, frowning miserably. Twilight's expression softened and she jumped from the bunk bed. She looked around the room.

Darren pointed at the closet. "There is a jug of water in there."

Twilight opened the closet's doors and found a blue ceramic jug with small stubby handle. She carefully floated it over to the flower, then poured some water into the pot, watching with joy as the sunflower relaxed and raised its head. It smiled thankfully at her.

"You're welcome!", beamed Twilight. SHe tapped her chin with a hoof. "I think we need to have a talk with your owner."

•°

"The captain and the sailors already jumped off", said Jonathan, "And there are only four parachutes.

"The first passenger takes a parachute, saying, 'I am Varian Wrynn, the leader of the Alliance. My people need me, I cannot abandon them', and he jumps.

"The next passenger grabs a parachute and explaines, 'I am Lor'themar Theron, Regent Lord of the Sin'dorei. In this time of crisis, I must serve the Blood Elves in any way I can.' Then he jumps."

Arcus felt his ears fold back when Jon mentioned the Blood Elves. He deeply hoped that the human did not notice his uneasiness when it came to that subject.

Jon continued, "The third passenger says, 'I am Garrosh Hellscream, Warchief of the Horde. I am the most important and capable warrior of the Horde and will not let some puny zeppelin accident prevent me from leading them to victory.' Then he jumps and pulls the string."

Half the inn's guests were listening by now. Arcus wondered whether the other conversations had been that boring or if their table was just the loudest of them all.

"Now there are only two left: The Prophet Velen and Muradin Bronzebeard. The prophet, despite the extremely high altitude, says, 'Go ahead, I will pray to the Light that it may save me.'

"Muradin just grins at him and says, 'There ain't no need for that, Sir, we still got two parachutes left, ye can take one, too.'

"Velen is confused. 'How so?'

"Says Bronzebeard, 'The most important and capable warrior of the Horde just jumped with me backpack.'"

Jonathan leaned back and grinned as the crowd broke into laughter and cheers. It did not take long until dozens of Horde jokes were being told. Former warchief Garrosh was the one most laughed about, with Sylvanas the Banshee Queen following close behind. Arcus was not sure if Jon found the saucy anecdotes about the two half as funny as he led on.

•°

"What the hay are they doing down there?" Twilight shut her book with an audible slap and put it in her saddlebag.

"The amount of noise suggests that either the guests are having a good time or a bar brawl is in full swing. Possibly both." Darren smirked for a second, then returned to his book.

"Doesn't it worry you? Shouldn't we go downstairs and make sure our friends are all right?"

"No", said Darren evenly without interrupting his reading.

"Okay", replied Twilight meekly, thinking it over. If this inn was anything like the ones in Northrend, they were going to have security, even though she had not noticed any obvious guards standing around. They would throw the troublemakers out. So Jonathan and Arcus were going to be fine. Twilight took her cloak off - at least it was warm enough for that - and slipped between the blankets.

"Good night, then", she said, shuffling around until she felt comfortable enough.

"Good night", answered Darren, sitting down on another stool. Now he was sitting between Twilight and the candle he needed for reading, casting a large shadow over her head.

Twilight hummed her appreciation and was soon fast asleep.

•°

When Twilight woke up, her mane was a mess. She blinked several times to get the last bit of sleep out of her eyes and leaned over the bed rail.

"Good morning, everyone - huh?" Her eyes darted from bed to bed. They were still untouched! "Where are Priest and Arcus?" She flew off the bed, hurriedly producing a hairbrush and straightening out her mane. Then she quickly put on her cloak.

"It is morning, isn't it?" Twilight went to the window. It resisted her at first, but with a decisive pull of her magic she ripped it open. The town square was dipped in the golden light of an early sun. So it was probably around eight in the morning. People went about, soldiers hurried across the square and an old woman sold talismans from her caravan. Twilight felt a tinge of amusement - there were two unintelligent horses, a black one and one with a pinto coloring, something that was not very common among Equestrian ponies. They stood in front of the caravan, turning their heads this way and that, uneasily shifting their weight from one hoof to another.

Flight instinct, she thought. There's a lot of noise, making them nervous. She closed the window again.

Darren frowned. "They never came upstairs. I intend to investigate this matter. Do you wish to accompany me or would you prefer to eat something first?"

"Breakfast can wait", decided Twilight. "What if they are in serious trouble?"

They went downstairs. The inn was almost empty; only a few customers sat around, eating or drinking. Twilight cantered past them, heading for the counter. A young human with short blonde hair stood behind it, washing glasses. He looked up and bid them a good morning. His face fell when he saw Twilight's concerned frown.

"Is everything in order?", he asked carefully.

"The service is", said Darren from under his hood, his polite voice in stark contrast with the icy aura he gave off.

Twilight felt a shiver run down her back. Was Darren already this worried? She half-reared to rise to her full height, supporting her weight by placing her hooves on the counter. Now she was almost eye to eye with the bartender. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. We have a room together with Mr Baker and Mr Tangens - you can't have overlooked him, he's a green earth pony. Did you see where they went?"

The bartender shook his head. "No, ma'am. But there was a commotion yesterday so it's possible that they ended up in the tower."

Twilight's ears flopped down, her wings folded tightly at her sides. "You're kidding me. They got arrested?"

The man shrugged apologetically. "I don't know. Sorry, ma'am. You might want to ask a guard what happened to them, they usually know that kind of thing. Anyway, if your friends really are in custody, the guards will definitely know about it."

"Thank you, sir." Twilight stepped away from the counter, dropping back on all fours, and looked at Darren. "What do you think?"

"Let us go to that tower and see what we can find out." The knight nodded at the bartender and followed Twilight who was already outside.

She stopped suddenly and turned around. "Which of those towers is the one we're looking for?"

"Follow me." Darren strode confidently past Twilight, leading her towards a grassy elevation that could only be called a hill if you were very generous.

"So they did get into trouble", muttered Twilight.

It was a beautiful morning; a few birds sang their song despite the cold and Twilight could hear ther murmur of a nearby stream over the noise of the crowd - but she had no eye for the scenery. The sour air around her was almost tangible. On top of that, she was worried that they would not get past the guards.

However, after Darren talked to them, the guards instantly led them into the tower, through a series of small rooms and downstairs. The staircase was so steep that Twilight skipped it altogether and glided down with half-stretched wings, careful not to bump her head on the ceiling. During the entire time she kept muttering under her breath, switching between worrying about her friends and thinking of a proper scolding in case they were unharmed. Darren made sure to keep his more or less indifferent air; he had no interest in becoming the target of her agitation.

The basement was an undecorated single room, poorly lit by a handful of torches. Its stone walls were designed to keep the water from the nearby river out but it was still damp and cold and smelled accordingly. The room was divided by an iron grid and the separated area itself was cut into three sections by additional bars. Each of the three cells was equipped with a wooden bench, chained to the wall, also a heap of straw and a bucket with a lid. That was probably where the worst of the smell came from.

Only one of the cells was in use. Its occupants stirred when they heard Twilight's wings and the clinking of Darren's armor as they descended into the jail.

The guard ordered the arrested to stay away from the bars. Then he turned to Darren. "Do you recognize these individuals?"

"Yes", stated Darren, stepping closer to the bars. Twilight was faster; she almost slammed into the grid as she tried to get as close as possible to the man on the bench.

"Priest! What in the name of Celestia happened? What's that on your eye? What are the charges? How do we get you out of here?"

A groan from the green armored bundle of misery on the straw interrupted her. "Twilight, slow down, or else you gonna tear down the buildinnng."

She gaped at Arcus dumbfoundedly. "What?"

"And please, not so loud. My head feels like a tribe of buffalo went stampeding through it."

"Are you having a...", she began.

"Hangover, yes", grinned Jonathan humorlessly, rubbing his neck and standing up slowly. "Needless to say, we were kinda busy last night."

Twilight gave him a deadpan look.

"But why are you here?", she demanded, impatiently tapping the bars for emphasis.

Arcus gave off another dismal groan. "I... I can't remember", he admitted.

Jonathan shook his head. "Apparently you have zero tolerance when it comes to dwarven beer. It wasn't even the heavy stuff. In fact, I'm still nearly sober."

"How good for you." Arcus turned around. Now he was lying awkwardly on his back instead of his belly. "A kingdom for Spirit Rez and his coffee spell."

"We had a great time", remembered Jonathan. "That was until they started picking on Arc..."

•°

"What do you mean, 'condition'?" Arcus fixed his eyes on the human, his frown deepening. He was already a little shaky on his hooves, clutching the table for support.

"How should I know? ...Was it a magical accident? A Scourge Cauldron? Or does your owner love you just a bit too much so he arranged a little spell?"

"Ignore him, he's drunk. Probably more than you." Jonathan put his hand on Arcus's barrel, trying to appease him. "We better leave."

"See? See?" The man laughed dirtily, getting chuckles from the surrounding crowd. "They're hugging already. I wonder how long it takes until they -"

•°

"Buuuck." Arcus squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm startin' to remember. But he totally had it coming to him!" He raised his head to look at Jonathan. "I bucking owned that sonofabitch."

"He took you out with the second strike", corrected Jonathan, rolling his eyes and ignoring the atypical swearing.

"Totally. Owned. Him", muttered Arcus. He dropped his head again and started to snore.

"When I tried to carry him upstairs, the guards came in and started arresting people", said Jonathan. "Stallion plus armor, that's pretty heavy. I didn't even make it to the stairs."

"Arcus, you fool, you should have known better", muttered Darren under his breath.

"What's with the black eye?" Twilight raised her hooves in exasperation.

"Collateral damage."

"Ugh! Now what?"

The guard cleared his throat. "These two have been registered as troublemakers. At least they were cooperative enough to tell their names. Once you have paid the fee you will all be banned from Andorhal for three days. After all, this is a military base of the Alliance, we cannot let civilians disturb our business like this."

Or their own bar brawls, commented Twilight sourly in her mind.

"You may gather your things from your current residence before you leave."

Twilight sighed. "That sounds fair enough. Pretty harmless actually", she admitted after a few deep breaths. She materialized the key to their room and passed it on to Darren. "Can you please bring our things to the well on the town square? We'll meet you there."

The knight nodded and left. The basement door clacked as the guard upstairs opened it to let him out.

"I'm going to buy some food for the journey", continued Twilight, pacing up and down in front of the cell. "And then I'll find a way to pay the fee."

"About that", interrupted Jonathan, "just use my gold, okay?" He untied the leather band of his purse to get it off his belt, and held it up, his arm outstretched towards the bars. "Sorry for the trouble." He blushed as his shoulders sagged forward.

Twilight smiled at him. "Apology accepted. You're the one who got the black eye in the end. Just, please, don't let Arcus drink that much again. He may be an adult but we ponies tend to overestimate our limits for drinks." She took the purse and kept it afloat in the pink aura of her magic.

"We're gonna have a talk about it, that's for sure", grumbled Jonathan.

"Good. Well. See you later, then. You stay right here, I'll be back in twenty minutes!" Twilight flashed him another smile and left. The last guard followed her and the basement door slammed shut.

Jonathan sat down on the bench again, watching his buddy snore on the straw. He leaned back and sighed.

•°

Twilight was back in the basement exactly twenty-two minutes later. Jonathan had already woken up Arcus - with some effort - and the earth pony slowly trotted out of the cell. He stammered incoherent apologies, spiced with so many oaths that Twilight suspected that it would take another two days until the effects of the alcohol would subside. They quickly made their way out of Andorhal. Darren had loaded his griffin with their supplies and the group hurried through the gates to the north, trying not to run while the mount swiftly walked next to Darren, apparently unaffected by the weight. Twilight made a mental note to ask if they could use the griffin as a pack mule (no offense to mules, of course).

Darren himself was more alert than ever. Since Jonathan and Arcus were tired and a little listless, it was up to him to watch their front and back. He did not complain even once which impressed Twilight a lot. Her face was like stone almost the entire time, her mouth a thin line. She was still slightly mad at the two brawlers but after receiving their apologies she tried more or less to hide her foul mood.

•°

It took three days and a healing spell for Jonathan's black eye to disappear. Afterwards, his own mood improved immensely.

They had no tent so they slept under the open sky, always lying as close to the small campfire as possible. The sky was blue for the entire week. In exchange, it was getting colder with each passing day. Twilight was glad that Rarity had remembered to give them scarves; she and Arcus had more trouble with the cold than Jonathan who was better prepared. He had insisted on wearing unusually warm clothing in the first place.

She thought that the bushes, trees and flowers in this area were in pretty good shape but Arcus observed that the bark of the trees and the wildlife were anything but healthy. After his lapse at the inn he tried his best to be useful. He kept his eyes peeled for good campsites, water and edible plants. When they sat around the fire in the evenings, Darren always at a distance from everyone else, Arcus told them stories of his travels all around Equestria.

They tried to stretch their resources by falling back on Twilight's magic and eating the occational mana cupcake, mana strudel or loaf of bread.

"I really like them", said Jonathan one evening after eating three cupcakes, "but I keep getting hungry after an hour or so. They are probably better suited for emergencies." He stood up and walked off to a group of trees, out of sight of the others.

Twilight pawed at the thin grass that covered the clearing and sighed. She rested her head on her hooves, looking up into the starry sky.

"Don't worry about him, he's just grouchy because we haven't found anything yet", Arcus reassured her.

"Maybe..." Twilight closed her eyes. "It would be much easier if I knew Rarity's gem-finding spell." She crunched up her nose.

"You're missing your friends, aren't you?", poked Arcus. "You don't have to deny it. I miss them, too. Especially Maple Leaf." He frowned and hung his head.

"The last time I went to Azeroth, I was amazed how differently time passes here compared to Equestria. She probably won't even be back from her own vacation when we return."

"If we return", corrected Arcus pointedly.

"Arcus, don't worry! We still have plenty of time. Maybe we will find some gems tomorrow." Twilight smiled at him.

Arcus shook his head, his ears folding back. His own attempt to cheer Twilight up had failed, making him more miserable in turn.

"Unlikely", he couldn't keep himself from saying.

"It appears that the rocks we searched did not contain any valuable rocks or gems", added Darren, tearing his eyes from his mysterious little book.

"Not you, too", pleaded Twilight. Her wings rustled in annoyance.

"I am merely stating a fact", said Darren. He took a log from the small pile of wood and added it to the campfire, then poked the embers to keep it going. "Arcus may be right. Perhaps this region has already seen too many miners."

"If the resources in the hills are depleted we'll have to think of someplace else", suggested Arcus.

The grass rustled as Jonathan returned to the camp and sat down on his blanket.

"Hey, Jon", said Arcus, "how big exactly are the Western Plaguelands?"

"Big enough to keep searching for a while, if that's what you mean", said Jonathan, frowning.

"Okay, okay. No need to get snappy."

"I'm not -!" Jonathan sighed and hung his head. "Sorry."

Arcus smiled generously. "Already forgotten."

Darren raised an eyebrow, shaking his head.

•°

They spent the next days combing through the country, turning over stones and generally heading eastwards. Arcus asked Twilight for a large piece of parchment and started cartographing the land, marking the area with little signs depending on what they had found. Darren helped him with that, naming the landmarks and giving advice. The fuller the sheet became, the more irritated grew Jonathan's mood.

"I'm beginning to doubt we're ever going to find anything", he declared darkly, checking and re-checking the map for blank spots. "There aren't that many possible places left."

Arcus pointed at the squiggly vertical line on the right half of the map. "How about heading south, then further east? We could cross the river, whatsitcalled, Thunderhill? and search on the other side."

"Thondroril", corrected Jonathan automatically. "I really would have preferred avoiding that."

"Why? What's so bad about it?"

"The Easterns are very different from the Western Plaguelands", said Jonathan, scratching a pice of dried mud off his cloak. "The West has started to heal but large parts of the Eastern Lands are still under control of the Scourge."

" 'Control'? I would not call it that. But the remaining Undead and various monsters roam the land", Darren interrupted him. "Still, given that we avoid the city of Stratholme and the mountains directly below Acherus we should be fine."

Jonathan hummed thoughtfully. "How much food have we got left?"

Twilight emptied her bags. "Well, your supplies are still almost untouched. I haven't got much, though. So if we rationalize it... I would say two weeks. That's only a rough estimate, of course."

"That would suffice for a journey to the Chapel", concluded Darren. "We can refill there. But chances are high that your search will soon be successful. Few people dare to enter the East and the Scourge cares not for rubies. At this point, the way back to Tirisfal is about as long as the way to the Chapel."

"Let me think about it", said Jonathan, still picking dirt off his cloak. "This is way more dangerous than Silverpine."

"Very well." Darren went silent after that and idly watched the fire, the shine of the flames reflecting on his grey hair.

'Your search', not 'our search', thought Twilight. Darren was trying to regain his distance again, talking less every day. What was he brooding over?

She had not overlooked the moments when Darren would occasionally disappear from their camps in the evenings, only to return with a slightly improved mood afterwards.

I really hope we can still trust him, she thought several times, then chastising herself for it and trying to be extra nice to Darren. He did not seem to notice her uncertainty - but what if that was part of a deception?

On the other hoof, he and Arcus seemed to get along so well...

Jonathan was a different matter. It was about time he got cheered up or else he was going to be miserable for the rest of the trip. Not to mention that he was dragging everyone else down with him. How would Pinkie Pie deal with this?

"I'd like to ask you something", Twilight began carefully.

"Shoot." Jonathan perked up, finally letting go of his cloak.

"Can you sing?"

"More or less", admitted Arcus.

"No", said Darren.

"I can. Theoretically. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?", asked Jonathan, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing... except I've been thinking about what pon-, uh, people usually do at campfires", said Twilight, blushing a tad. "And it's been an eternity since I have sung my last song. How about it?"

"Why not." Arcus grinned. "Can I start? I know a nice one for this place."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Arcus sat up, clearing his throat, and raised his voice a little as he began,

"Come with me to find the Fairy House

that rests upon the hill under the tree.

The wind howls through the portal, dark and cold:

The most dismal of places one can be.

But when you step inside the empty halls

where ponies lived and walked like you and me

you cannot help but hear the ghostly calls

of friends that you may never hope to see."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows in disbelief; that was apparently not what he had expected to hear from a pony. Twilight didn't know the song but the ancient tune struck a chord inside her. Arcus put an emphasis on the last tone of every line which made the song sound almost like a hymn. His voice was the same soft tenor as always but a little clearer and fuller than when he talked.

"How strange to touch a hearth that's never warm

and enter without knocking or a key!

No guest will be denied the sight of dawn

and lodging, food and water are for free."

As the song was over, Arcus smiled, an almost shy expression on his face. "That's all." He cleared his throat again.

"That was beautiful", said Twilight, blinking as she snapped back to full attention. "A little sad, but still very nice."

"It was not what I had expected." Even Darren seemed impressed.

"Well, you know. I'm always good for a surprise. Now one of you's gotta sing", grinned Arcus, returning to his usual outgoing self as he stretched his forelegs and shifted his weight.

Twilight tapped her chin. "Let me think..."

•°

Twilight intoned a different song, this one with much more cheer, and Arcus soon joined in. It was a song about the light of friendship and getting through a harsh, cold winter, perfect for a night as chilling as this one. When the chorus repeated for the third time, Jonathan was able to join in, though he exchanged a few of the words in his mind. The text was centered around ponies which was not really that much of a surprise.

It sounded a lot like the carols he used to sing. He could almost see himself standing in church, flanked by his sister and parents, singing the traditional songs of Winter's Veil.

The song ended. There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you", said Jonathan.

"Why?", asked Twilight.

"Just... like that." He hesitated, then admitted, "My dad used to sing really well. He even was in a choir."

"Like the Ponytones?" That was Arcus.

"Right... Rarity is one of the Ponytones", remembered Jonathan. "Yeah, something like that, only bigger, about two scores of people, I think."

"Wow." Arcus was impressed. "We only have that many voices when half the village sings."

Jonathan straightened his cloak. "Well, I've decided. Let's try the Eastern Plaguelands. Everybody with me?"

Arcus and Twilight nodded enthusiastically.

They sang a few more songs. By the time they were done, all the tension had fallen away.

The only one who did not partake in the singing was Darren. He insisted on keeping watch, as he always did, walking around the campsite in small circles or standing a few yards away, watching the fields and mountains. Now and then he would cast an eye on the others. Jonathan could not tell whether he was relaxed or tense at all. His expression was completely neutral. His hood could have been up and it would not have made any difference.

Author's Note

I have no idea how military bases deal with troublemaking civilians but I am pretty sure they don't do what the Alliance in Andorhal does in this chapter. I pulled that one out of my rear end.

Level 11 - Under the Bridge

The river came in sight on the next day, a narrow buff colored band that sat in a deep gap between the brown cliffs. Arcus eyed the chasm suspiciously.

"That place looks dirty", he commented dryly. "So how are we gonna get across?"

"There is no safe way to get down from a cliff as steep as this one", said Darren.

Jonathan gave him an annoyed look. "Any suggestions?"

The knight simply jerked his head towards his mount. The griffin perked up and squawked.

Twilight swallowed audibly. "Do we have to?"

Arcus sighed. He had to find an alternative, and quickly. He was not eager to climb the undead creature at all, just thinking of it made his insides turn. "Well, you don't, having wings yourself. The bird can't carry us through the air like the bats could. Look, it's too small for all of us at once. Jon, isn't there another way?"

Jonathan rubbed his chin. "Maybe it can carry just two at once?"

"There is a bridge. If I recall correctly, it is about two miles south, down the river", hinted Darren.

"That sounds way better to me", said Arcus.

Jonathan grinned. "I thought you liked to fly?"

"I don't think I'm ready to fly on a mount on my own." Arcus raised a hoof to point at the griffin. "Especially a dead one. In the cold. Let's be realistic, I might fall off halfway across the river. You don't wanna fish me out of the stream, do you?"

"We could tie you to the saddle", said Twilight, the corner of her mouth twitching. A sudden urge to tell her to shove it took hold of Arcus. He hoped that Twilight had not seen his face twitch.

"Darren said, 'two miles'", Jonathan reminded her.

"Right", nodded Twilight. "Well, let's go there before we waste anymore time discussing it."

"Yes, please", said Arcus quickly.

As the four of them descended the mountainside on a path parallel to the river, everyone busy watching their steps, Twilight tried to spot the bridge. She flapped her wings, wincing as the cold ruffled her coat, and hovered above the others.

"I can see it!", she exclaimed. "It's really massive and made of stone. The right tower is destroyed."

"Does it look stable?", called Jonathan up to her.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure", she answered. "But the land beyond looks terrible." She landed, wrapping herself tightly in her cloak. "It's all brown and foggy and full of dead trees. I can't see very far."

"Yep, sounds like the Eastern Plaguelands all right", commented Jonathan happily.

"Ew", said Arcus.

"Not yet, Arc", grinned Jonathan. "This is still just 'meh'. 'Ew' comes later, and then 'Uarchrch'..."

"I get it", Arcus interrupted him. "Thanks for the heads up." He could not help but smirk.

"It's only an hour until sundown", worried Twilight. "Should we spend the night on this side and cross in the morning?"

"Makes sense, the air is better here", agreed Jonathan. Twilight made a muffled sound, something between a gasp and a hum.

"Twilight? You okay?" Arcus stepped closer, eyeing her with concern.

The alicorn blinked. "Yes, I just got startled. Maybe a raindrop that fell on my nose." She threw a glance upwards. "It sure is cloudy enough."

"But not warm enough", gave Arcus back.

She shook her head. "Maybe I was wrong."

"Nope." Now Jonathan was tilting his head backwards. "I felt one, too. It's not rain, though, it's snow."

"Well, crap", concluded Arcus.

Jonathan's face lit up. "Hey, maybe we can seek shelter under the bridge!", he suggested.

"If the water is not too high." Darren raised his palm. Arcus wondered if that was his version of a shrug.

Jonathan pointed at the bridge. "Almost there", said the priest.

They picked up the pace.

•°

The trees around the bridge were brown and dead. Twilight was glad that a fresh wind came from the West, keeping the presumably foul air in the East.

Darren led them off the road and down to the water. The knight had been right; thanks to the lack of rain, the water was shallow at this point, leaving some space between the bank and the river. The bridge took the part of a roof, protecting them from the snow which was now falling for real.

Jonathan and Darren went off to find some firewood while Arcus and Twilight cleaned up the ground beneath the bridge. Arcus kicked some bones into the river. Twilight removed most of the bigger stones and arranged the remaining ones in a small circle. She drew the sunflower from her saddlebags and put her on the ground. The flower instantly turned her head towards the setting sun, soaking up the last bits of daylight.

"Sorry you had to wait so long, Clara", apologized Twilight. "But even though I promised to carry you with me, I can't hold you in my magic all the time. I hope the last breadcrums didn't get into your pot." She floated a tin cup towards the river and filled it with muddy water, then poured it onto Clara's earth. The flower scrunched up her face in disgust but it was still obvious that she needed the refreshment.

"Hey, Clara." Arcus took the pot into his hooves and smiled at the recovering flower. She smiled back at him. "I wonder what you would say if you could talk."

"She would probably ask for water more often", said Twilight, casting a meaningful look in the direction that the humans had gone.

"Maybe. But you know what, I'd teach her all my swearwords", beamed Arcus. "Like 'horseapples', 'ponyfeathers', 'Luna's rump' - "

"Okay, I get the idea", Twilight interrupted him. "Maybe she can actually talk so please, Arcus, don't tell her those."

"Too late, Princess, too late." Arcus grinned, unfurling his blankets. "Squishy chanter", he whispered to Clara.

"Stallions", muttered Twilight under her breath.

•°

Darren and Jonathan, burdened with firewood, returned to the bridge.

"So", said Jonathan, "you joined us on the Fifth, right?"

"That is correct", replied Darren. He was carrying twice as much firewood as Jonathan. "Why do you ask?"

"Nevermind, just wondering." A distant cry made Jonathan stop dead in his tracks. He frowned. "Was that Twilight?"

Darren carelessly dropped his pile and drew his sword. "I believe so." He ran towards the river, his long legs carrying him ahead at an impressive speed.

Jonathan dropped his own pile of wood and dashed after him.

"Twilight?" Jonathan shouted at the top of his voice but there was no answer.

"Hush! We do not know who is with them", scolded Darren.

"Let's split up", ordered Jonathan, running around the end of the bridge. They approached the camp from both sides. A sense of Déjà-vu came over Jonathan as he saw who was fighting Twilight.

Arcus was lying on the ground, unconscious. He must have given the blue-skinned stranger some trouble; the troll had a black eye that clashed with his scarlet mohawk. He limped despite his heavy green leather armor. Did Arcus kick his knee? Probably not; the troll wouldn't be able to stand up if that had happened. A small stream of dark smudge went down from his left leg - so that's why he was limping. He was trying to overpower Twilight. She kept shooting beams and arcane missiles at him while deflecting the strikes from his humongous axe with a forcefield that flickered and crackled every time the weapon hit it. When the troll noticed Jonathan, he grunted with frustration and redoubled his efforts, hammering at Twilight's shield bubble with a vengeance. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she focused on keeping the forcefield stable.

Jonathan whispered a prayer. A sphere of clear light engulfed him, its golden glow reflecting on the troll's armor.

"Leave her alone!" demanded the priest.

The troll, if only by surprise, halted his attacks and gaped at Jonathan. His tusked mouth stood slightly open. Then he quickly gathered his wits again and pointed at Jonathan with his axe.

"Yo, ya can't be speakin' Orcish!" He was using the same language, though, if only with a strange accent. "Ya be a human. Wat's yar business wit' dose two horsies? Talk - before I mince dem into stew!" The axe was now pointing at Darren.

Jonathan, unable to shake the feeling that the troll could shoot lightning from his hands if he wanted to, lowered his hands very slowly. He didn't go as far as to release the sphere, though.

Darren lowered his sword a little.

"They belong with us", said Jonathan. "Now, if you lower your weapon, I'll explain."

Twilight's eyes went from one to the other. She opened her mouth to say something but Darren shook his head very slightly, even though his ice blue eyes still pierced the troll.

"Be quick den", said the troll. The message was clear; he had realized he was outnumbered. It made sense that he was ready to listen.

Now that Jonathan had to say more than just one sentence, nervousness returned.

"I - I am actually a member of the Horde", he stammered. "See the colors we're wearing?"

"Blue and purple, I see dem alright. So wat of it? Suicidal fashion choice in dese lands... but hardly proof ta me." Jonathan remained in his cautious pose, waiting for the bit to drop.

"Oh...", mouthed the troll finally. "Ya be Forsaken? Don' look very dead ta me..." He raised his axe again. "Ya can't deceive me! I ain't stupid! The Forsaken be undead. But you be breathing. Nice try, puny human!"

He can actually call me that, thought Jonathan, looking up at the troll who was at least one foot taller than him - and not even standing upright.

Twilight's shield disappeared and she collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

Jonathan could not help it, the troll seemed familiar to him. Trolls, trolls... when had he been working with trolls? He chose to attempt a shot into the blue.

"Is there any chance you've been in Northrend about four years ago?", he asked.

"Five", corrected the troll. "But my past be not in question here, yours is."

Darren shifted his weight. The last sunbeams reflected off his sword, wandering over the troll's face.

"What is your name?", asked the Death Knight.

He didn't get the pronounciation quite right, analyzed Jonathan automatically. Good thing that his Common wasn't as rusty as Darren's Orcish. That could have been a problem in Andorhal.

The troll straightened up and proudly declared, "I be Vol'Shalai of da Darkspear Tribe."

"You're kidding." Jonathan dropped his light shield, letting the glimmering shine dissolve, and stared at the troll. "Vol'Shalai. That's why you're so familiar. Holy shit, this is great! How've you been, man?" A smile split his face, even though the troll raised his axe again, a vein on his forehead pulsating dangerously.

"Chill, Vol'Shalai! It's me, Priest!" Jonathan pulled back his hood, revealing his face and white hair.

"By da Loa! But... but ya be alive! How... how can ya be da same guy?"

Twilight opened her eyes. She was still too exhausted to stay upright but she could still listen to everything. Now that the troll had gone from aggression to confusion, she took the chance. "Trust me, he is", she said. "He even mentioned you a while ago."

"Proof it, den I might believe ya for real."

"The - the fastest way to a man's heart is through his ribcage", she stammered.

"Hah!" The troll's menacing snarl turned into an equally menacing grin and he chuckled, then burst into roaring laughter. "Fine, ya clothie horsie, dere be no way ya coulda made dat up. Same goes for you, Priest." He set his axe on the ground.

"So you believe us?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"Ya still be unhurt, right?"

"Whatever. Well, I go by Jonathan now. It's, uh, it's my actual name." Jonathan exhaled slowly. The tension slowly fell from his body. He was beginning to realize that he should probably run more often to stay fit. There was a suspiscious sting just below his ribcage, probably from the dash towards the bridge. Jonathan roughly pointed in the death knight's direction. "This is Darren Houndslayer."

The knight nodded and sheathed his sword. He did not uncover his face, though.

"Twilight Sparkle...", continued Jonathan. Twilight finally staggered to her hooves, scrambling over to her unconscious friend.

"Arcus. Arcus?", she pleaded, gently slapping his cheek.

"... and Arcus Tangens. I swear, if he's..."

"Oh shaddap, I be no savage and demolish de horsies so quick. Jus' knocked him out wit' de flat side of de axe. He's prob'ly done more damage ta me anyway."

Jonathan slipped past Vol'Shalai, kneeling down next to Twilight. He fingered at Arcus's throat to feel for the pulse.

"He be fine, just unconscious.", insisted Vol'Shalai. "If I had known dey be Horde... Truly sorry, mon."

"Don't apologize to me", retorted Jonathan, raising his eyebrows. Then he returned his full attention to Arcus, patting his cheek to bring him back to consciousness.

Arcus's legs moved slowly. "G-guys?", he muttered, his eyes fluttering open, then shifting around in confusion as he became more alert.

To Twilight's surprise, Darren exhaled audibly as he saw that Arcus was conscious again.

Twilight and Jonathan sighed and smiled at each other. Jonathan muttered some encouraging words to Arcus. The earth pony frowned at Vol'Shalai but Jonathan discreetly shook his head and explained the situation to him.

Twilight's ear twitched towards a papery rustling next to her hoof. She looked down. Clara's pot had fallen over, some of its contents spilled across the ground. The flower flailed its vines around, trying its best to push the pot upright.

"Oh dear", muttered Twilight. She took the pot into her magic, now completely ignoring the troll, and quickly gathered the dirt that had fallen out. She stuffed it back into the pot. The flower shook her head in annoyance.

Vol'Shalai snickered. "Ya got a sunflower wit' ya?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "It was a gift for re-earthing some zombies", he said flatly.

The troll's eyes widened. "Oh, I see, ya still be slaying yar kind."

"They're not my kind", retorted Jonathan through gritted teeth. "They're Scourge... leftovers. And besides, they attacked us." His ears were getting suspisciously hot.

"Chill, mon. Jus' wanted ta start a conversation. Pity your sense'a humor be as rusty as ever." Vol'Shalai raised an eyebrow. He crouched down by the fire, throwing a glance at Darren who returned the stare. Jonathan felt the daggers even though the knight's hood hid his eyes. A cold wave ran down his back.

Right, Jonathan thought. Whatever Darren said, he was probably still Alliance in his mind. The way he carried himself, how he had talked to the people in Andorhal...

When did he die anyway? In the Scourge War, as a knight who fought alongside Arthas before he became the Lich King? And what killed him? Yes, it was most likely the plague... or the Scourge itself, but it consisted of many species, trolls included. Or was it that Darren simply didn't trust Vol'Shalai because it was his job? He was hired as their guide. Obliviousness was not a useful trait if you wanted to survive. It was probably a good guess that Darren wasn't on the best terms with Blood Elves either.

Jonathan sighed, deciding to put his questions on hold for the time being, and rummaged in Twilight's saddlebags to get the cooking pot.

•°

Vol'Shalai watched Priest as he prepared a soup in a small cauldron he had taken from Twilight Sparkle's bag. As the water started boiling - the green horsie had helped with starting a fire - the troll used the waiting time to clean his axe. He didn't know why but the work always helped him to get his thoughts sorted.

First, he uncorked a small bottle made of a turtle shell and poured some of the colorless cleaning paste onto the blade. Vol'Shalai took the cleaning rag and started at the middle, working his way to the upper tips of his axe. He eyed the two horsies. No, ponies. They were talking to the slim human, asking him questions about the Horde. It was obviously not the first time they talked about it.

The Priest... whether Jonathan really was his name or not, "Priest" was obviously his class. He could easily answer all of Vol'Shalai's questions. His knowledge of the Horde and of the Orcish language was so extensive and detailed that Vol'Shalai started to genuinely believe him. A regular Alliance cur didn't know anything about the different troll tribes or how to cook a soup based on a recipe of the Bloodhoof Tauren.

The purple pony, Twilight, had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Mages... they all were basically the same, regardless of species. Vol'Shalai felt tempted to ask Twilight for a Mana Strudel just to see how she would react. Whenever he had asked his sister-in-law to conjure food, she tended to get irritable. One time, she had conjured a mace instead and would have tried to slam it into his face if Miwemba had not stopped her arm.

He chuckled, getting a confused glare from the green one. It was a male, judging by his voice and name, and the way he moved suggested that he was used to wearing plate armor. The barding, however, was still new, maybe a few weeks, half a year tops. Vol'Shalai frowned.

Ah, nice, the first half of the axe was clean... he turned the blade around and started wiping the other side.

The death knight was kind of a wild card. He didn't seem like the Horde type. So he was probably a mercenary. Hopefully that wouldn't bite Vol'Shalai in the ass as soon as he closed his eyes. Plus, the cold stare he got from the guy gave him the creeps. It was unnatural. Typical dead peeps.

Vol'Shalai decided to summon a few wards before sleeping. Just to be on the safe side.

"Dinner", said Jonathan curtly.

"Yay!", cheered Arcus, raising his head and ears. He still looked a little groggy, his mane damp from the fight.

Twilight, smiling broadly, floated her tin cup over to Jonathan who poured her some soup.

"The one good thing about snow", he said, "is that we've got fresh water."

Vol'Shalai, still crouching at the same spot by the fire, grunted his approval. His eyebrows went up when Jonathan gave him his own tin.

"Huh? What 'bout yaself? Not hungry?"

"Of course I am. But we only have one cup each. So don't eat too slowly, okay?" The priest grinned.

The troll eyed the soup and sniffed it with his long nose. He had watched Jonathan cook it so he was sure it was not poisoned. Plus, Twilight and Arcus were already eating it. That didn't ensure a good taste, though. He slowly raised the cup to his lips and took a sip - then drowned the whole thing in one big gulp.

He noticed that everyone had gotten quiet. Arcus and Twilight stared at him, their mouths slightly open.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Uh, er, nothing", lied Twilight, quickly looking down at her soup.

Jonathan didn't bat an eye and took the time to accept the cup back and fill it with his own portion.

"Don't tell me we're this close to running out. No offense, but that portion was tiny." Arcus frowned.

Twilight slurped up her soup and grimaced.

"All right, I suppose I could conjure some food tonight... again..." She scrunched up her nose and focused her magic. Her horn aglow, she frowned at the blanket she was sitting on. With a pop as bright as silver bells, four cupcakes appeared on the blanket. They all had different frosting. She floated the chocolate one over to Jonathan, the one with sugar sprinkles to Arcus. Both ate their sugary treat more slowly than usual. Vol'Shalai got a cupcake with white sugar frosting. He took it from Twilight's magic aura and eyed it suspisciously, turning it in his three-fingered hand.

"Is... is everything all right?", Twilight asked timidly. "Are they tasting weird?"

"They're... okay", said Jonathan, his eyebrows knit together. He attempted to smile with closed lips.

"Well, a bit bland to be honest", admitted Arcus. He swallowed hard, forcing the entire cupcake down in one big gulp.

Twilight's ears went down. She took a careful bite from her own cupcake and snorted. "I'm sorry, the journey is taking its toll on my imagination. The taste of Pinkie's cupcakes is slipping away from my memory with each Mana Cupcake I conjure up."

Vol'Shalai, who had watched quietly, smirked.

"Ya be de first Mage I ever met ta apologize for her food", he observed.

Twilight's ears were so far back that they almost disappeared in her mane. "Really? Is it that bad? Do the other mages usually summon better food?"

"No. But if ya complain, dey get pissed and ya don' wanna piss of yar, uh, food-conjuring-guy." He nodded sagely, then threw his cupcake into his mouth, chewed quickly and swallowed, all within five seconds.

"Twilight Sparkle, vending machine extraordinaire", snorted Arcus. "Today you get two for the price of one. Get your cupcake as long as they're still - ah, nevermind", he interrupted himself as Twilight's glare bore through him.

Jonathan finished his cupcake. "All right, so we're gonna wait until tomorrow, then cross the bridge."

Darren, who was standing at the edge of the bridge, looking out into the falling snow, turned around.

"I will stand guard."

Jonathan nodded. "As usual... thanks."

The knight sighed. "There is no need to thank me every time."

"Still gonna do it." Jonathan raised his eyebrows at Darren and smirked. "I'm paying you so I can thank you as often as I want."

"Noted", said Darren and averted his hooded face again.

Arcus rolled his eyes. He nudged Twilight.

"He complains but he did notice it", he whispered to her, grinning.

The alicorn nodded and smiled to herself.

•°

Darren paced up and down. After weeks of doing that, he usually didn't even notice it. Today, however, he was very aware of it. Four steps until the edge of the bridge, then turning left around the tower. Down until he was on the other side of the camp. Around the sleeping group, close to the edge of the river so the water's murmur would cover the clinking of his armor. Repeat.

Not that his armor was very loud. He took good care of it after all, and the plate segments were inwardly padded with leather and cloth. It was just that the ponies had sensitive ears and woke up more easily than humans. At least that was the theory - Twilight Sparkle had a very deep sleep, maybe because she only slept six hours per day, less than Arcus Tangens. The young warrior slept more but also awoke more easily. Baker had the deepest sleep - and was often the loudest. Sometimes his snoring was so noisy that Darren had considered asking Twilight to cast a spell against it.

The truth was: He didn't want to make them think that it annoyed him. It was not his place, not as hired muscle. Even if he was beginning to enjoy their company, especially the earth pony's. Arcus had a sense of humor that was not as plain as Mr Baker's but more dry, he showed an interest in tactics and the way he kept asking questions reminded Darren of his youngest son. He was not sure whether the memory was more of a painful or a pleasant one but he chose to settle for the latter.

Darren stopped and eyed the opposite river bank. There was no movement, the only sound being the water from the river. The wind had changed; a foul smell drifted over to the camp and offended his nose more than his own stench.

The snow stopped falling. Darren sat down to rest for a few moments. The pain was getting worse again, a pinching sensation in his guts along with a dull hammering between his ears, accompanied by the usual turning stomach. He removed a glove and rubbed his forehead and temples, forcing himself to sit upright just to maintain his dignity before himself. The intervals were getting shorter and he didn't need a scientist to figure out the reason. They were nearing the necropolis.

He would have to kill again soon.

Level 12 - Too Many Fights

There was no wind when they crossed the bridge, no sound except for the water and their steps. Their feet compressed the snow into small water puddles.

"It's so quiet", Arcus pointed out the obvious, almost whispering. He rolled his eyes at his own comment and looked back. His hood obstructed the view a little. He pulled it down.

Arcus was the last one to cross the bridge, with Jonathan and Darren at the front and Twilight and Vol'Shalai following after them. The usual formation, with the best-armored on the outside for protection, Twilight in the middle since she could create the most effective magic bubbles and missiles that way, the same went for Jon who had been working on the Light sphere and the Light magic he called the 'Holy Fire'. What a pretentious name, thought Arcus.

Arcus sincerely enjoyed sitting down with Twilight and thinking of strategies and solutions for worst-case scenarios. And even if she wasn't such an enthusiast as himself she was by far the smartest in the group. Twilight was always the smartest one in the group. Not that her humor was as awesome as Darren's, but her charm was captivating anyway. She had talked with Vol'Shalai at dawn and decided that he should be in the middle since he claimed that he could cast spells that dealt damage from a distance.

He shook his head. A new stranger in the group. This couldn't be good. And Celestia help him, even if Vol'Shalai claimed that he was just heading in the same direction by chance: If that troll stepped out of line and harmed his friends Arcus would make him sorry.

He had thought this would be a fun adventure but now that their resources, strength and patience were running out, fun was becoming a foreign concept. To tartarus with exploration. He just wanted Jon to find that damned gem, then go home and see his wife again. And it was so terribly cold. It wasn't the same cold as at home, not the controlled patterns that the pegasi controlled, not even the winds of the loosely guided weather in the Frozen North, close to the Crystal Empire. Twilight had told him stories of Northrend. This felt like Northrend. Even though she insisted that the Dragonblight's winds were worse. He stepped to the rail and looked down into the river. No fish.

"Arc? Don't fall behind!" That was Jonathan.

"Sorry, coming." He cantered to catch up with them, joining Twilight. "Isn't there anything alive in this place?"

"I think the wildlife retreated because of the first snow", assumed Twilight.

"So no bears, no wolves and no bats?" Arcus frowned.

"Don't tell me you're bored", said Jonathan incredulously.

"I'm gonna say jus' one ting, mon: Ya gotta be careful what ya wish for."

•°

They left the bridge behind, following the dusty road. Patches of it were paved, the rest just a trail in the mud. Arcus could feel the difference through the light snow blanket. Dead trees seamed the path.

The road was basically following the wide gap between the trees. As long as they stayed in the open, they should be fine.

"Okay, we can start here", proclaimed Jonathan and left the road.

"Great", muttered Arcus through clenched teeth. For once, he had hoped they would take it easier until they reached the Chapel. He frowned as he scanned the shades between the trees for any signs of trouble.

The snow muffled every sound as if it was trying to muzzle the intruders.

•°

As much as the quiet unnerved Arcus, he felt admittedly safer now that there were five of them. Vol'Shalai was a stranger but at least they would be able to defend themselves better against the wildlife... or un-life? Arcus rolled his eyes.

He watched Jonathan dig at the rocky ground with those strange tools of his. They looked almost like hammers with pointed tips. Jonathan held one down on the rock, the tip touching the surface. Then he used the other hammer-thing to hit the back of the first one. Was it called a pick? The movements were precise and he only chipped away enough to confirm whether there were any gems inside the stone or not. As soon as Jonathan was done, he sighed, brushed off the dust and packed the tools away. Arcus knew the choreography by heart. It had not been any different the last fifty-four inspections.

He has really gotten the hang of it, thought Arcus as he watched the fluid movements of the human's hands. He had not expected that those five-digit appendages would be this useful but he was beginning to understand why humans reserved only two legs for walking. How many generations did it take for them to develop from a four-legged to a two-legged people? Would ponies have gone through the same development if not for the inherent magic of the three pony races? He had once heard that their own ancestors had possessed four digits on the end of each leg. Hard to imagine!

Jonathan shook the snow that had gathered during the examination off his cloak.

Arcus readied his map and crossed out the spot Jon had inspected. He showed it to Jonathan.

"Look at this."

"Hm", hummed Jonathan. "There's a watchtower not too far from here. We probably would have noticed it if it weren't for those darn dead trees."

"Correct", said Darren absent-mindedly.

"Well?", asked Jonathan.

"What?", retorted Darren.

"How far is it?"

"About a mile."

"'kay, thanks, whatever", muttered Jonathan, slightly disappointed by Darren's curt behavior.

Arcus felt his ears flop down. He grimaced and looked at Twilight.

She moved closer to Arcus. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably not... but I think you should leave it for now. Darren will have his reasons."

Twilight resumed walking at her previous distance ahead of Arcus, frowning at the humans. Arcus admired her restraint. If she said anything more, Darren would probably get suspiscious - if he wasn't already. He would rather want to talk to him under four eyes before someone else would butt in.

•°

As Twilight trotted on alongside Vol'Shalai, she cringed. The awkward silence was stretching out between everybody like a big, dark, ugly cloud. She gave the troll an awkward smile and, to her surprise, he smirked back at her. So she decided to pony up and talk to the tall humanoid.

"Sooo, Vol'Shalai, what brings you to the Plaguelands?"

The troll hesitated for a moment, then he nodded. "Ya see, I been hunting - uh, wait a second..."

Arcus stopped dead in his tracks, his ears swiveling around. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Jonathan turned around and raised an eyebrow. A gust of wind blew some of his white hair into his face. He brushed it aside.

"Sh!" Darren raised his hand.

There was a shuffling, then nothing. After a few seconds, when Jonarthan was already relaxing again, the shuffling returned, accompanied by the sound of snow being compressed by light and quick footsteps. The wind made it hard to hear at all.

"Stay close", urged Jonathan, eyeing the trees.

They huddled together, turning their backs to each other, and prepared themselves. Darren carefully drew his sword, trying not to make any sound with it. Jonathan muttered something and a faint, transparent sphere of light engulfed everyone. Twilight stretched her wings, ready to leap upwards. Arcus nervously hopped on the spot while Vol'Shalai drew his axe and grinned expectantly.

Again, footsteps. Then a strange noise followed. More snow was pressed to the ground but this time the noise was much louder.

A wolf howled.

Twilight twitched and her ears folded down. "Not again", she groaned.

The steps became quicker. Finally, several strange wolf-like creatures burst from the treeline, heading towards the group.

•°

The creatures were much bigger than wolves, about as tall as Jonathan. There was a strong resemblance to hyenas but the howling suggested that they were actual wolves. Green fog rose from their paws and their fur glowed in a sick, eerie light. Twilight shuddered.

"Blighthounds! Don't let them bite you!", warned Darren.

"I thought they weren't infectious!" Jonathan raised his hand in a wide arc and threw a compact sphere of blinding light at the closest hound. He dashed to the side to avoid its angry claws. The pack was large, at least a dozen predators. They had to hurry before they would get overwhelmed.

Arcus hesitated, frozen in an aggressive stance. "Now what?"

"Charge, they are not poisonous! It's only that their teeth are extremely sharp." That was Darren again. He quickly stretched out his arm, his fingers bent in a gesture of greed. Purple lightning discharged between him and a hound, pulling the surprised creature in range of his sword. He used the blade extensively on it, slashing it to pieces and freezing it over. The green fog still rose from the body as the glow died out. However, Darren did not get a chance to recover; two more hounds were already jumping at him.

While Twilight lit up her horn to blast one of the attackers away with arcane missiles, she tried to stay off the ground by frantically flapping her wings. "Watch out, Priest!", she warned, making Jonathan dodge the jump attack of another hound. He was only able to move this quickly because of his light clothing but that also meant that he was an easy target for the hounds.

Vol'Shalai wasn't lazy either. A blighthound had buried its teeth in his right shinguard. As its mouth encased the thick leather, shaking it in an attempt to rip it off the troll's leg, Vol'Shalai twirled his axe around and lashed out at the creature. Another hound threw itself at him, toppling him over with its sheer weight. He laughed manically and grabbed the second hound's paw. He fastened his grip while readying his axe. Small flashes of lightning discharged as he sunk his blade into the creature's belly. As soon as it rolled off of him, he pummelled the other one down and swiftly beheaded it.

Arcus shook his head, pulling his eyes from the gruesome view, and raised his voice in an enraged shout. He dashed towards the next hound, thrusting his armored forehooves into its face. He tried not to listen to the squishy sounds or the whining as he fought the hound. He didn't notice his own screams as he attacked one hound after the other, taking hits and delivering even more of them.

•°

When it was over, Arcus looked around. Darren was still fighting a particularly tough specimen. Vol'Shalai pulled his blade from the skull of his last victim. The entire clearing was covered with bodies and dark blood. The wet, rotten smell was incredible.

Twilight was not airborne anymore. It was way too cold for that. Additionally, her left side was soaked in her own blood. Jonathan limped to her side to heal her as she tried to suppress the shaking of her limbs and her sobs.

Arcus, panting and bleeding, concluded that they had not been so lucky this time. Even Darren was hurt; the knight had shifted his fighting technique from pure damage dealing to drawing life force from the hounds a while ago just to keep himself from toppling over. As he cut open the last hound, he bent down and did something that made Arcus avert his eyes even after the slaughter. It was one thing to slay your enemies but this...

The earth pony gasped and coughed as he emptied his stomach on the stained snow.

Everything was spinning around. Arcus tried in vain to get the pictures of desecration out of his head. He wobbled over to Twilight and Jon.

"E-everypo- ...b-body?" Frustration added to sickness. Arcus cursed himself for being unable to walk or think clearly. He fell to the ground.

That was when a strange slurping noise made his ears go up, then fold down in despair.

Another monster had joined them.

Its pale body, as big as a house, shuffled closer on its belly. There were no limbs, there was no face, only an enormous round mouth, riddled with teeth. Saliva dripped off the edges and left the monster's mouth in small streams. Its gurgling roar reminded Arcus of that sound a straw made once his glass of milkshake was empty, except this roar was about a hundred times louder and left no doubt about who was going to be the snack today. A fearful, whining gasp escaped him.

Jonathan groaned angrily and conjured a shield of light. It flickered weakly but was holding for the moment.

"Priest, no! Don't provoke da maggot - oh, balls." Vol'Shalai rolled his eyes, shaking a drop of blood off his nose at the same time.

The monster slowly turned its front end around and faced the human.

Arcus heaved an exasperated sigh and got on his hooves to attack the maggot.

It suddenly increased its speed, leaping at the pony. He dodged the attack, wincing as his legs almost cramped up in protest. The maggot turned again, trying to get its mouth close to Arcus who thanked Celestia that a body of this size was still not as fast and swift as an exhausted little pony.

"A little help?" Arcus had no idea how to harm the maggot. Its pale tent-like skin looked soft. He tried to buck it with his hind legs. No use; he simply bounced back. Arcus almost landed on his face. "I need something sharp! Sword, Axe, anything!"

Darren rushed over to him, his sword still hungry.

•°

"I so gotta - get my own blades", coughed Arcus as he and Jonathan dragged the last hounds over to the pile they had made.

"You can - probably get something like that - at the Chapel", suggested Jonathan, who was also breathing heavily. It had been hard to kill the hounds but moving their masses to one spot wasn't a joyride either. They stank like tartarus and were so heavy that only two were strong enough to move one of the beasts. So Jonathan and Arcus had teamed up, Darren and Vol'Shalai were the other team, and Twilight used the rest of her concentration to slowly levitate single hounds.

Vol'Shalai rummaged in his bag and produced a vial with some red liquid in it. He handed it over to Twilight.

She accepted it with her hoof, dropped the body she had held in her magic onto the big pile and frowned. "What is that? It's a suspiciously dark red." Her face was also sprinkled with red drops that slowly turned brown.

"Ain't blood. If ya drink it, ya gonna feel better."

"O-okay." She uncorked the vial and took a careful sip. Her eyes lit up almost instantly. "This is amazing! Thanks!" She raised her head which was suddenly not so weary anymore. "Priest, Arcus, you have to try this!" She looked at Vol'Shalai. "If that's all right with you."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Still got more of dem. Go ahead."

Arcus came over to them and gratefully accepted the offer.

After drinking a bit of the health potion, Jonathan pointed at the dead maggot. "The hounds are piled up but we still need to take care of this thing here. Any ideas?" He bent over and put his hands on his knees, trying to breathe normally.

"It's too big for me to move. I need time to recover before I can levitate something of this size", admitted Twilight. She lit up her horn once more and shakily moved a thin blanket of snow over to the pile, covering the bodies.

"Then there is one logical solution", stated Darren. He had not taken a vial. After killing the maggot he looked somewhat rejuvenated. His hood was down and an unsettling smirk distorted his tattooed face.

"Aw, come on, yikes!", groaned Jonathan.

"It is reasonable and can be done", insisted the knight, the smirk disappearing.

"What is?" Arcus had the feeling he had missed something along the conversation.

"They are talking about dissecting it, I think", muttered Twilight.

Arcus's ears folded back. "Well, it does make sense to, uh, make small portions you can move around..." He waved his hoof around in a half-hearted circling motion.

"Look, everyone, we all need a break. Let's get some rest first, okay?", pleaded Twilight.

"I could use something to eat, now that the sickness is fading", mumbled Arcus, digging at the ground. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Jonathan put his hand on his hips and sighed. "Guess you're right. Let's move away a bit and set up camp."

•°

"Darren?" Twilight trotted around the campsite, looking for the death knight. Her hooves, covered with cloth, left round tracks in the freshly fallen snow. "Darren?"

Arcus and Jonathan were still at the fire, chewing on some dry bread without any enthusiasm whatsoever. Vol'Shalai sat a few steps away on the other side of the fire, cleaning his axe again.

"Don't go too far away, Princess!"

"Don't worry, Jonathan, I will be careful and stay in earshot", promised Twilight. "But I need to talk to Darren about something."

"Don't da knight need ta eat anyting?"

"No. He already did", said Arcus through gritted teeth.

"I never did something like that", said Jonathan, his tone thoughtful. "There was always something that held me back when it came to it, you know. Drawing life force. Even in Northrend."

"Yep. Dat Houndslayer, he musta been weakened by da fight wit da hounds", mused Vol'Shalai, completely unfazed. He inspected his axe and nodded, satisfied that it was clean again.

Arcus shook his head and rested his head on his forelegs. "I'ma hit the hay", he declared. He felt dizzy and disgusted. He had thought he had gotten used to Darren but apparently he was wrong. Or, to be more precise, something was wrong with the Death Knight. He should try to keep his distance, for his own sake. Arcus shuddered, then he sighed sadly. It would have been nice to be friends with him.

His eyes went wide as he realized something. Maybe something was wrong with him, too. He did quite a number on those hounds. Was he becoming... a savage?

Oh, sweet Celestia, he totally was! He had to get away from Azeroth as soon as possible before he would lose it in the heat of battle and accidentally hurt his friends. Fighting enemies was one thing but this was getting way out of hoof. He had to talk to Twilight about this. He could not keep killing creatures. What if he killed a sentient being next? There must be a way to moderate this kind of stuff. Hopefully.

"It's okay, I won't be able to sleep anytime soon", Jonathan interrupted his train of thought. "Those hounds... eh, nevermind."

•°

"Darren!" Twilight searched the site of the fight, running along the paths that everyone, including the hounds, had carved into the snow.

A faint, "Over here" got her attention. Her ears twitched towards the sound. It had been muffled as if coming through a blanket.

"Where are you?"

"Inside the maggot", came the answer.

"Seriously?" She grimaced.

"Yes. Is there anything...?"

"Ah, yes, right! Ew..." She winced and eyed the body towering over her. The dead maggot still looked intimidating. The saliva was frozen by now, making the ground around the body slippery.

"Ooh, this is so disgusting", she pressed. "I'm - I'm coming in!", she promised before she would lose her courage, then stepped into the mouth of the beast, almost tripping over its teeth that filled the entire maw. She had to move slowly so she would not lose her balance on the partially frozen liquids and fall face first into the fangs. Forcing her fear and disgust down, Twilight went further into the maggot's belly. Her stomach rumbled, barely audible over the squish, squish of hoofs on maggot flesh.

"Darren?"

"Over here." His voice was clearer now.

There he was, moving around in the stinking dark. Apparently he was looking for something. His steps on the still unfrozen 'ground' indicated the direction Twilight needed to go.

"What are you doing in here?", asked Twilight, balancing on a grey, bubble-like... something that protruded from the side of the flesh tunnel.

"Looking for valuables."

"In a maggot? What valuables could possibly be... oh."

Darren dragged something into the faint light that fell in through the maggot's mouth. It appeared to be the leftovers of a previous victim. It had probably already been dead for a while when the maggot had devoured it. There was not much left except for bones and bits of armor, weapons and unidentifiable equipment.

"I have found several pieces of silver, gold and even gems so far", he reported matter-of-factly.

"I see. Well, could we leave the maggot, please? It's really hard for me to stay conscious in here."

"Certainly."

"Thanks." She smiled feebly and carefully made her way outside, her wings outstretched to maintain her balance.

•°

"Jon! Help!"

Jonathan sat up, immediately wide awake. That had sounded like Arcus. There was a lot of noise, clanging and the sharp clashing of blade against blade.

"What?" He looked around himself, gasping for air. "What?"

The blankets Vol'Shalai and Arcus had been sleeping on were empty. Instead, the two of them struggled in the hands of a group of hooded figures.

Vol'Shalai tried to wriggle himself out of his captors' grip, snarling and baring his teeth in fury. Small streams of blood ran from several wounds they had inflicted on him. He almost managed to break free from his bonds but one of the strangers used the hilt of their one-handed sword to knock the troll unconscious. His head bobbed forward and he dropped his axe. It almost fell onto the attacker's foot. She swiftly pulled it back to avoid injury, then picked the axe up.

Jonathan quickly realized that the attackers were about as tall as him, very agile and way too many. How did they manage to sneak up on them if even Vol'shalai had been taken by surprise? Right, Jonathan was supposed to keep watch.

Arcus had a hard time, too; three of the unknown attackers tied his legs together with sturdy ropes. He protested with swearwords so dirty Jonathan had not even expected ponies to know them. It was apparently especially shameful for him to get bound in this manner.

Jonathan sprang to his feet. Why did he have to doze off, this night of all nights? Talk about bad luck. Well, luck had probably nothing to do with it. They were all tired from fighting the blighthounds and the maggot.

What was he supposed to do against such an overwhelming number of skilled opponents? These were not zeppelin pirates or animals that acted on instinct. They were trained and well-rested fighters.

"Put your hands in the air!", commanded a male voice in Orcish.

Human or elf, probably an elf, concluded Jonathan finally as he slowly raised his palms. Shame, fear and anger boiled up inside of him and his face flushed.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?", asked Jonathan hoarsely. He did not get an answer.

Arcus looked over to him, struggling with his ties in panic. Where the hell were Twilight and Houndslayer?

•°

"What is it that I can help you with?", asked Darren politely while washing his loot in the snow.

Twilight pulled her eyes from the tainted valuables. "Ah, well. That. You see, there is something I need to talk to you about." She gathered all her courage and swallowed. It was time for Darren to spill the beans.

He nodded. "I was wondering when you would say something."

"You were?"

"You are very perceptive, Twilight Sparkle. When did you realize it?"

She sat down, then immediately got up again. The snow was cold. "It's been several days. Weeks, in fact."

"Good", he replied, standing up and clapping his hands together to rid them of water droplets. The air around him grew colder with every second. The snow crackled and turned into solid ice. It crawled up Twilight's legs, freezing the tips of her hooves. Her cloak became heavy as the icy dust settled on it.

Twilight's ears went down as fear gripped her heart. She took a few steps back, away from the death knight.

"Wh-what are you going to do with me?" Twilight, you stupid, stupid mare!, she scolded herself. Did you really think he would not have prepared himself? He must be more aware than anyone that it looks suspiscious when he leaves us for such long periods!

He turned his head towards her.

"Excuse me?"

"Please don't hurt me!", she pleaded in a small voice. "I didn't tell anyone anything, I swear! It's just that I want to know the reason and - and -" She lost her voice entirely and just stared at him, wide-eyed. A Fluttershy-ish wince escaped her and she conjured up a shaky forcefield.

Darren stepped closer. Twilight slipped backwards, keeping the distance between them. As he noticed her reaction, he stopped walking.

"Hurt you? You are not the one with the bug! It is the other pony!"

"What?" Twilight jumped, her eyes widening as her heart sank once again. "Arcus? What in the world are you talking about?"

"Wait", said Darren slowly. "Was he not what you wanted to discuss?"

Twilight's eyes darted left and right, looking for a way through the trees. The cold aura crawled under her skin and her teeth started chattering.

"N-n-no, not at all", she stammered.

The cold wind settled down. Darren lowered his hood.

"Bollocks", he cursed unexpectedly, rubbing his neck.

"Let's start again, if you don't mind", managed Twilight to formulate. "Why - why would you think that Arcus did something?"

"He is carrying a spying device on himself. Do not tell me that you, a high level mage, have been oblivious to this."

Twilight's limbs stopped trembling. Her shield fizzled out as she realized that Darren was not mad at her. She paced around in small circles as she thought about what he said.

"I have! I didn't notice anything strange about him at all. How is this possible?" She stopped and twirled around. "Except, of course, you might be trying to trick me. Can you prove that he has that device?"

Darren frowned. "Of course. It is a small red crystal ball, about the size of a fist. I assumed you wanted to discuss this before we decide how to proceed."

"Oh dear! I had assumed it was something he had brought from Equestria. I only saw it once when Arcus repacked his bag. He appeared surprised that it was there so I thought he just had forgotten to take it out after another journey." Twilight shook her head. "I have seen those crystals before! If I could just remember where!"

"You have?"

She glared at him. "I still need to talk about the other thing with you. But this seems to be more urgent. Where did I see that crystal before?"

The knight sat down and let his eyes wander. "It appeared to be of arcane nature. However, I do not know how those work. I am not a mage or Blood Elf after all."

"Elves! Of course!" Twilight clapped her hooves together. "I saw it in Dalaran..." She hung her head as another realization hit her. "You're right, it really is for spying. Elves might be overhearing us right now. Well, probably just Arcus, Jonthan and Vol'Shalai since they are sitting at the fire. The question is: Does Arcus know about this?"

"He did not throw the orb away."

"Yes, but maybe because he thought it was harmless. So did I; it doesn't emit any arcane energy, at least none that I can detect with my magic."

Darren huffed. "Then how do you wish to proceed?"

She sat down, this time on her cloak. "I guess we'll have to confront him, ask him if he knows anything. And if he does and actually is a spy - I really hope not - then we'll have to stop him from harming us somehow. And destroy the crystal." She tapped her chin. "We should destroy the crystal in any case."

"Agreed." He smirked at her. "You are taking this better than I had expected."

"We still don't know whether Arcus lied to us or not", pointed Twilight out. "Your conclusion that he is aware of this sounds premature to me. No offense."

Darren nodded. "None taken. You prefer to trust your friend. That is admirable. Just consider that it might also be foolish. I have taken a liking to Arcus as well but that should not cloud our judgement."

•°

"What is going on?", asked Jonathan as rough hands pushed into his back, forcing him to keep going. His hands tied with sturdy ropes, he used the time to feel incredibly stupid. He had forgotten to put up any kind of protection in case someone would sneak up on them at night.

By the way, it was hard to see anything in the dark, even though the torches of the unknown enemy lit the narrow path. He looked ahead and spotted Vol'Shalai. They had not taken any chances with the troll. Poor guy was still knocked out, lying on a small cart pulled by two horses. Next to him, Arcus tried in vain to get into a better position with his hooves bound.

"Seriously, who are you guys? And why did you take us captive?", protested the pony.

"Quiet!", said one of them, this time a female, and hit the side of the cart with her fist.

Jonathan's eyes widened. So she did not want to hurt the pony, at least not more than she had to. A possible weakness? He tried to memorize her gait and voice. She was wearing red and golden armor like most of the others and had two maces crossed on her back.

Definitely Blood Elves, he thought. "Hey, look, we are Horde like you! This doesn't make any sense! What's the charge?"

"Keep walking", said the guard next to him.

Jonathan jumped a little to adjust his backpack and sighed. They were heading towards the eastern road - at least this was the right direction.

Level 13 - Hoping For Light

Twilight stared at the empty clearing, her mouth agape. The camp had been right there, she was sure of it.

Darren quietly joined her side. "I should have stayed", he said.

She blinked, shaking her head.

"I... This - this looks like they have been abducted!" She pointed at the ground, her hoof moving so fast that the snow fell off in tiny drops. "Look! There are all these footsteps. Boots. And giant bird claws! And here, they had a cart, pulled by horses. We have got to find and rescue them!"

Twilight made half a step forward, then her hoof froze in midair as she suddenly hesitated to compromise the crime scene. She shook her head and walked around the camp.

"That goes without saying", said Darren.

Twilight's eyes darted around, her mane shaking as she tried to take in everything at once. Her breath came in shallow, quick huffs. Her heart beat so fast that she could feel it up in her throat.

"We have to follow them, they can't have gotten far", she exclaimed, running after the tracks of the cart. She gallopped along the deep lines and strange footsteps in the snow, ignoring Darren's requests to wait, and followed the path south.

Darren shook his head and bent down. He picked up a battered paper bag and peered inside; the shivering sunflower frowned back at him. He tucked the bag into his bigger backpack to keep it from freezing over and ran after the pony.

•°

Arcus soon gave up his attempts to talk to his captors. Every time he tried to find out something, anything, they either shot him down with harsh commands to remain silent or ignored him altogether. They even would not tell him why they had caught them in the first place. It irritated Arcus even more than his undignified position.

Not that Vol'Shalai or Jon had any success either. So he decided to use his senses to gather as much information as possible. As the initial rush of adrenaline subsided and the remains of red mist before his eyes cleared, Arcus observed the humanoids and the landscape.

They were moving at a steady pace, heading east, as far as he could tell with the hazy clouds. That was, as he remembered, the general direction of Light's Hope Chapel.

Vol'Shalai was now forced to walk, too. They had tied his hands and taken all his stuff; his bags and little pockets, his axe and the pumpkin bottles. The only thing they had left him was a small bag, containing four little things of wood and feathers. He had almost gone berserk when they had tried to take it and they had agreed on tying it to his back, close to him but still out of his reach.

The group was smaller than Arcus had initially thought. He counted eight males and six females, though he wasn't quite sure he hadn't counted anyone twice, and, of course, those who didn't make any sound he could not count either. Even though they were a different species, walking on two legs, he made out some differences between them. First, just like the Forsaken, the females had generally higher voices, broader hips and smaller shoulders than the males. None of them was overweight but some wore heavy armor, the others leather and cloth. He just had not noticed before because everyone was wrapped in dark cloaks and scarves, concealing their features. They had tucked their hair under their hoods which nobody ever removed. Arcus doubted it was a fashion thing.

Arcus also realized that they constantly stayed in the exact same formation, which meant that the same two guards were always flanking the sturdy cart he was lying on. Both rode on strange mounts, large birds similar to ostriches, their colors of their magificent feathers so bright against the snow that it hurt Arcus's eyes. Red, yellow, purple and blue. One of the riders was male. His mount made long steps, leaving deep clawprints in the snow, so he was probably heavily armed. A longsword's hilt was visible above his broad shoulders. The man never said a word. Arcus started to think of him as 'the Sword'.

The other one Arcus dubbed 'the Lady'. She was the one that coordinated the group, telling them when to walk, when to rest and when to send out scouts. Everyone reported to her. As they reached a fork in the road, she insisted on moving on, leaving a watchtower of greyish white stone on the left (Arcus's right side since he was facing backwards) as they hurried on. Arcus managed to catch a glimpse of the tower as they passed it. It stood a few hundred meters off the main road, behind a row of dead trees.

He pressed his cheek against the side of the cart to take another look. Yes, it really was bathed in sunlight. The entire sky was covered by the grey shroud but not this tower. Was it protected by some spell? Jon would probably be able to provide an explanation. Did the captors avoid it because the occupants were hostile? Arcus wiggled around, thumping against the floor of the cart, trying to relieve the pain in his limbs.

The Lady caught his movements in the corner of her eye. She gave an order in that strange melodious language of hers. They stopped for two minutes and Arcus's shackles were tied together differently. The ropes all lead to two iron rings, one of each was fastened to one side of the cart. He was still bound, the ropes still tight, but now Arcus could move around a bit and, most importantly, he could sit on his haunches. He could peek over the edge of the wooden sides and see the snow, the dead pine trees and the marching group all at once. Jonathan and Vol'Shalai looked at him, Jon giving him a tiny nod.

Even though he had not really done anything, Arcus felt a sense of accomplishment. He smiled at the Lady who just looked at him from under her hood as she walked beside the cart. Arcus noticed two maces hanging in leather straps on her back in a way that she could quickly grasp them in a battle. There was something familiar about her but he could not put his hoof on it no matter how hard he tried to remember. For a moment, Arcus felt relieved that there had not been the chance to hurt her.

•°

Twilight trotted along the tracks, her head low. She only needed to follow the lines anyway. They went on straight through the snow, now and then crossing each other when the cart had dodged a rock or a hole in the ground. She had not noticed it at first but her saddlebags were gone as well. Twilight had put them down at the camp so the enemy probably had them now. She had tried a series of scrying spells but there had been no results. Darren had offered to call for his griffin but she was not willing to fly yet.

Hot tears ran down her face. Why had she left the group? Why hadn't she set up a force field? Right, she had been exhausted from the fight with the hound things. But still! She must have been able to do something. She could not even use the parchment she had enchanted because it was in her saddlebags. She paused, then resumed trotting. Her stomach rumbled but it could not be helped. The food was gone. She would have to melt some snow to at least still the thirst... Was it exhaustion that made the lines in the snow spin and wobble like that?

Darren tapped her back. She stopped again and looked at him through the mist that covered her eyes.

"I am calling him down", said Darren bluntly. "Cover your ears, please." He put two fingers in his mouth and a terribly shrill tone made Twilight flinch before she could move a hoof. A predator's screech answered Darren. The skeletal bird soon descended next to them, flapping its bony wings in quick succession to slow down from its dive. Darren grabbed Twilight around her barrel and heaved her onto the griffin's back. She felt too numb to even protest as he tied her to the saddle and sat down behind her.

•°

On their second day in captivity things were becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Arcus was still not allowed to walk on his own. They had rested through the night. Two of the men had digged a hole; a fire was lit inside of it that barely warmed anybody up. Before sunrise they were already on the move again.

At least the captives had been momentarily untied to relieve themselves. That had been immensely awkward for Arcus who could hardly relax enough to get anything out. Jonathan, his face flushed, managed to do it by remembering the alternative which was not being allowed to stop for peeing. Vol'Shalai took the chance to proudly show off everything. He was big, even for a troll. Jonathan quickly averted his eyes, focusing on a highly interesting rock. He could hear the guards clear their throats and shift their weight uncomfortably while the troll cackled with amusement. He was still laughing when they retied his hands.

•°

Twilight woke up. She felt tired but not as badly as before.

"How long... was I asleep?", she muttered. She opened her eyes and slowly raised her head. It was pretty dark. A set of three candles shed some light on her surroundings.

"About five hours. It is almost midnight." Darren's deep voice. He was close, maybe a few steps, and had spoken in a whisper.

Warm. She was covered with a blanket that smelled like horse. A smell similar to a pony's but not quite the same. It was off-putting... and reminding her of what they had been doing before she had fallen asleep. Twilight gasped.

"Oh no! Did we lose them? What if more snow fell?" Fear gripped her heart once again.

"There was no more snow. We can still pick up where we left off. However, we should do it soon. I can see well in the dark so that should not be an issue." He stood up from the stool he had been sitting on and went to the other side the tiny room. It was polygonal, almost circular, and three walls were greyish white stone. The fourth wall, the floor and ceiling were made of wood. Pine, if she was not mistaken.

"Where are we? Is this a cell?"

"No. This is neither prison nor inn. It is the uppermost room of the Crown Guard Tower. We're allowed to stay for the night but as I said, we should take off soon. It is imperative that you do not lose too much body heat and since I cannot provide any, I landed here."

"Did the tracks lead you here?"

"No." Darren knocked at the door. "They avoided the tower. The captors must be in quite a hurry. However, since most of them are on foot they cannot move as quickly as a griffin in flight. As I said, if we act quickly we will be able to catch up."

The door opened and a blonde man in plate armor entered. His tabard showed a simplified yellow sun, making Twilight feel a pang in her heart as she realized how much she missed Celestia's guidance.

"Yes?", he asked.

Twilight rose to her hooves, folding the blanket.

"We are ready to leave. Except..." She grimaced. "Do you have anything to eat?" Before the man could answer, Darren shook his head.

"I already purchased something", he told her.

Her ears folded down.

"I see." She felt awkward with Darren buying the things she needed.

The man nodded and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb.

"I'll be downstairs. Your griffin has already returned. Oh, and a merry Winter's Veil." He smiled briefly as one would smile to a stranger they did not wish any harm but did not really care about either.

"To you as well", grunted Darren. "Twilight? Do you wish to eat here?"

"If that's okay with you."

The guard nodded and retreated, closing the door behind him.

"Winter's Veil?" Twilight raised her eyebrows.

"Today is the Eve of Winter's Veil. I figured that you might have lost track of time."

"Oh, it's not that, it's just the time difference between our worlds that threw me off", muttered Twilight. "Well, merry Winter's Veil, or, as we would say in Equestria, happy Hearth's Warming." She smiled sadly. "I wouldn't even have noticed if you hadn't said anything. I'm glad I'm not alone... Thank you for taking care of me."

"It is my job." Darren sat down again, opening his bag. He pulled a small bundle from it and handed it over to Twilight.

"I don't think that 'assistance in case of an abduction' was part of the original agreement", mused Twilight absent-mindedly, accepting the gift.

He sighed. "No. You are right. Let us talk about this another time if you do not mind." His tone was quiet but firm.

"O-okay." Twilight opened the bundle, untying the cloth, and found a piece of bread and two apples. "Fresh apples in Winter?"

"Probably magically preserved, with a time-freezing spell. You do have fruit on a holiday like this, I suppose?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, we do." As she started chewing on the first apple, she frowned. "Isn't there anything left of our supplies?"

"There was this." Darren opened the bag again and revealed the sunflower.

"Clara!" Twilight beamed and took the flowerpot into her hooves.

The plant did not look very happy. It seemed to be alright but its sour expression made Twilight widen her eyes. "What's wrong? You're not looking so good. Did you get hurt?" She turned the pot, inspecting it for damage.

The flower shook its head. It used one of its vines to point at the pot. Twilight frowned.

"Is it already too tight for you?" Clara shook her head again.

"I wish you could talk", sighed Twilight. "We better put you back into the paper bag during the flight. It might get too cold for you."

This time, Clara nodded, but the frown would not leave her face.

•°

There was no food until midday when they took a break in the middle of the road. At least Jonathan assumed they were still on a road. He slumped down as soon as he was allowed to, exhausted from walking in the mud. His legs were heavier than usual and his hands felt numb. Pain slowly crept back into his palms as he breathed on them and rubbed them together as fast as the shackles would allow. The pain was a good sign. It meant his hands were still alive and would not fall off anytime soon. The last thing he needed on Winter's Veil were frozen fingers and toes.

Vol'Shalai crouched down next to him and Jonathan thanked the Light that he was not alone in this mess. He was not sure whether that was selfish or not, though.

A small piece of bread landed in the snow, just enough to satisfy his hunger for a few hours. Jonathan looked up but the guard was already moving on to Arcus, unpacking some hay from the cart and spreading it in front of him and the horses. He shook his head. The pony would eat anything at this point, he suspected, but it was still a notable difference that everybody got bread and Arcus had to take the hay. Jonathan picked up his piece of bread and ate it, forcing himself to chew slowly. The bread was actually pretty good. Then it dawned to him that he was probably eating the very bread he had bought himself in Andorhal. Jonathan rolled his eyes and forced himself to enjoy the meal.

Somebody tapped his shoulder. Jonathan looked up when he realized it was Vol'Shalai. The troll, without a trace of humor left in his eyes, raised his red bushy eyebrows.

Blood Elves, mouthed Jonathan in Orcish.

Vol'Shalai nodded, then shrugged and looked at the sun. Now?, was the question.

Jonathan slowly shook his head. First, he wanted to find out more about their captors. As long as they went in the right direction, he could take his time to think of a plan. Then they would need to break free and regroup, preferably close to the Chapel.

He just prayed that Twilight and Darren were all right and did not do anything stupid in the meantime.

Something else landed in the snow before the two of them. Jonathan incredulously picked up a shiny red apple. That one had not been in his backpack. He would have remembered the vibrant color.

"Did I miss something?", he asked Vol'Shalai. The troll shrugged, looking at his own fruit with the same confusion as Jonathan.

•°

Arcus watched the priest and the shaman as they ate their fruit. Jonathan was saying something Arcus could not understand. He had never heard that language before.

Something was not right here. Did the translation spell wear off already or did he just mishear? Arcus chose to test his first theory and turned to the Sword.

"Excuse me, do you have some water? I'm thirsty."

The Sword gazed at him, then looked at the Lady. She shrugged and said something in their language, her tone indicating she was only mildly interested.

"Well, crap", muttered Arcus. He remembered when they had retied the ropes. That had been the same dialect. How was he supposed to coordinate anything with Jon and the troll if he could not speak anything but Equestrian?

•°

Darren's griffin landed on a small hill next to the road. The ground was covered by thick weeds, the thorns hidden by the snow. Twilight scratched her front leg when she jumped off the griffin. She quickly returned to its back, rubbing her hoof. "Ouch...", she muttered, eyeing the cut.

They had not lost the trail yet but Twilight insisted on landing now and then to avoid freezing to death. She shivered and huddled down under her cloak once more.

With a scraping that was hard on the ears, Darren drew his sword. Twilight spun around, suddenly alert. "Is there something close to us?", she asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"No." He swung the blade and began to cut down some of the plants.

"Oh. I see." As Twilight realized his intentions, she lifted the vines up with her magic and threw them aside to clear the ground.

Darren, his hands protected by the leather of his gloves, quickly took the vines and arranged them in a manner that they formed a primitive canopy, big enough for a pony to sit under without the danger of cutting herself on the thorns. They used the remaining vines to get a fire going. It was miserably small, emitting loads of smoke and a sour odor, but it was a fire.

Twilight sat down in her new shelter, staring into the flames.

"I really hope they are okay", she said quietly.

Darren sighed curtly and sat down next to her. Surprised, Twilight looked up at him.

"Darren, I've been wondering: Why are you still helping me?", she asked.

For a while, Darren said nothing. He poked at the fire with a short stick to keep it going, then, when a few more vines had been incinerated, he flicked the stick away.

"Is it so you can go to Equestria?" Twilight raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't be mad if that's the reason."

"It is, too..." Darren hesitated again, wringing his hands. He actually pulled a face! Twilight had never seen him this lost for words before.

"Are you okay?", she asked carefully.

"Yes", he said sharply, making her flinch.

"That sounded completely unbelievable", Twilight snapped back. "I'm serious, there is something on your mind, isn't there?"

"Yes", he said, this time more quietly.

"So? What is it?"

He shook his head, then looked straight at her. Twilight expected the temperature to drop again but nothing of the sort happened. She could still see that there was some conflict raging inside of Darren. It had to be something really terrible or embarrassing if he wouldn't tell her, right?

Darren cleared his throat.

"I value your company", he said slowly.

"Thank you." She smiled warmly at him.

"You appear to do the same. I want to keep it that way."

"Uh... okay?"

Nothing else came out of Darren's mouth, so Twilight cleared her throat. "You know, you can tell me anything. I won't look down on you. I think of you as a friend." She looked at her hooves. "We've been traveling for so long it feels weird that you don't say what's bothering you."

He looked at her, then shook his head.

"I cannot tell you, Twilight."

"You can't or you won't?", pressed Twilight on.

"Enough", said Darren without raising his voice but it was clear that he wouldn't budge.

Twilight's ears went down.

"I'm sorry", she muttered. "I know I can be intrusive at times... but I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"This is not your world", snorted Darren. "You cannot expect us to behave like you. But I will not harm you. You have my word."

"Fine", nodded a disappointed Twilight, "If you want to be that way. You can tell me when you are ready. Like Rainbow Dash would say, 'I'd never leave my friends hanging'." She smiled, but the smile froze when she noticed Darren's lack of reaction.

Darren said nothing else for the entire evening. He stared at the tiny fire, brooding over whatever was bothering him, without opening up to Twilight. She still saw his motionless shape sitting there, unchanged, when her eyes closed and she finally fell asleep.

•°

They were getting closer to the mountain range with every day that passed. Eventually, Twilight could make out a structure, a series of towers, tents and small houses. The group of buildings stood right at the foot of a tall mountain, with a strong stone wall surrounding it in a generous arc. The sky right above the houses was clear just as it had been above the watchtower a few days ago, in stark contrast to the sickly grey haze that hung over the rest of the land. The place looked so inviting that it was painfully obvious to Twilight it did not belong into the Plaguelands as they were now.

However, there was something next to Light's Hope Chapel that made up for that without any effort.

There was a dark fortress, right above the Chapel, and it was suspended in midair. It was made of dark stone, metal and gigantic bones (or the imitation thereof, Twilight was not sure about that) and easily the size of a small town. Like a spider in the web, it hung over the Chapel's tower. Occasionally, an undead griffin would enter or leave it, with a tiny figure sitting on top of it. The skulls embedded in the sides of the pyramid-like structure confirmed Twilight's suspicions: This was a fortress of undeath. What she did not know was whether it belonged to the Scourge or the Forsaken.

Landing in front of the Chapel's gate, Darren asked Twilight to dismount. He set an example by climbing off the griffin. He took the bird of prey by the reins, approaching the guards.

Twilight noticed that the guards were more alert than the ones in Andorhal, even more than those of Crown Guard Tower. When they recognized Darren's tabard, they tensed up. Then they saw Twilight, a little lavender pony, walking next to him and they relaxed a tiny bit. After an exchange of very few words, they let them in.

When they passed the gate, Darren let out a long breath which seemed very odd to Twilight. He did not breathe after all. If he felt the need to exhale like that he must have been immensly tense before. She felt ashamed for not noticing it right away, then she remembered their conversation from the evening before. Was he that worried about Jonathan and Arcus? Or was it something else? Was there something dangerous outside the walls of the Chapel that Darren did not tell Twilight about? She promised herself to ask him once again, as soon as the right moment came up.

She tried to focus on something else. As they approached a tent at the far side of the snow-covered lawn, she could not help but enjoy the feeling of having something alive touch her hooves again. The next thing she noticed was that she could not tell whether the Chapel's guards were members of the Alliance or the Horde. All the races she had heard of were present; orcs, humans, trolls, elves and other, smaller people, all of them peacefully talking to each other or going about their business. There was even...

"A tauren", mouthed Twilight. She smiled at the gigantic minotaur-like creature who stood before the tent's entrance, getting a friendly yet slightly confused smile from the tauren in return. They did not know each other, of course, but Twilight was immediately reminded of Tak Rivermane, remembering their adventure on the other continent, Kalimdor. This tauren's fur was not brown like Tak's but so dark it almost seemed black. Additionally, he was not as heavily armored as Tak had been. He pulled the flap of the tent aside to let Twilight and Darren in, following them inside.

There was nobody else in the tent. The ground was covered with fur and carpets so Twilight and Darren tried their best to clean their feet before going further inside. It was nice and warm thanks to a small iron bowl of glowing coals.

The tauren sat down at a tiny table. He readied paper and an inkwell and greeted them. "Welcome to Light's Hope Chapel. I am Rimblat of the Earthen Ring. I need to register your names for reasons of safety."

Twilight spoke before Darren could open his mouth. She beamed at Rimblat.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle and this is Darren Houndslayer. We are passing through to the North. Is this a place where we can sleep for the night?"

Darren looked at her wordlessly, slightly confused by her chipper tone, then he directed his attention back to the tauren. Rimblat wrote their names down and nodded.

"Thank you. Actually, you can sleep in here. This is not a busy time. Almost everybody is with their families. However, your kind should not outstay your welcome on these grounds." He gave Darren a stern look.

"Is there any chance a big group with a troll, a human and a green pony passed through here recently? Perhaps Blood Elves?", Darren dared to ask, ignoring the jab.

"No, there haven't been big groups here for over a month", shrugged Rimblat. "As I said, there hasn't been much going on here recently. Let's just hope it stays that way. The Sourge appears to remain in the areas around Stratholme, Plaguewood and the Noxious Glade, with only a few stray undead creatures roaming the outskirts of the Plaguelands. You better stay away from the Glade. It's directly to the North. There are still heavy toxic fumes emanating from there."

"Curious", muttered Darren but did not add an explanation to his comment.

Rimblat frowned at Twilight, slightly confused. "Do we know each other? I'm sure I would remember you, but..."

"No, you are reminding me of a friend", said Twilight. "He's living in Mulgore, though. Tak Rivermane, a merchant. He used to sell herbs in Orgrimmar although as far as I remember he doesn't do that anymore."

"Never heard the name", said Rimblat immediately.

"I didn't really think so", smiled Twilight, her expression turning from enthusiastic to polite.

"If you don't mind my question: What are you exactly?", asked Rimblat, leaning forward to get a better look at Twilight. She pulled her hood down, revealing a slightly messy long mane and her horn.

"I am a pony", she said simply, too tired to show her wings and explain what an alicorn was.

"And a mage", added Darren helpfully.

"One last thing: Do you have any news from Andorhal?", asked Rimblat.

Twilight and Darren looked at each other.

"We found out that ponies shouldn't drink Dwarven Stout", offered Twilight.

Rimblat laughed. "I am not sure that counts as real news but thank you anyway. Well, if you need anything - food, water - ask for Bettina. I'll leave you to yourselves now. And as I said, you may only stay for one night."

They nodded and the tauren left, ducking as he crossed the tent's threshold.

Darren sat down on a pillow, removed his cloak and noisily stretched his limbs. The armor did not seem to hinder him much. He was looking more relaxed now, even though his face was still as pale as usual, with dark rings under his eyes.

He looks old, thought Twilight. Not because of the few wrinkles in his face but the tired expression in his eyes. Twilight estimated that Darren had died in his fourties, but how old was he really? The moment he had been killed, his biological clock had been frozen so he could be of any age one could think of. Though if she remembered correctly, the Undead Plague had hit Lordaeron about a decade ago so he should be around... fifty?

Twilight suppressed a confused groan, sat down next to him, close to the coalfire, and removed her own cloak. It was really dirty but she tried to ignore that. She gratefully accepted the bread and carrots Darren offered her and closed her eyes for a second as she bit into the vegetable.

"I can't remember the last time I felt this warm", she said dreamily. "Starswearl's beard, I'm so tired."

"I have not been here since... for quite some time", said Darren, "but the Chapel is known for being welcoming towards strangers. Almost everyone living is supporting the Argent Dawn's cause and it is easy to identify enemies here." He frowned at Twilight, then nodded as if making a decision.

"Twilight."

She perked up.

"Yes?" He was apparently going to say something important. Twilight quickly swallowed the rest of her meal and straightened up, giving Darren her undivided attention.

"We should keep our distance", he blurted out.

She opened her mouth to protest but Darren held a gloved hand up.

"No, please let me finish. I must say it, and I must say it now. Twilight, I am endangering you because I am a Death Knight", he explained. "It was not a risk in Silverpine or the Western Plaguelands but since we are getting closer to the Necropolis I must warn you. The - "

"Wait, wait", interrupted him Twilight, ignoring his request to let him finish. "What's a Necropolis?"

"You saw the fortress floating right above the mountain?"

She nodded, her eyes wide. "It was hard to miss, really."

"That is a city of the dead, or, to be more exact, it is Acherus, the Ebon Hold."

"That sounds familiar", hummed Twilight. "Of course: The Ebon Blade! Like the symbol on your tabard."

"Precisely. The land here, except for the premises of the Chapel, is tainted by undeath. Do you understand what that means?"

"Well", said Twilight hesitantly, "I'm assuming it means that the creatures here are undead." She resisted the urge to add a 'duh' to her comment.

"It does not simply mean that unnatural creatures walk the earth. That is also the case in Undercity." Darren's frown deepened. "Here, the ground, the air and everything that grows and moves is cursed, bound by dark magic. The fact that the curse is this strong is the reason why we still have our base of operations here... and that is why my urge to kill is growing with each day that we remain in the Plaguelands. In undead lands - lands of the Scourge - my blood boils from the pain and - I can't resist the call anymore." He said it quickly, almost blending the words into each other. His usually so accurate pronounciation made way for an accent Twilight had never heard him use before.

"The curse forces you to kill? Oh my goodness... How did you manage to stay so calm all these weeks?", whispered Twilight, aghast. She felt her stomach turn and tried to breathe slowly like Cadance had shown her what felt like ages ago.

"I did not", he said simply. "That was merely... on the exterior. I dealt quite a lot of death blows if you recall."

"Plus, you went away for hours after we set up camp in the evenings", remembered Twilight, her heart sinking as she finally understood. She wondered which was worse for Darren: the pain or the constant urge to kill.

"Was that when you...?"

"Yes. I hunted down wild animals and creatures so I would not harm you."

She stared at him with wide eyes, shocked and unable to think of anything clever to say.

"I cannot help it." He raised his hands, as if to defend himself against possible accusations. "It is the prize I have to pay."

"Why are you telling me this? Why now?", whispered Twilight.

"Right here, on sacred ground, I am weakened. But the pain also subsides, becoming more bearable... making it possible to think more clearly. I - I wanted to take the opportunity to talk openly to you. Especially considering that I haven't killed for days."

"What are you going to do?", asked Twilight, shivering. "Hunt down more animals? Keep trying to find the captors of our friends? Please tell me there's a way to remove the pain! Can't I help you somehow?"

"You can let me join you when you return to Equestria", he said without hesitation. "Then I would be cut off from the source of the curse and Mr Baker could heal me. Other than that, no. There is no way to remove the pain except by bringing pain and death to the living myself."

"I am so sorry!", she blurted, her eyes watering.

He smiled shortly but the smile did not reach his eyes. "I just said there is nothing we can do about it. I simply told you the truth so you know why I need to... take walks."

"You're hoping that I don't start asking questions at the wrong time or try to follow you when you take those walks?"

"Exactly. That is an avoidable risk."

Silence stretched out between them as if somebody had given the command to hold their breath.

The distant rhythmic tink-tink of a hammer hitting an anvil snapped Twilight out of her stupor. She tapped her chin, inhaling sharply.

"You are saying that Acherus is your base of operations, but what about Northrend? What happened to Icecrown Citadel? Isn't that from where the Lich King used to control the Scourge? I mean, not that I don't appreciate your help here... but if you destroyed the source of the dark magic instead of killing blighthounds here, you could be free!"

"It is not that simple, Twilight. Suffice to say the Lich King died and people are trying to heal the lands", waved Darren it off. "There are other bases in Northrend - the Ebon Watch, the Shadow Vault - and some of us found a new goal to pursue or they rejoined their own people. The Eastern Plaguelands, once almost completely destroyed, have already improved considerably. But I digress... my point is: The dark magic still lingers here. Even with the head cut off, the body keeps on twitching." He grinned humorlessly.

Twilight recoiled at that analogy, then she sighed and massaged her temples.

"Okay. I think I'm going to need some time to digest this. I already had my suspiscions but hearing it from you is different. But the least I can do is show respect for your situation. You have taken good care of me and my friends."

"If you do not count the mistake of leaving you unguarded on the one evening when it mattered."

Twilight frowned. "That was my fault, too! I didn't set up any magical wards to alarm us. Neither did Jonathan even though he told me he could do it. And who knows what Vol'shalai might have had up his sleeve if we had just asked."

"It was my duty to prevent this from happening in the first place", objected Darren.

"We weren't that far away when the fight started and we still didn't hear anything. The elves must be experts at what they do", said Twilight appeasingly.

"So was I supposed to be!" Darren was standing now, his arm outstretched in rage. "Look where it got us! The group is split up, our resources gone, two innocent ponies trapped in the Plaguelands and my employer in captivity! Twilight, even if you are right, even if you say that this is not a question of who was more at fault there is still the matter of who is going to correct this.

"For Light's sake, we already have the ruby and the pine stick, there is not even a reason to remain here any longer. Were it not for this idiotic situation, we could already be on our way to Equestria!"

Twilight covered her eyes with a hoof, shielding herself from the knight. "D-Darren, please calm down", she begged with chattering teeth, trying to summon a force field. "It's g-getting too cold!"

He stared at her with his mouth agape, suddenly realizing that he was pointing at her and emitting waves of frost magic, enveloping both of them in a cold wind. Their cloaks had already skidded away from them, and were pressed against the walls of the tent.

The winds died down almost immediately as Darren looked away from Twilight, crossing his arms. He huffed and rubbed his neck, then sat down again, still upset. The thin layer of ice that covered the blankets began to melt as the heat of the coalfire took over again.

"I failed you", he muttered, his voice cracking.

Twilight looked down at her hooves.

"I'm sorry you feel this way", she said eventually. "But you don't have to fix this all by yourself, Darren. I may be a weak pony who needs to warm up now and then. But I will also do my best to rescue our friends. We may have been split up as a group but we are not alone." Twilight walked over to him and reached out with her hoof, touching his hand for a short moment.

"We are in this together. Let's help each other, like we tried before. I promise I'll stay out of your way when I have to, just tell me when you need space." She smiled at him. It was a sad smile but an honest one as well. "And thank you for trusting me."

Darren shook his head and huffed again.

"You sound like..." He glanced at her and changed his mind, leaving the sentence unfinished. "Thank you, Twilight. I believe we understand each other."

There was an awkward moment when both said nothing, just looking anywhere in the tent but at each other. Then Darren pointed at the tent entrance with his thumb, the gesture reminding Twilight of Jonathan.

"Shall I get some food for you?"

"Oh, yes, please, if that's okay", said Twilight quickly, flashing him a smile.

Darren left, leaving his cloak in the tent, and Twilight was alone.

She took a deep breath. That had been some outburst. If that was what happened when Darren relaxed then Twilight was beginning to understand why he did not usually share his thoughts with others. Not that she liked it when he tried to keep everyone at a distance.

It was not really what he had said, though. If you only looked at the words, he had simply admitted his feelings of guilt and his intention to correct his mistake, along with the wish to keep Twilight from harm. But the wave of frost magic that had almost thrown Twilight out of the tent told her more than that.

For how long had he been this upset? As Darren had admitted in Andorhal, he had once had a family, maybe even children of his own. Twilight shivered as she realized what had probably happened to them. It was most likely that Darren had lost them to the war and it was even possible that he had killed them just like Jonathan had killed his sister.

Now he had lost his friends, the only ones he had ever made since his first, and probably not last, big loss. Twilight had noticed that he and Arcus had begun to truly befriend each other, going from being stiffly polite to sharing tales, jokes and, most importantly, trust. Twilight could feel that even though she and Darren were friends it was not the same to him as his friendship with Arcus.

And now it was over - and Darren felt responsible for what had happened.

Twilight covered her face in her hooves. It could have been avoided. No matter what Darren said, their loss was also her fault. A sob escaped her and she sniffled, unable to keep her tears back any longer. Good thing that Darren was still gone, he would probably feel worse if he saw her like this.

She heard some rustling inside the tent and shook her head, trying to focus again. Twilight followed the scratchy sound with her head and saw that it came from Darren's bag. Of course. Clara. Removing the pretty sunflower from the bag, Twilight smiled at Clara and carefully stroked her head with a hoof.

Clara seemed disgruntled. She pointed at the pot, hinting at something once again.

"What is wrong with the pot?", muttered Twilight, confused. She tilted the pot this way and that but could not see anything out of the ordinary.

Clara angrily shook her vine at the pot.

But now that Twilight thought about it, the flowerpot felt heavier than it should. She carefully grabbed as much earth as she could with her magic and lifted it from the pot. Clara helped by tightening her roots and vines around the dirt. Twilight took a look into the pot and found something round and shiny. She removed it and put the the earth and the flower back where they belonged. Clara nodded enthusiastically, pointing at the small object Twilight had discovered.

It was a small red crystal orb. Just like Darren had described it.

Twilight gasped and frowned darkly at the orb. So this was the thing that had shown the elves the camp's whereabouts. It was not even glowing, just innocently lying on the ground like a piece of pretty jewelry.

"Thank you, Clara. I never would have noticed without your help."

Clara smiled and hummed a little tune, evidently pleased with herself.

Twilight was sure that Darren did not know about the orb's hiding place. He never would have been this honest with her if he had. She would tell him about the orb, of course, and confront him just to be sure, but first there was something else she had to do.

She grasped the orb with her magic, lifted it to the ceiling of the tent and smashed it down on the table as hard as she could.

The crystal burst into thousands of little shards. Twilight quickly shielded her eyes with her foreleg. When the last piece had fallen to the ground, she floated all of them together to a loose glittering ball, went outside and buried them in the snow.

Author's Note

Hah! I managed to post the Christmas chapter on Christmas!

Level 14 - Affliction

After staying at the Chapel for the night, Twilight and Darren took off again. They had used the chance to buy a large amount of food along with blankets for Twilight and some healing potions.

Following the trail was getting harder and harder. New snow fell almost every night and it was so cold that Twilight began to use a spell against the cold which, in turn, only wore her out more quickly. She had already lost some weight by now; her mane was duller than it had ever been, the highlights almost completely faded out, and she could see the worry on Darren's face whenever he looked at her. A strange feeling of insecurity and uneasiness was getting a hold of her and she had trouble falling asleep at night.

Since their talk in the tent, both she and Darrenhad behaved a little awkwardly around each other but now it was gradually getting better. After Twilight had promised that she would not follow him when he left at night, Darren decided to tell her an idea he had been thinking about for some time.

He landed the griffin in a valley that was so small that it was more of a crack in the landscape than anything else. It was surrounded by large rocks, though, which made it a hard place to spot. Darren helped Twilight hide and get a fire going. Then, he left her alone for a few hours. She waited for him, warming her bones at the tiny source of light and worrying herself mindless until he returned, refreshed and with his armor in need of cleaning. They did not lose a single word about that evening. Instead, they gathered their thoughts and ideas of how to rescue Jonathan and the others. They were very sure that the abductors were Blood Elves because of the tracks of their mounts.

"They are called hawkstriders", said Darren. "Flightless birds. You would like them, they are exceptionally colorful."

"What I would really like is to know why the elves attacked at all", muttered Twilight. "Anyway, what was that idea you wanted to talk about?"

"There are few possibilities what the elves's motives might be. It could be that they need hostages for resolving some strange political affair. They might have arrested them for a committing a crime. There is also the chance that the troll was involved in this somehow. We hardly know anything about him." Darren rubbed his chin. "Blood Elves rarely state their true intentions. However, since they avoided Light's Hope Chapel and turned north there is only one logical place left to go: Silvermoon."

"The Blood Elf Capital?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

"We could just fly ahead and wait for them. That way, we could investigate who they are... or even set a trap!" Twilight smiled as she began to understand what Darren was getting at.

"Agreed, we will fly north. The sooner we get you out of the Plaguelands the better."

"What's that supposed to mean?", she retorted quickly.

"Twilight, it did not escape me that you have gotten thinner. You stay awake for long periods at night, you eat less. The hardships of the journey are beginning to take a serious toll on you."

"I can't argue with that", sighed Twilight. "I haven't been in very good shape recently."

"Do not worry. We will find them."

She nodded slowly, her shoulders sagging forward. "I hope so, too."

Darren nudged her, raising his eyebrows. "You will like the Eversong Forest. Unlike the Plaguelands, the air there is warm thanks to the currents of the Great Sea. As a consequence the trees bear fruit even in Winter and the water will not freeze at night. However, we have to cross the mountains first, follow the North Pass and leave the Ghostlands behind."

"I haven't heard of the Ghostlands before. Is that where the Scourge passed through when they marched towards Silvermoon?"

Darren nodded, poking at the tiny fire with a stick. "Precisely. Led by Arthas Menethil, the prince who had killed his own father, they began their march in Lordaeron, which you know as Undercity. They went north to the Sunwell Plateau. The ground they touched withered and died, turning black. A dead band dividing the land of the Blood Elves into a western and an eastern half. The damage appears to be irreversible. The Blood Elves are struggling to keep it contained to this very day."

"The Dead Scar", muttered Twilight. "But the Elves rebuilt Silvermoon, didn't they?"

"Mainly the eastern half. There is a small town in the western half, Falcon-something." He hummed, then snapped his fingers, recalling the name. "Falconwing Square. It is not on the direct route to Silvermoon. Maybe we can rest there. We should not take shelter in the city itself."

"Well, I could understand if the Elves remembered a purple pony. I know I wouldn't overlook an Elf if I saw one in Canterlot..." Twilight grinned involuntarily as she imagined the Canterlot nobles panicking at the sight of a group of Horde members.

"As a human, I would also draw attention to myself. They would let me in, though, if I can claimed to be a Forsaken. But it would be much better if we caught up with the abductors before they reach the city."

"Shouldn't we stay closer to the road, then?"

"Possibly, but that also increases our risk of getting caught."

"Flying on a griffin?"

Darren eyed her, amused. "The Elves have flying mounts as well."

"Oh. Right." She grinned sheepishly. "How about we avoid the road while we fly, then land somewhere close to it and hide so that travellers can't find us by accident? Then we wait for them to show up and free our friends."

"That makes sense. Then let us think very hard about how two people can free three others from over a dozen enemies."

Twilight smiled. "We still have time to figure that part out. If we use stealth and the element of surprise, combined with a smart use of magic, I think we have a chance."

"From your lips to the Light's ears", grunted Darren, frowning skeptically.

•°

As Darren talked more to Twilight over the following days, telling her of his previous journeys in the Plaguelands but never talking about the time when he had been alive, she joined in by entertaining him with her own stories. Stories of her friends and family, stories of the princesses and of Equestria's ancient lore. It turned out that Darren found Starswirl the Bearded "mildly amusing". Stories of King Sombra did not scare him one bit, he just called the shadow pony "a shallow and shortsighted fool". The more he heard of Twilight's adventures, the more his respect for her courage and kindness grew - and with that his eagerness to develop a sound rescue plan, even though he had trouble keeping his doubts at bay.

•°

They passed over a mountain ridge as they flew north, leaving the snow-covered Plaguelands behind. The mountains fell back, getting replaced by hills with tall, round trees scattered about. It was night when Twilight got a close look at them for the first time. They were spindly, twisted things, mostly leafless and shining in the glow of light green mushrooms that covered the ground. The fungi were mostly so small that she did not perceive them as single objects but rather as shimmering green bands below the once beautiful trees.

The air was different, too. Here, the land was less damaged but it still showed signs of abandonment. The few buildings that they saw were small towers, reminding Twilight of the spires of Dalaran or Canterlot, white and round and with red domes but often with cracked walls and vines covering the stairs that led up to the entrance. As Darren came into view of the towers, he swiftly made his griffin turn left. They avoided flying above the broad paved road and drew a wide arc around the settlements, flying west towards the sea, then following the coastline to the north.

Twilight was relieved that it was getting warmer with every mile they got further away from the Plaguelands. They took less breaks; she often slept in the saddle, covered by both Darren's and her own cloak. He made sure she did not fall off the mount and watched over her when they camped in secluded spots.

When they landed at a river which marked the borders, the Ghostlands behind them and a beautiful golden forest ahead, Twilight still breathed a sigh of relief. Darren helped her off the mount and led them away from the clearing. They took shelter under a few overhanging bright rocks and unpacked what Twilight needed for the night.

Twilight spread her blankets on the ground and flopped down on the soft cloth. She rested her head on her forelegs and watched Darren start a small fire. When he was finished, he removed Clara from his bag and set the sunflower on the ground before Twilight. She took the sight of the pretty flower in and sighed.

"I miss my friends", she said - like she did every evening. She knew that it was old news but she just could not help it.

Darren slid a wooden plate with food over to her.

"Where did you get this?", Twilight asked, her eyes wide with surprise as she saw the piece of apple pie.

"The Chapel. I meant to save it for a special occasion. We have now left the lands tainted by the Scourge. Well," he admitted, "- that is if you do not count the Scar. And we should still be careful to avoid patrols or wildlife."

"Wildlife? No, wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know right now."

Darren raised an eyebrow. "That is unlike you, to refuse knowledge", he said slowly.

Twilight sighed, "I know. I'm sorry I am behaving like this but I feel so terribly tired. It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get, I always feel so... sad. And empty. Like I want to lie down and never get up again. Everything I do is an effort."

"Are you serious?" He raised an eyebrow without the slightest hint of irony.

"I wish I wasn't", she muttered. "Look, Darren, I won't give up but... I don't know, I have never felt this way before."

"I see. But I can also see that you have not touched your pie yet."

"I'm not hungry."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle!" The commanding tone of Darren's deep voice made Twilight's heart jump. She raised her head and stared at him accusingly.

Darren pointed at the pie, his frown softening. "You need. To eat. Even if you are tired, even if it lacks any taste."

"But how can I eat when Jonathan and the others might not even -"

"You do not know that. All we know is that you are unwell and need to eat. What is this all of a sudden? At least you used to take care of your own body before."

A tear ran down Twilight's cheek. "I'm sorry."

"You may cry while you eat. Just do not swallow while breathing in."

A little laugh escaped her, like a bird fluttering from a tree. "Excuse me?"

"Come now, Twilight. Remember why we are here."

She sat up, wiping her cheeks with a hoof.

"To save our friends, I get that... I just... all right, I'll try."

"Good." Darren drew a dangerous-looking knife from somewhere beneath his cloak and used it to cut the pie into bite-sized pieces.

Twilight looked at the display of accurately arranged food and swallowed. She remembered the last time someone had cut food for her. It had been Jonathan on his Welcome-to-Ponyville Party. And before that, Pinkie Pie when she had given her cake as a birthday present.

The pie did look really good. Did a devoted priestess of the Chapel bake it? Well, maybe not. It could have been an orcish berserker for all she knew. She noticed that Darren had cut the pie in a fashion her father, Night Light, used to cut bread when Twilight had refused to eat her meal as a filly. A group of tasty squares, gathered on the wooden plate like a flock of sheep waiting to be counted.

She bent down and picked a small square up with her mouth, chewed it slowly and tried to keep it in her mouth as long as possible before swallowing.

It tasted wonderful, sweet, juicy and soft. More tears ran down her face.

"Thank you", she said, giving Darren a smile, and took another bite.

When she was done eating, Twilight wiped her mouth and noticed with surprise that she had devoured the entire pie. She lied down and streched her legs, trying to get her thoughts to slow down.

At first it was quiet in the forest but then something tickled her ears. It was not birdsong or anything close to it. Even though there was no snow it was still Winter after all. Twilight closed her eyes and listened closely.

It was a song that she heard, but unlike any song she had ever known. It was crystal clear, as light as a summer breeze and as bright as silver. As she let the tune fill her mind, her breathing slowed down. A shiver ran down her spine as her tense muscles relaxed. The song had no words, no voice, but it told her of magic and something else, something she held very dear but could not quite remember what exactly it was. Rising and falling, it lulled Twilight into sleep and soon she was snoring under the golden trees, under the watchful eye of her bodyguard.

•°

She woke up to the smell of vegetables being boiled. Darren sat at the now larger fire, stirring the contents of a small pot. Twilight sat up with a sigh and eyed the pot curiously. Something green and leafy floated in the bubbling water.

"It is a soup. I found some edible plants and herbs in the vicinity."

"Oh! Thank you", smiled Twilight. "I can't wait to try it." She rolled her blanket up and attatched it to the small bag Darren had given her.

I keep getting new bags from people, she thought. I really shouldn't make a habit of losing my things. Hay, there was a book in the blue saddlebags, not to mention all my notes!

Darren kept stirring the soup and eyed the forest. "This is a safe place but we should find a location suited for our trap."

Twilight nodded. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Your behavior is... understandable. You have been without your friends for almost two weeks now. And, of course, there's also your friends in Equestria. I -"

"Darren?", Twilight interrupted him.

"Yes?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Can I hug you?"

His eyebrows climbed even higher. He looked at her for a moment, the icy glow of his eyes not unnverning her anymore. Then he relaxed. "I doubt you will find it comfortable", he warned her. "I am wearing a suit of armor and do not emit any-"

"Please?"

"Very well, if you insist."

Twilight got up, closing the distance between them. She reared and put her forelegs around his neck. Darren exhaled and awkwardly hugged her back. His armor clinked when her chestpiece touched his cuirass. A strand of her mane brushed against his face and he forced himself to leave it alone. All the layers of clothing, armor and cloak made the hug hardly a hug but Twilight still relaxed in Darren's arms. At least she would not get squeezed to hard with all the cushioning between them.

"Thank you for being my friend", she whispered, her face resting on his shoulder.

Darren slowly retreated from the hug and Twilight sat down again, a watery smile on her muzzle.

"You are very welcome", he replied softly.

•°

The cold finally faded away bit by bit. Setting one foot before the other, Jonathan racked his brain to think of an escape plan. He had not come up with anything good so far. They were so terribly outnumbered that they would need a miracle to get rid of their shackles, free Arcus, retrieve their stuff and run for the hills.

And after getting healed from the curse, Jonathan might have gotten the nice confirmation that miracles existed but he was not so stupid to assume that one would happen twice in two months.

At least the food was bearable and they still took regular breaks - a short one at midday and a longer one at night. The elves probably wanted to keep their own fighters in good shape. What an irony: He did not have to carry any heavy plate armor around like the guards did. Though for some reason he was sure that they could catch him if he tried to run away.

Vol'Shalai simply looked bored most of the time, still using any chance that presented itself to mock their captors. His last joke had involved his lunch, which had been a banana, and his long nose. Jonathan could not decide between disgust and a laughing fit when it came to the troll's jokes. Still, he was sort of thankful for them.

The leader said something and they stopped. Jonathan perked up. That was unusual, to halt before nightfall. Were enemies approaching? Allies? He looked around, scanning the close hills and dirty brown pine trees that vegetated on them. A raven flew up, cawing ominously - eerie, but harmless. Movement in the bushes. A maggot of the smaller kind, only footlong, slithered in and out of sight.

A male guard approached Jonathan and told him in Orcish to follow him. He was being led to the cart. Another guard, this one a woman, stood next to Arcus, who was fidgeting under her hands.

"What's the fuss about?" Jonathan demanded to know, barely looking at the woman. He did not like how Arcus muttered and winced, not one bit. He felt his stomach cramping up and forced himself to breathe normally and keep his lunch where it belonged.

The woman turned away from the pony. "Your horse is sick. It appears to have a fever, most likely from the cold." Her voice was neutral, neither friendly nor hostile.

"Pony," corrected Jonathan automatically, then, "Wait, a fever? Let me check." He did not wait for an answer, pushing the elf's hand aside and feeling for Arc's forehead.

"Fuck," he cursed. "Well, who didn't let him walk like everyone else?" he hissed at the woman.

"You may treat it as you see fit", she said, still irritatingly indifferent.

"Well, you better let me", grunted Jonathan. "I'll need my backpack for this."

She said nothing, turning on her heel, and went over to the commander. They discussed something in quick Elvish. After a final word from her superior, the woman returned and agreed to giving Jonathan the supplies he needed. A hint of warmth was in her voice as she told him, "I am a healer as well. This creature's pain is not pleasing me any more than you, human. I shall assist you."

"Assist, yeah, right, and totally not watch my every move", growled Jonathan. "...I'll take what I can get, though. Thanks." He probably should show a bit of gratitude. The woman removed the ties around his hands.

Instantly ignoring the healer, Jonathan sat down on the wagon, next to Arcus. After another command the cart moved again and everybody had to resume walking, except for Jonathan, Arcus and the healer, who sat down on the other side of the unconscious pony.

The guard who rode next to them on his hawkstrider gave him a short look, one of the You know I'm watching you so don't you try anything stupid kind. Jonathan could feel it even though the man's eyes were hidden. He shuddered, reminded of Darren in a bad mood.

Jonathan touched Arcus's cheek. It was as hot as his forehead, and slightly damp from the pony's sweat. "Arcus? Can you hear me?"

Arcus stirred. He looked at Jonathan with misty, unfocused eyes, saying something that Jonathan could not understand.

"Crap", Jonathan muttered, frowning. Apparently Twilight's translation spell had worn off. He better did not let the healer notice that. He smiled at Arcus and said, "I'm gonna brew a potion for you to help lower the temperature and get the sickness out. Hang in there, okay?"

His encouraging tone seemed to get through. The pony grimaced and nodded, then closed his tired eyes to sink into sleep.

"You heard what I said", Jonathan adressed the healer. "I need a blanket. And the herbs are all in the blue saddlebags."

•°

He is running, his legs heavy as lead, but he must not slow down. A white cloud, as high as a mountain, chases after him and threatens to crush him like a gigantic wave. Arcus looks behind himself - a big mistake. The cloud grows even more, its icy vapors circling around his ankles. They catch him: he stumbles and falls.

The cloud eats him up, compressing his body with cold claws. Frost gathers on his muzzle, his hooves, creeps into his lungs. He coughs, sputters, and tries to wriggle himself free but it is no use. The cold cloud presses him down to the barren ground, even into it. He can feel the earth give way - no, he is merging with it. Arcus sinks down into the ground. He throws his numb legs around and manages to fight himself free. Arcus claws his way back to the surface, grinding his teeth together. The cold wind never stops for a second.

He finds himself on the same dusty road again, panting and sweating. He can hear voices in the wind and a sound so high-pitched that it makes his teeth vibrate. The voices are mocking him. Arcus feels ashamed for running away, even though he knows that the cloud would have killed him. He turns his head this way and that, trying to figure out where the cloud is now. He faintly remembers that he should not have been able to breathe underground.

The cloud is no more. There is now a forest. Trees adorned with spiky brown needles surround him, their shadows growing, twisting, springing to life. Arcus groans desperately and prepares to run again.

Still not out of breath, Arcus finds that the road is leading him uphill. He follows the trail to the top, the shadows still right on his tail. He looks around and the trees fall away like the backdrop of a theater. Logs clatter to the ground, disconnected and brittle.

As the trees crumble, Arcus fights the shadows that swiftly assume the shapes of bipeds. Long, spindly legs and a five-fingered claw that reaches for his mane - an undead is grasping his neck. Arcus shrieks with fear and disgust and tries to shake the repelling creature off, only to have another one grip his hindleg. He had thought the wind had been bad - but this is far more terrifying. These foreign monsters, worse than what his imagination could ever have come up with, are seizing him, rendering him immobile. Arcus whinces as he inhales their stench and breath that smells of rotten eggs, blood and excrement.

The zombies keep attacking him until Arcus begins to lose hope. But suddenly he sees a dark blue shape floating towards him through the grey sky. The newcomer flaps her beautiful wings and lands next to him, crushing the zombies with her hooves and blasting them to dust with her alicorn magic.

She turns her head, her starry mane flowing in the wind that has calmed down to a gentle, warm breeze, and smiles at Arcus.

The expression is so friendly and soft that something breaks inside of him. He hugs Princess Luna without hesitation, crying into her mane like a foal.

•°

It took Arcus way too long to get better. After four days of fever dreams and shivering in the cold he finally opened his eyes again. He found Jonathan right by his side, sitting on the cart.

"Jon?" His voice was so hoarse that he hardly recognized it.

"I'm here. Thank the Light you are awake", said Jonathan. Arcus frowned. He did not understand the language but judging from the way it sounded it was probably the tongue of the Forsaken. There were not too many consonants.

With a tight-lipped smile, Jonathan felt for Arcus's face and checked the temperature. The smile became more genuine.

"I don't know what you did but I'm not feeling like I'm burning and freezing anymore. So thanks." Arcus coughed a little and cleared his throat. "Ugh." The world was spinning for a moment. He held his head in his hooves, groaning. When the spinning stopped, he tried to stand up.

"Whoa, bad idea." Jonathan put a hand on his back, urging him to take it slow. His coat was damp from all the sweating but several layers of cloth kept the cold away from him. Arcus recognized one as Jonathan's cloak. The human shivered but tried to pretend it did not bother him. Had he been sleeping on the cart, huddled under blankets next to Arcus, to keep himself from freezing?

"Okay, okay", muttered the pony. He turned his head, looking for his saddlebags. "So thirsty..."

A small bottle appeared in front of his muzzle. He smiled at Jonathan who had readied the drink. Arcus drank very slowly. His throat still hurt and felt tight. Better not to talk too much yet. Not that it would help anyway. He sighed.

An elf approached and talked to Jonathan. The human rolled his eyes and got up, jumping from the still moving cart.

Jon patted Arcus's shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod. He walked alongside the cart now, watched closely by the Sword guy. Arcus could look at Jonathan during the entire day. The human did not leave his side for a second.

The Queen and the Princess

Lady Sylvanas, Banshee Queen and Leader of the Forsaken, paced up and down the small chamber she had chosen for the ritual. The sound of her steps reflected off the stone walls, creating echoes within echoes. She stopped abruptly and turned around.

"Are you done yet?" Her etheral voice that always seemed as if it came from the end of a long, dark tunnel was almost normal. Impatience made a muscle below her left eye twith.

It was hard to make out the features of the two other women in the dimly lit room. Not so for Sylvanas. Her sight was from the shadow and it pierced shadow. So did her voice and her arrows if she wanted to. Right now she felt tempted to pierce the shaman. She bit back her aggravation and asked instead, "Well, Tauren?"

The Shaman nodded slowly. "Yes, Mylady. We are ready. The only other thing we need is a carpet."

"I have you here to perform a ritual of Sight, not to get comfortable", hissed Sylvanas. "My patience is running thin." She looked around the room. "All these candles, incence, sacred herbs", she spat out each word, "if the don't do what they are supposed to do, I will - "

The Tauren raised her eyebrows.

Sylvanas massaged her temples with her fingers and sighed curtly. "Get the carpet."

One of the four guards at the door left in a hurry. All of them were Forsaken, of course. Sylvanas was still uncomfortable with being a part of the Horde but she had her reasons to play nice for now. Still, she needed people as her bodyguards whom she could trust. And you could not trust the living. The dead did not change their minds so easily.

Sylvanas cast a look at the other Shaman. She was a Pandaren, young in appearance, but something told Sylvanas that she had her share of experience in the spirit world. The Pandaren gave her a warm, relaxed smile. Sylvanas kept staring, then turned away. How could that woman stay unfazed by her wrath? She was not used to getting the nice treatment.

Of course, there were a few Undead that actually had friends. Like that weakling Koltira with his pathetic bonds with Alliance Death Knights. Still, it was only a matter of time until he would break and serve the Forsaken. Sylvanas was proud of the expertise with which her torturers were able to convince people to do her bidding.

No matter. One thing bothered her much more. There was that unsettling rumor. The people were talking about a human that had come to Undercity, after years of absence, and in company of two little colorful ponies. They said that the man was not actually dead but still behaved just like a Forsaken. When Sylvanas had heard of that, every single alarm bell in her head had gone off. Unfortunately, she had heard of the human after he had left again.

Maybe she was too late to send scout parties after him. However, if he really was a healed Forsaken, that meant that there was a cure for the curse of Undeath. Which had inspired Sylvanas to do this little... session with the shamans.

Finally: There was her guard with the carpet. It was a ragged piece of cloth, a remainder of the times before the Scourge. The red color was almost completely faded but you could still see that it had once been a piece of excellent craftsmanship. Maybe she should take this as a sign. A remnant of a time of innocence... and patience.

"Set it down right here", requested the Tauren, pointing at the space in front of the fire bowl. The guard did so, then retreated to join the others at the door. The Tauren looked at Sylvanas.

"We will require privacy", she said politely.

Sylvanas gave a curt nod and the guards left, closing the door behind them. Silence fell in the stone chamber, only interrupted by the occasional rat skittering across the floor.

"Please, sit down", the Tauren invited Sylvanas, waving at the carpet. She looked back at her incredulously.

"Please", repeated the Tauren.

"I want to discover what the future holds. I do not think -"

The Tauren held up her hand. "Mylady, there is only one way."

"Sitting on a carpet." It sounded more like a statement than a question as Sylvanas said that.

"That is just in case you do succeed", spoke up the Pandaren, stepping forward. "If you are indeed granted a vision, which, with all due respect, I dare to doubt, you might fall down. You are less likely to injure yourself if you are already sitting."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes. She put down her weapon belt and removed her shoulderplates. Then she planted her bottom on the carpet, crossing her long legs. "Very well", she sighed. "I will humor you."

The Pandaren smiled. "Hm, humor... That's good. It is a divine gift, you know. So that's a start."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes. She had been right, the Pandaren actually was older than the other shaman. There was true authority in her voice. And she had that annoying habit of giving everyone her wisdom even if it sounded like a cheap Winter's Veil card. "Now, I want you to try and relax."

Sylvanas sighed again. "Just begin."

The Pandaren kneeled down next to her.

"Sylvanas", she said quietly, ignoring all honorifics, "you are the one who wants to do this, are you not? We can only guide you but you will perform the ritual." She stood up again, pouring a few leaves of dried herbs into the firebowl. "Let us see where this shall lead you."

She closed her eyes and began the chanting.

Sylvanas sat awkwardly on the carpet, staring into the smoke of the burning herbs. At first she was just annoyed, then she forced herself to calm down. There was a trick to do this and now was probably the time for it. She imagined her feelings as corporeal beings, then shut them in an imaginary box and tossed it into an imaginary abyss.

She could do this. She would not believe that damnation would be her future. She had to get a vision. She just... had to.

The smoke got into her lungs and after a while, long after the Shamans were already in trance, she felt her eyelids become heavy and her thoughts get sluggish. There was a jolt, then she was plunged into darkness.

•°

The darkness is not for long, however - she feels herself drifting through a fog. It is hard to see a thing.

Her feet touch solid ground. The fog is clearing.

Sylvanas finds herself standing on a small elevation.

The landscape is repetitive - hill after hill, until the horizon. They are covered by dead leaves. No grass, nothing alive, just dead leaves and needles.

Sylvanas gets a foreboding feeling, a hint of... dread. She shivers. She is not used to getting scared anymore, not after forseeing her own death in shadow and eternal pain. Sylvanas wraps her cloak around her. She is painfully aware of how alone she is.

Something approaches. Sylvanas steels herself. She has no weapons, nothing to defend herself with save her bare hands. As the figure gets closer, Sylvanas can make out the features. However, it is not what she has expected. It is not the Lich King nor a Val'kyr, nor a spectre from the shadow valley of Death.

She sighs as she recognizes the species from the description of her spies. There had been a creature like this in Undercity before. Except while the other one had been violet, this one's coat is of a dark blue. Her mane floats in a nonexistent breeze. Sylvanas can see thousands of tiny stars glitter inside the mane and tail. The alicorn smiles at her, first with a hint of confusion in her eyes, then the pony seems to recognize her.

"Greetings", says the pony, smiling. "Do not be afraid. I mean you no harm."

The alicorn has the bearing of a royal creature. Sylvanas hesitates. The warmth and friendliness emanating from the pony is almost palpable. She feels something strange in her gut, a sensation that drives the cold away.

Sylvanas clears her throat. Somehow, she feels more... alive than when awake. Even her voice sounds like before she died, just like that of an elvish woman, not the echo of a Banshee. "Greetings, Alicorn", she says cautiously, suddenly noticing the tiara on the pony's head. "Who are you? And what is this place? This does not feel like a vision."

"A vision? This is merely a dream. I am sorry to disappoint you but this is not of mine own making. You are creating this world. I must admit I did not expect myself to end up here. Perhaps the dreamscapes are growing, overlapping..." The Alicorn trails off and looks around. "It is quite calm. Usually I visit my subjects' nightmares, trying to help them to face their fears. Is this your fear?", she asks, pointing at the hills.

Sylvanas shakes her head. "It is my reality", she says. "I think these are graves."

She bents down and picks up a leaf, crumbling it in her hand. "To sleep in the earth... I always thought that it would be the fate of everything. If it just ended... I could..." Sylvanas trails off, losing the courage to finish the sentence.

"Do you truly want to die?" says the Alicorn, looking sadly at her. "What made you so desperate that you wish for nothingness?"

Sylvanas shivers again, dropping her head. "I doubt you would believe me."

The Alicorn smiles and does something unexpected. She pulls Sylvanas into a careful hug.

Sylvanas suddenly feels like a child again, scared in the dark. Except this time there is someone else, comforting her. Even if it is a royal blue pony thing. She can hardly understand why she trusts the creature, but somehow she does. This is not a place for pretense, she realizes. You cannot lie to your unconscious after all. The hug is... nice. Awkward, but still nice.

"What must I do?", whispers Sylvanas, a single treacherous bit of water running down her cheek. She does not understand. Friendship is for the weak. She cannot afford to be weak. She must be stone cold or else the demons of the dark will claim her soul once again.

The Alicorn smiles and opens her mouth to respond, but suddenly stiffens and pulls back from the hug.

"Something followed me here!", she whispers. All friendliness is gone from her face. With a fierce expression, her ears standing straight up, she turns her head, trying to locate the intruder.

Sylvanas quickly gets to her feet and looks around. "I cannot see it. What is it?"

"A spirit." The Alicorn lights her horn, making Sylvanas step back instinctively. "I shall take care of this. 'Tis better if you awake for now. Be safe, Lady Sylvanas, and do not give in to -" The Alicorn fades away into mist that quickly dissipates.

"No!" Sylvanas shouts, stretching out her hand. She cannot touch the alicorn - all she has in her grasp is dust and fog.

"Come back! I demand you return to me!"

She feels betrayed. The short feeling of comfort is gone. Something pulls at her and the hills blur into a dark fog again. "Come back! What must I do?! Alicorn!"

•°

With a jolt, Sylvanas rose from her carpet, noisily knocking over the firebowl. The ambers scattered all over the ground but she did not care. "No!" she screamed. "No..."

The Shamans had left her, probably in fear of a failure. She could not bring herself to blame them.

She had been so close, so close to finding an answer, to getting a clue as to how to escape her demise. If she had more time, she could have found a way to get back, to undo...

Oh, whom was she kidding. She was a Banshee. Had she really thought that a simple vision could have shown her a way to escape her curse? Sylvanas grabbed a random candle and threw it across the room. It bounced off the wall, leaving behind a splatter of red wax. Luckily, no one was here to see her outburst. If she could cry, she probably would have done so right now. Breathing heavily (old habits die hard), Sylvanas sank to the floor.

She slowly raised her head as she realized something. How did the Alicorn know her name? And furthermore, what about the spirit that had interrupted the dream? Where had it gone?

She sighed angrily as she heard wind howling through the hallway. Of course.

The force of the gale was so strong that it pulled the door from its hinges, smashing it against the opposite wall. The guards gave a surprised shout, rushing into the room with their swords at the ready.

A brilliant blue light appeared, circling Sylvanas so fast that she could not make out what it was. The light then slowed down, hovering in front of her. Sylvanas ran over to her weapons and brandished one of her blades, ready to strike down the spirit. She knew that she could harm ghosts with her weapons. She had made sure of it herself.

"Show yourself!", she commanded, shouting against the noise of the wind.

She was only half surprised when the light turned into a horse - no, a pegasus - with a long, beautiful mane and eyes of white dead fire. Sylvanas gasped, recognizing the spirit as a member of the same species as the Alicorn from her dream even though it lacked a horn. The wings reminded her faintly a spirit healer's.

Sylvanas grinned without humor, raising her blade.

"You have no place in this world. Begone!"

The ghost floated away from Sylvanas in a hurry. Her eyes were wide open and she barely dodged the strike. The Banshee Queen's guards formed a circle around the ghost, cornering her.

"Wait, please! I mean you no harm!" The ghost's words echoed through the chamber. She spread her front hooves, trying to shield herself from the swords. "I got here by accident! I was caught in your dream", the pegasus blurted out.

"Liar!", hissed Sylvanas, trying to hit the pegasus again. "The dead never dream! There is no way -"

But did she not have a dream just now? And did not the Lich King dream as he sat on his frozen throne?

Sylvanas hesitated, shaking her head. Yes, she had dreamed just now. There had been a pony in it. Like the animal spirit that was currently floating in front of her. Apparently, the memory of her vision was alrady beginning to slip away from her.

What was going on here? What strange magic made her forget something that had just happened a few seconds before? Sylvanas tried desperately to focus on the image of the dark blue alicorn. The apparition had tried to say something important. What was it?

"Mylady?", one of the Death Guards asked, worried about the strange behavior of his Queen. That snapped Sylvanas out of it.

"Who are you and what do you want?", she asked coldly, pointing her sword at the ghost.

"My name is Levinia. I'm a friend of Priest's!" The ghost twitched, nervously eyeing the tip of the blade.

"I've been looking for him. That's when I got sucked into your dream." She fondled shyly with a lock her ethereal mane. "Is he here? Oh, right, you probably don't know him. He's an undead human, you see. No, wait, that's wrong. He's not undead anymore. He calls himself a...", she rubbed her muzzle, "...a Forsaken. Yes, that's what it was."

How about that. Sylvanas slowly lowered her blade, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"You know of a Forsaken that returned to life?"

The guards exchanged uneasy looks.

Levinia nodded enthusiastically. Then her ears drooped down. "But you don't know him", she stated sadly. "Oh dear."

Sylvanas smiled darkly, sheathing her sword.

"Not so fast, little pony. Tell me about this human", she said. "I want to know everything."

Level 15 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Jonathan's stomach growled. Again. He sighed and glanced over to Vol'Shalai. The troll ignored him, walking silently as he frowned at the beautiful golden trees. Jonathan had not seen him in such a bad mood since Zul'Drak. It seemed that Vol'Shalai liked being in Elf territory about as much as getting a back massage from a ghoul.

Arcus snorted.

"What?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow, turning his head back to make sure Arcus saw it.

Arcus just kept grinning and muttered something in an amused tone. He looked much better now that he was allowed to walk by himself. The elf guard behind him had bound a rope around his barrel to keep him from running away, something that Arcus obviously really hated but still preferred to getting sick again.

"Silence", the guard reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah", muttered Arcus. Jonathan did not understand the words but the tone gave away the meaning.

It was weird. Jonathan had expected the elves to either tell them what was going on or gag them, toss them onto the cart and carry them off to whatever dungeon the elves had available. There were really only three or four reasons why he was still alive. Maybe the elves did not know which one had the information they needed. They had searched the backpacks so it wasn't about any of Jon's, Arc's or Twilight's possessions. They didn't even bother checking everything from Vol'Shalai's bags. Maybe it was the smell... or maybe they just underestimated the troll's intelligence.

Or the profit was higher when they brought their captives alive. Jonathan shivered, unsure whether he actually wanted to find out what the elves wanted from him. Curiousity and fear balanced each other out on this one. They could be hostages for a bargain but the question was: Who would even want to get their hands on a troll, a human and two little ponies, in that combination? The Forsaken? Did they find out about Jonathan's not-so-secret secret? But then again, how would these elves know about it?

Were they just bounty hunters? No, they were much too disciplined for that, they had to be under orders of some lady or lord. If only it wasn't one of those damned apocalyptic cults. He'd had to deal with enough of those already.

Jonathan smirked to himself. He was glad he had not told Twilight that there had been people with the same name as her, serving Deathwing the Destroyer and attempting to bring about the end of the world. His smile faded away and he clenched his fists when he remembered that she was probably lost or even worse, dead.

Speaking of dead - why was there a Death Knight sitting casually under that golden-leaved tree? He was wearing a suspiciously familiar tabard and the two-handed sword he polished reminded Jonathan strongly of...

"Darren?", mouthed Jonathan incredulously.

"Greetings", said Darren in the Common tongue as he stood up, holding his sword loosely at his side.

The two elves at the head of the group kept walking while the Lady ordered the others to stop. The scouts halted in front of Darren and they exchanged some words Jonathan could not make out. The knight looked strangely relaxed. Jonathan frowned. It was impossible that Darren had not noticed the captives. What did he plan to do, all by himself?

Jonathan, Vol'Shalai and Arc were forced to sit down. It was hard to see anything around the cart. Jonathan managed to crouch in a way that he could look at Darren through a gap between the legs of the guards. It was a pretty uncomfortable position. Darren seemed to discuss something with one of the scouts, a woman armed with a spear. He gestured a bit with the sword still in his right, trying to convince her of something. She took a step back, pointing her spear at Darren and nodding at her companion. The second scout ran off when Darren suddenly raised his sword. Jonathan could hear the clanging when Darren's blade pushed the spear aside, cutting the elf down with a single swift strike, and the thud as her legs gave way and she fell. Dark purple mist rose from her mouth and eyes as she lost consciousness.

"No kidding", muttered Jonathan. Apparently Darren wanted to fight no less than a dozen elves just to free him and his friends. That was either very loyal or very stupid; probably a bit of both. It meant one thing, though. Twilight had to be alive. It was the only possible reason why Darren would - wait a second, he should use the chance!

Jonathan spun around and kicked the legs of the guard next to him, making him stumble. As the elf tried to get up, Jonathan barked in Orcish, "The bonds!"

Vol'Shalai rushed to his side, awkwardly holding a sword between his still bound hands. "Gotcha", he smirked.

Jonathan looked behind the troll - a dead elf had kindly provided him with the weapon. Vol'Shalai sawed at the sealed ropes in a hurry, managing to cut them after a few seconds. They didn't have any time to formulate a plan as three elves, including the one Jonathan had tripped up, charged them with their weapons raised. Vol'Shalai turned his back to Jonathan, gesturing at the small bag bound around his chest.

"Right!" The priest ripped the bag off and Vol'Shalai roughly gripped it, shaking it open. Four small items fell out of it, tiny wooden masks and feathers bound together with red string. The troll caught them and looked at them reverently. He moved the totems in a wide arc, then to his chest, conjuring up a dome of fire and lightning. The elves pulled their arms away from the sudden heat and crackling electricity, nodding at each other in agreement. One of them raised her hands, arcane lightning sparkling in her palms.

Jonathan hurried to add a protective sphere of light to Vol'Shalai's lightning shield and focused his thoughts. It was time to strike back - they would not get another chance. As he said a Shadow Word, the elf next to him gripped his own face, his eyes almost bulging out, and let out a terrified shriek. Jonathan could feel the victim's pain and fear and was momentarily distracted by the exhilerating sensation of power. Jonathan shook his head, trying to keep his emotions under control as he felt the rush of dominance. It turned out to be very difficult. Why did shadow magic have to be so fickle?

And where was Arcus? Jonathan turned around to overlook the scene. Everybody was fighting. Darren was currently dueling the tall guy with the sword. The elf had dismounted from his hawkstrider, setting the bird free to run away. Jonathan had not noticed before but the swordsman's dark ragged cloak was the only one that had a crimson tint to it. It flapped wildly around him as he fought Darren. They looked strangely alike. Both swords let off sparks when they collided, flashing ice blue and dark red. It was hard to keep track of their movements, they were so fast that their shapes blurred into each other.

"Priest!" That was Twilight's voice.

Jonathan looked up. The alicorn was airborne, diving towards him. "Priest, are you okay?" She cast a spell, sending crackling arcane missiles towards an elf warrior. He fell down, gripping his stomach and screaming with pain. Jonathan's eyes went wide with surprise.

Twilight looked different than before, changed. But not necessarily for the better. Dear Light, she had gotten thin.

"Arcus?", he answered with another question, returning to the immediate problem.

Twilight swerved aside and rose again in an elegant arc, pointing her hoof at the green earth pony who was holding his own against an elf woman with a staff.

"Our translation spell wore off!", shouted Jonathan, picking up the fallen elf's spear.

"Got it!" She flapped her wings rapidly, now diving for Arcus, and her horn glowed as she cast the spell.

That was when Jonathan noticed the mace flying towards Twilight's barrel. The weapon rotated at high speed, obviously thrown by an expert.

"Look out!", he shouted, conjuring up a small light shield between Twilight and the mace. It hit the shield, shattering it into glittering shards that quickly faded away, and brushed Twilight's side. She gasped with surprise and lost her rhythm. She fell to the ground with an undignified smack, knocking Arcus over. The mace had changed direction when it had hit the shield but it had not been enough for it to completely miss Twilight.

"Shit", muttered Jonathan under his breath. That stupid spell had been too much of a distraction for her.

"You think?", said a woman's voice behind him.

Before he could turn around, something hard hit the back of his head.

•°

"Thou really needst to take better care of thyself."

Jonathan rubbed the back of his pounding head. "What's - er, what happened?"

Luna was there, eyeing him with a slight frown. The mist of the dreamscape brushed her hooves as she cantered to his side. "It appears that somebody knocked thee unconscious."

"You're worried." Jonathan grinned wryly.

Luna recoiled. "Of course We are! We - " She relaxed and exhaled, smiling sheepishly. "Royal Canterlot Voice. I forget." Her hoof touched Jonathan's arm.

"You must try to wake up. This is an unnatural sleep and you are most likely in danger."

Jonathan sighed. "I know, I know..." He shook his head. "Not gonna be fond of the headache though."

"I will try to help you", said Luna, lighting her horn. "Brace thyself."

•°

Jonathan sat up with a jolt, his eyes wide open. "Argh, holy shit!" The nausea almost made him pass out again. He groaned, rubbing his temple. "Thanks for the heads up, Luna", he croaked. Jonathan could almost see the dent in the back of his skull. "Ow..."

"He's awake!", said somebody.

A hoof touched his chest, preventing him from standing up. "Take it slow, 'kay? You don't look so good."

"Arc?" Jonathan squinted his eyes. The blurry shape in front of him solidified into the green earth pony.

"Hi, Jon. Dude, you took a nasty hit to the head", said Arcus.

"Move a bit, horsie, I gotta check his vitals, mon." That was Vol'Shalai.

"Oh. Sure." Arcus got up and stepped aside.

"How many fingers I be holding up?"

"All four of'em."

"Maybe ya better lie down fo' anodda minute."

Jonathan grinned. "Kidding. Two fingers. And I think I'm okay. Just having one hell of a headache." He grunted with pain as he tried to sit more comfortably. Again, a sharp pain shot through his skull. He dabbed at the back of his hand and discovered that it had been covered in bandages. The gauze also covered his temples and forehead, feeling like a weird headband. "Oh, gods." He frowned, blinking rapidly to shake off the dizziness. "Gimme a moment."

The elves were still there. Nobody's hands (or hooves) were tied. Twilight was alive. She stood next to the leader of the elves, discussing something with her. Darren and the other guy were next to them, both knights looking tired but content, both swords still dripping with blood. Their hoods were down, revealing Darren's face and the elf's. Long dark hair and pale, almost translucent skin plus the same icy glow in his eyes as Darren - he had to be a Death Knight as well, concluded Jonathan. The oversized sword had already been a hint but the dead eyes made it obvious.

"What the hell is going on?", asked Jonathan, unable to connect the dots.

Arc grimaced. "Ahh well, we lost. Technically."

Jonathan curled his lips into a confused snarl. "Huh?"

"We killed some of de elves but dere still be tah many. Looks like Darren ain't been expectin' such a strong opponent. I got beat up too but we gonna manage."

"But why are -"

"Why dey be talking?"

"Yeah. The elves never talked to us! Why the change of mind?"

Vol'Shalai raised both hands and shrugged. "No clue, mon."

They watched as Twilight still discussed whatever what was going on with the elf commander. Eventually, both nodded and Twilight trotted over to her friends with a sour expression. Her ears were pinned back and she had a slight limp that reminded Jonathan that a mace had hit her side. He felt a pang of guilt. He had been the one to distract her by asking her to cast a spell.

Jonathan rolled to the side and pushed himself off the ground, staggering to his feet. Arcus tried to hold him down but he waved him off.

"I'll manage." The priest pointed at Twilight. "You. C'mere."

She frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Jonathan? Are you okay?"

He answered by pulling her into a hug. Twilight awkwardly hugged him back giggling a little.

"Oh. Hehe, I'm glad you're alright, too."

"Well", said Jonathan as they let go of each other, "what was that all about? Can we finally go now?"

She looked at Jonathan, then Arcus and Vol'Shalai. "Yes and no." As Jonathan opened his mouth to ask again, she quickly continued, "Vol'Shalai can go but they won't let us ponies leave... or you for that matter, Jonathan."

"Great", groaned Arcus. "This can't be good. Why did they capture us anyway? And while we are at it, what were you thinking not getting reinforcements before pulling such a stunt? Seriously, Twilight, that's so basic even I would have thought of it!"

Twilight's ears went down and she looked to the ground. "I'm sorry, we couldn't. Please remember, Arcus, we're from another world and can't just ask for some royal guards to help us out."

Jonathan sighed. "Better from another world and with a stronger group than six feet under. You could have asked some Alliance people or maybe even Argent crusaders."

"Not you, too..." She sniffed. "We thought we could do it on our own. It's just that Darren was always so strong and, and... we probably overestimated our abilities."

Jonathan sighed in defeat. "Well, what's done is done. Could you at least negotiate some better terms of our... captivity?"

She nodded. "If we don't struggle and do as they say they will just take us to Silvermoon to run some tests. We're still outnumbered and the element of surprise is lost. So I agreed to help them - under the condition that they don't hurt my friends." She turned her head, looking back to the Commander. "She's not really that bad. She's just following orders, she says."

"Just following... hrmpf." Jonathan grumbled, biting down the insults that were sitting on the tip of his tongue. Who knew what those tests would be about. Besides, one had to choose to follow orders. Being a subordinate was no excuse to act like a mindless drone. He felt a surge of pride as he realized how the Forsaken viewed Queen Sylvanas. She might be intimidating but Jonathan was aware of the many Forsaken that had no problem expressing their scepticism about orders they received. Still, they felt loyal to the Banshee Queen and most would not hesitate to follow her willingly. Those who did not approve of her ways were free to go... weren't they?

"Does she have a name?", asked Arcus, raising an eyebrow.

Twilight shook her head. "She didn't tell me, even when I asked her."

"Well", said Vol'Shalai, "that be nice an' all but there be no way I leave you now, mon. Ya don't know when ya be needing a shaman anytime soon, huh? Besides, if I show up at home an' tell Miwemba I been leaving ya guys on yar own she'd mos' likely be chasing me back ta come an' save ya anyway." He chuckled.

Jonathan nodded slowly, but with crossed arms. Something was off here, he could just feel it. "All right, we'll play along, for now. But I'd really like you to tell us - in detail - what you discussed. Whether we can have our stuff back. And why Darren is suddenly so friendly with tall, dead and handsome over there." He pointed at the Blood Elf death knight with his thumb, then he bent down to get his face closer to her ear. "There's something important you're not telling us", he whispered.

Twilight blushed wildly. "Please, later", she begged, the look in her eyes so desperate that Jonathan dropped the issue.

"Okay", he sighed. "Later." He gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze, then walked off to Darren to see if he was alright.

•°

"Ah, mon, dis city be waaay too clean." Vol'Shalai shook his head in disbelief.

Jonathan could not help but agree. Silvermoon, the capital city of the Blood Elves, was very beautiful, very big and very sterile.

Of course they had bushes. And flowers. The buildings were made of white lime bricks and marble, the towers and spires ended in red and golden domes. Birds sang lovely birdsongs. Many people, most of them Elves, crowded the streets. There were hardly any mounts; sometimes a hawkstrider would walk by, or a light carriage pulled by horses. There was some music in the air, a flute and some strings that sounded like a harp. Silvermoon had everything a city needed to be called a city - except Jonathen still felt like he entered a prison.

In the end, the material of the bars did not matter.

He cast a look over to Twilight who was walking beside him. She looked back at him, then quickly averted her eyes, her ears splayed back. She probably still felt ashamed for the failed rescue attempt.

They attracted a number of stares from the crowd of elves as they made their way towards the Court of the Sun. But still, less stares than Jonathan would have expected. Was it because sometimes there would be human prisoners? He knew that wild forest trolls still lived in the Ghostlands - but they were green, not blue like Vol'Shalai. The other thing that could not be explained away were the two colorful ponies.

Arcus and Darren walked next to each other, Darren's griffin was nowhere to be seen. Their captors formed a circle around them, keeping a few feet's distance.

Jonathan was surprised that Arcus did not seem too impressed by the city's architecture, being a surveyor and all. Maybe Silvermoon was so similar to Canterlot that Arc did not care that much.

They passed through a dark street that felt like the kind of alley where someone would jump out and mug you at night. This street was incredibly clean, too. How the hell did they do that?

The street opened up to become a wide square with a beautiful fountain in the middle - the Court of the Sun as Jonathan remembered from the maps he had studied a few years ago. To his surprise, they did not go to the plaza but turned right instead, entering a house. The door was wide open. A transparent blue curtain divided the first few square yards of the room from the rest.

The Lady pushed the curtain aside and ushered everyone inside.

Most of the guards or whoever they were stayed outside the house. Still, two of them took position at the door and closed it noiselessly. The Lady turned around to face Jonathan. She said calmly, "Everyone, please sit down."

Jonathan glared back at her with as much comtempt as he could muster but obliged slowly. Twilight sat on one of the big pillows that were strewn about, Arc and Vol'Shalai flopped down on the ground without much grace. Darren kept standing. One of the guards at the door was the tall Death Knight from before. Both he and Darren exchanged a look.

The Lady crouched down next to Twilight. "When we talked in the forest, I figured you were the leader of the group. Does that still apply or did you merely speak for them because the human was unconscious?"

Twilight frowned, uncomfortably shifting around on her pillow. She looked over to Jonathan, searching for a hint or maybe some advice.

"I am... the leader", she said after Jonathan gave her a tiny nod. "And I still mean what I said. We will help you with your research - as long as you won't hurt anyone of my friends. We're not going to run away. So there's no need for... for safeguards."

The Lady firmly shook her head. "They will remain in place."

After a few seconds, Twilight nodded, her ears folding back in sadness. "That's what I feared."

"However, we will not deny you anything else as long as you are here, be it food, accomodations or distraction." She took off her hood, revealing blonde hair bound together in a ponytail.

Arcus gasped and started coughing wildly. He beat on his chest with a hoof, almost choking on his own breath.

"Please calm down. There is no need to be scared." She raised her voice a little, taking on a businesslike tone as she stood up again. "My name is Sarithra. I am a Commander of the City Guard, also the current head of Research and Development.

"Since this journey was more than exhausting for you, you may take the following two days to rest and recover. You can call for Alestus to heal you if you are injured. We will begin our research after that. The studies are classified. Any knowledge that is revealed to you will remain within the confines of this house. You may ask the guards if you have any other questions." Her gaze softened somewhat, completely ignoring the accusing stares from Jonathan and poor Arcus, who had finally managed to catch his breath again.

"Good night." Sarithra ordered the guards to open the door with a wave of her hand. "One last thing", she added, turning her head. "You may not leave Silvermoon but, given the usual restrictions for civilians, you may move about it freely. I would not want to deny you the pleasures of our shining city. And I am... sorry... for the inconvenience and the... deception", she added rather stiffly.

After she left, one of the two guards closed the door without locking it and pulled his own hood down. He was a rather young elf, with a round face, long brown hair, and the muscles of a bodyguard. He did not say anything. Instead, he sat down on a chair next to the door, looking bored. He had a peculiar air to him; somehow he managed to appear uninteresting, making everybody else in the room ignore him.

"Tch. 'Inconvenience'." Arcus stood up, looking around the room. There was a small counter at the back wall with a crystal jug of water and some glasses on it. He took the jug's handle into his mouth and poured some water into one of the glasses. After emptying the glass, he nodded over to Darren.

"So what's the deal with you two?", he asked Darren bluntly, jerking his head towards the other death knight.

Darren sighed and finally sat down. The tall elf in question leaned back against the wall, relaxing a little.

"One could say that we are... brothers in arms", said the elf. His dark voice sounded rough, as if he only used it once every few centuries.

The corners of Darren's mouth twitched. "Hum. More like cousins."

"Both of us died in the same battle", explained the Blood Elf knight.

"We were 'resurrected' and turned into Death Knights at Acherus, the Ebon Hold", continued Darren. "After regaining our free will, we parted ways. But for some reason we keep meeting each other by coincidence. It is always nice to see that someone you... like is still around, I suppose."

Twilight cleared her throat. "What's your name?", she asked the elf.

"Gladius", replied the knight.

"Wait, doesn't that mean 'sword'?"

"Yes, it does."

Arcus laughed dryly. "And I thought I lacked imagination."

Gladius glared at him with eyes that were like tunnels.

The earth pony swallowed uncomfortably. "Sorry", he muttered, averting his gaze. The atmosphere was instantly becoming heavy and awkward.

There was something wrong with Arcus, decided Jonathan. Recently, the earth pony had been on edge up to a point of constant aggravation. Was it his way of dealing with trouble? Or maybe it was still a lingering effect from the sickness Arcus had sufferd during the journey to the north? Whatever it was, Jonathan was sure this was not the right time to figure it out. There were more pressing matters to worry about. Sarithra the Commander wanted to experiment on them.

And Twilight had agreed to that - even though she had just wanted to help Jonathan get wand materials. He knew her well enough to realize that something did not add up here. When Twilight had been in Dalaran, she had done research to create a portal. This time, however, there was no need for her to help the elves. Except, of course, something bad would happen if she did not. Twilight was a nice pony. She would probably defend Sarithra's actions based on the hope that she would not go too far with her research. That was just ridiculous; Jonathan was absolutely certain that the Blood Elves did not care about the wellbeing of the two ponies, or his own for that matter. So why? Why this strange arrangement? What would the Blood Elves gain from analyzing the ponies? Did they try to get a grasp of Equestrian magic? What did Twilight mean when she said there were safeguards in place? If Sarithra thought it a necessary precaution to blackmail Twilight, the experiments would very likely be dangerous.

Jonathan sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. It seemed he was so tired that his thoughts began to run in circles. He needed a break from this nonsense.

"Well, I better get some sleep", muttered Jonathan, looking around for a bed. There was none - but he found a generous flight of stairs behind another blue curtain. He went downstairs, rubbing the itching bandage around his head.

Twilight quickly followed him. The sound of her hooves was muffled on the carpet. "Are you still mad?", she whispered.

Jonathan looked at her, furrowing his brow.

"Course I am. I'm gonna stop being mad as soon as we get home. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you, just...", he sighed, "It's those elves. You don't seriously believe they just want to run some boring, harmless tests, do you?"

They reached the bottom of the staircase and found themselves in a circular room that had six beds lined up against the curved wall. The bedsheets were covered by fluffy red blankets. A few crystals and candles hung directly below the ceiling, illuminating the room with a golden light. Twilight sat down on one of the beds and hung her head.

"I'm not clueless, Priest." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Do you remember the safeguards I mentioned? They - they..." She gulped, her eyes fixed on the carpet.

Jonathan carefully took her hoof into his hand. The alicorn was trembling!

"Calm down, Twilight", he said with a low voice. "Please tell me."

"It's Arcus", she whispered, her gaze finally meeting his. "They tagged him."

"What does that mean?"

"He is under a spell. A curse, to be exact. If... when we try to escape, they say a word and something terrible will happen to him, or even worse, to all of us. I think it's also affecting his mood. Did you notice how unbalanced he's becoming?"

"Yeah, I did. Damnit...", breathed Jonathan, wiping his mouth. "Since when?"

She shook her head. "I thought they had placed it on him when they caught you but I managed to sense something when Sarithra left. The spell is at least an entire month old!"

"Wait a second. Are you saying...?"

Twilight nodded vigorously. "Exactly!", she hissed, her eyes wide. "They must have cast the spell at about the same time we arrived in Undercity. And I have no idea how they did it."

"Can you lift it?"

"No... If I try, I might trigger its second stage. I can't risk that. I have to admit I'm not familiar enough with curses." She sniffled. "Oh, Jonathan, what do we do? I feel so bad for him." Tears flowed down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them off, nervously looking at the stairway.

Jonathan took a deep breath and massaged his temples. He felt a headache coming up.

"If we can't escape and you can't lift the curse", he said, "there aren't that many options left. Negotiation - you already tried that. But maybe we should try again. Or we wait. Maybe we can figure something out once we have more information about the whole research thing."

"That sounds reasonable", admitted Twilight. "But shouldn't we get some help from outside?"

"Oh, I didn't really think of that", muttered Jonathan. "Guess I'm still not used to having friends. Wait - do we have friends on the outside? I mean, here on Azeroth?"

Twilight's ears folded back. "The only one coming to mind is Tak. But I'm pretty sure they won't allow us to write any letters. We are trapped."

Level 16 - Last-Minute Confessions

It did not take Twilight and her friends long to get used to a daily routine in Silvermoon. Vol'Shalai usually visited the local herbalists and stayed away for hours. When he finally returned his eyes were red, he had a mild smile on his face and it was hard to get anything out of him that made any sense whatsoever.

Arcus and Darren often went to Farstrider's Square in the east of the city to hone their skills in close combat. Arcus was still mad that Sarithra had treated everyone so poorly during their involuntary journey to Silvermoon. He used his aggression to fuel his strength when he sparred with Darren and Blood Elf warriors. Darren told Twilight one evening that he was worried how fast the earth pony learned.

"We shall be careful to keep him from going on a rampage one day", he muttered to her, his icy blue eyes narrowed. "Arcus turns out to become a skilled warrior but his anger needs moderation. Twilight, do you think you can speak with him? It cannot be that he is merely angry at Sarithra. Something else seems to be bothering him."

"Why don't you try and talk to him yourself?", suggested Twilight. "You spend most of your time together. I'm sorry to admit it but I don't know Arcus half as well as I'd want to. You might have better chances of getting through to him."

Darren nodded slowly. "You are right", he admitted. "I will see what I can do. However, if I fail..."

Twilight smiled ruefully. "Of course I'll help."

•°

With the permission of his trainer, a Blood Elf called Beldis, Arcus bought a pair of small black blades that could be attached to the hoofguards on his forelegs. The dark-haired elf, who was an experienced warrior himself, showed Arcus how to put them on and how to use them without injuring himself. When Arcus bent his hooves in a certain way, the blades would snap out of their holsters - with another flick, they would retreat again. They were made of a strange steel that the weaponsmith declared to be a special Adamantite/Obsidium alloy. He claimed that it was even tougher than Saronite, the metal that Darren's sword was made of. A set of runes ran along the right blade, enchanted by Jonathan who enjoyed the challenge of putting a powerful spell on somebody's weapons. He did not tell Arcus what the enchantment was about, though, "so you don't get too confident in your weapons and start relying on them too much", he said. Arcus frowned at that but did not ask again. He was just glad about getting trained and equipped - though he had a suspicion that Beldis had permitted it out of guilt.

Nothing that the friends did happened unsupervised. Gladius was mostly the one who watched Arcus and Darren during the day and stood guard at the door at night. The other guard who was apparently a rogue took it upon himself to escort Twilight to the research facilities.

Twilight did not spend her time fighting or smoking herbs. She insisted that she was supposed to be the one to uphold the bargain with the elves. When her friends left for their daily activities, she would join Sarithra and her... associates in their experiments. They would go to the Bazaar in the middle of Silvermoon, then through a relatively small door, across the Dead Scar that cut right through the city and then into one of the many seemingly abandoned buildings that could be found in the western, derelict half of Silvermoon.

Twilight remembered Darren telling her that half of the city was abandoned. Sarithra admitted that it was not really empty. While the eastern half was still - or again - in good shape, the western half had been left behind by the Blood Elves, only to get populated by roaming 'Wretched' that were addicted to magic and tended to attack unfortunate wanderers to suck up their magical powers. Twilight felt faintly reminded of changelings when she heard that. Many of the houses were derelict and overgrown with weeds. Still, once you advanced further through the old corridors you could find yourself in restored areas. That's where the Department of Research and Development - which, as Twilight soon understood, was a synonym for Department of Dealing With The Scourge Plague - was located. Here they had their offices and laboratories, far away from the unsuspecting citizens of Silvermoon.

At first they asked Twilight a lot of questions about who she was, where she came from and, most importantly, specifics about her physiology. She answered a few - but not all - of their questions and made sure not to mention any means to get to Equestria. She also dodged the questions about her time in Dalaran. Twilight was not sure how the elves had gotten wind of it but she had to admit to herself that it was not entirely impossible.

•°

A week after their arrival in Silvermoon, the real experiments began. Sarithra's elves had a big greenhouse where they kept an incredibly abundant variety of plants. They would shower the plants with different fluids, spread powder on the soil and treat the plants in all kinds of ways. It took Twilight only a few minutes to realize that the entire vegetation of the greenhouse was sick to the core. The plants were twisted and broken, most of them covered with colorful spores and dark mushrooms that gave off a disgusting smell. Twilight occasionally left the greenhouse in a hurry to get to the next toilet. She was profoundly relieved as she discovered that the Blood Elves were familiar with good plumbing.

The only positive thing that could be said about the greenhouse was that the elves had put lots of protective enchantments in place and also wore a special enchanted garment every time they entered the humid halls. They had even made a pony-shaped suit for Twilight. She felt weird wearing it and could not stretch her wings but of course it was better than getting sick or infecting Clara, Jonathan's sunflower, when she returned to 'their' house.

Every day that Twilight returned 'home' she felt more tired. She flopped her saddlebags down on the floor, dragged herself to the table and ate something that Jonathan had prepared. He always greeted her with a smile and she felt extremely grateful for that. After dinner, Twilight completed her notes on the experiments and watered Clara. That was usually the time when Arc and Darren returned from their training.

Twilight noticed that Gladius was warming up to her friends. They included him in their conversations, discussing their training and all kinds of things they noticed about Silvermoon. Jonathan and Gladius got along especially well. They did not have much in common; Jonathan was one who loved writing spells and enchanting artifacts while Gladius was mostly interested in learning how to better absorb and disrupt magic.

To Twilight, that seemed a little odd. Jonathan always said how hard it was to make friends in Azeroth. Up to now, almost everybody that the had met had become a friend. When she told him about her observation one evening, Twilight caught Jonathan off guard.

"Well", he said, clearing his throat, "now that you mention it... It's kind of weird. It's gotta have something to do with you, I guess."

"Me?" Twilight held a hoof to her chest. "I know I'm the 'Princess of Friendship' but I didn't use any magic to gain the trust of anypony here."

Jonathan shrugged. "If you say so."

Gladius, who was watching the two of them, shifted his weight around. He never sat down for some reason, a fact which slightly irritated Twilight. The knight was really tall, taller even than Jonathan, so he always towered over everyone in the room whenever he was present.

"It might be your aura", he said. Noticing Twilight's confused glance, Gladius explained, "Both you and Arcus are emitting a faint magical aura that is unlike that of beings from Azeroth. However, Jonathan's aura also has traces of the same magic."

"It does?" Jonathan raised his brows, then knitted them together in a frown. "Wait a minute. How come you can tell and Twilight can't?"

Gladius rolled his eyes. "I am a Blood Death Knight. I fight by using the life force of my opponent. So believe me when I say that I know exactly what your aura feels like."

Jonathan shivered. "O-kay", he said uneasily. "Let's just leave it at that."

"Relax", said Gladius, the corner of his mouth turning upwards in what counted as a friendly smirk for thim. "I will not try to absorb any of it again. Darren's was quite enough."

Twilight jumped to her hooves, her eyes wide. "Darren has it, too?", she exclaimed, a sparkle in her eye as the science enthusiast in her returned to the surface.

Gladius simply nodded. "Less than Jonathan, but still noticeable."

Jonathan rubbed his chin. "Interesting... oh, hey, Twilight, you all right?" He quickly stretched out his arm to catch Twilight who had begun to get wobbly knees after standing up too quickly.

"I think I'll go to bed", muttered Twilight, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hoof. The spark in her eyes was gone again. Jonathan sighed.

"You sure? I bought you some fruit at the market today. Imported from Tel'Abim!" Jonathan grabbed a banana from the wooden bowl on the table and waved it invitingly in front of Twilight's muzzle.

She lowered her gaze with a tired smile. "Okay. I suppose I should really eat something. Thanks."

Twilight was always happy that Jonathan tried to cheer her up by helping her with the notes and getting her delicious and fruity treats. He gave her a hug every day, a sweet gesture that relaxed her just enough so she could sleep at night.

She was not entirely sure what Jonathan did during the day. He did not talk about it as much as Arcus. He seemed to be studying magic and enchanting, seeking out the local archives as often as he was allowed. Jonathan also appeared to get a little calmer during the weeks. Twilight suspected that he visited some Paladins once in a while for prayer sessions. Was he looking for guidance? Or did he train using the holy Light?

•°

After the plants came the critters. From that point on, Twilight began to deeply despise the experiments. All the big and small woodland creatures were held in large cages which gave them lots of space to move around in. Similar to the greenhouse, the critter house both figuratively and literally stank to high heavens. If anything it was even worse. Most of the creatures sat on the branches or on the grass or in their caves doing nothing at all. Some animals ran around like crazy, especially the wild bears, wolves and other predators. There was a hunted look in their eyes and it often happened that they tore each other apart in a frenzy. The elves would clean up the carcasses once in a while. The animals did not touch them after their fits of madness.

"Don't they need to eat?", asked Twilight, confused about the critters' behavior.

"No", answered Sarithra, looking at her with a deep sadness in her green eyes. "They are undead. They don't need to."

"Oh my goodness", whispered Twilight. "The poor things."

It was a good thing Fluttershy was not here. Twilight was not sure if the timid pegasus could even bear to see living things in so much pain. Finding out about the state of the woodland creatures made Twilight double her efforts to help the elves. But she still insisted on doing it alone.

After about sixty days of working in the labs and greenhouses, Sarithra asked Twilight something that she had apparently waited for the entire time.

"I don't know", said Twilight when she was asked. "I can't ask my friends to take part in your experiments. You see, I helped you with my magic. I analyzed the creatures along with your doctors. I gave you hair from my mane and spit, feathers and even a blood sample for Celestia's sake! This is getting beyond creepy and I don't like it. I can see why you want to heal the critters and the plants. They are suffering, okay, I get that, but this is going too far. There is no cure for the Plague! It's become pretty obvious by now. The tests all indicate the same thing: that the symptoms can be improved by a tiny bit but besides that the curse always remains. You're grasping at straws, Sarithra, and I'm sure you know it."

"You think so? Can you really understand?", asked Sarithra. "Do you realize what we are trying to do here?" She sighed, lowering her voice as she continued, "I must admit that you have cooperated well. I have grown fond of you, Twilight Sparkle. You are a smart pony, honest and an extraordinarily skilled mage. However, research on plants and animals can only get us so far. We need to run tests on people. We also need to examine a cured specimen in order to figure out a way to bridge the gap between healing animals and humanoids. Your friend Mr Baker holds the answer to our research!" She stepped closer to Twilight, even kneeling down before her until their eyes were on the same level. The elf lowered her voice to a whisper. "He has been killed by the curse of Undeath - and returned to life! This has never happened in all the time since the Scourge ruined our city. His secret may be our one chance to reclaim our home, our lands, our families! How can you deny us that?"

Twilight averted her face with a frown. "I'm sorry, Sarithra. This is not my decision to make. You will have to ask him yourself."

•°

"No." Jonathan crossed his arms. "No way. I'm not gonna become your guinea pig. How stupid do you think I am? You'll infect me again! I am not going to take that chance."

Twilight glanced from Jonathan over to Sarithra. The three of them were back in 'the house'. Arcus sat on the bed, listening to their discussion and occasionally looking to the door to see if Vol'Shalai would return.

"Jonathan -", Darren started but he was interrupted by the upset Priest.

"No means no. I'd rather die! Properly, of course", he added in a mutter.

Gladius, who was watching the group today, raised an eyebrow. Sarithra turned to him, looking for allies. "Would you not want to live again?"

He shrugged. "Who could resist the temptation?"

"Exactly!", said Jonathan, raising both hands as if trying to grasp the air in front of him. "And I want to stay that way, thank you very much." He turned away.

"Yes, alright, you made that perfectly clear, human", snapped Sarithra. "But this is not just about you. This is about our people!"

"Your people", emphasized Jonathan, spinning around and pointing at the elf. "I may be a member of the Horde, but this is going way beyond loyalty. I would answer to you if, I don't know, Lady Sylvanas was Warchief and she'd order me to help you. Maybe. And I'd still hate you for it."

Darren snorted, a spark of amusement in his eye. "The Banshee Queen as Warchief of the Horde? A fool's dream if I ever heard of one", he muttered.

"Sort of proves my point, doesn't it?", said Jonathan. "No way you guys would obey the orders of a dead person, isn't that right? You would spend the rest of your ridiculously long elf lives searching for a cure that doesn't exist rather than count your blessings and fucking get over it!"

"But you have been healed!", insisted Sarithra, raising her voice to match Jonathan's. "The Scourge has left their mark on you, boy, and you cannot escape your responsibility."

"Responsibility my ass", spat Jonathan. "Twilight's my responsibility. She helped me get here to get a wand. I promised to get her and Arc home in one piece." His frown deepened and he crossed his arms once again, thus creating a barrier between him and the elf. "You're never gonna change my mind. So just stop trying. I'm done with your shit."

Sarithra clenched her fists, her left eye twitching dangerously. She spun around and all but stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Jonathan uncrossed his arms and pressed his hands against the wall, trying to take deep breaths.

Gladius slowly shook his head.

"Well, that went just great", commented Arcus. "Way to piss off the people who have the means to blackmail us. Even though I still don't know what exactly they blackmailed us with. You never told us, did you, Twilight?"

Twlight's ears splayed back. She cleared her throat. "I'm not sure I should tell you today."

"Well, maybe you should", said Jonathan, turning away from the wall. His hands were still shaking a bit. He flexed his fingers, chewing on his tongue in anger. Sarithra's request had unnerved him more than he liked to admit even though he had seen it coming from a mile away.

"No", said Twilight firmly.

"Fine, whatever!", grunted Arcus. "Way to trust us, Oh Mighty Alicorn Princess of Friendship." He got off his bed and went upstairs. They could hear the door slam once again.

Twilight fell on her rump as her knees gave way. She covered her face with her hooves.

Darren frowned at Jonathan. "What do you intend to do once the Commander returns?"

"How should I know? She's probably gonna return with a fricking army and take me by force." His eyes widened as the realization struck him. "Holy shit! She's gonna return with a fricking army and take my by force! We've got to get out of here and quick!"

Twilight sobbed into her hooves. "But we can't!"

Jonathan groaned, holding his forehead in frustration. "The spell they put on Arcus. They will trigger it if I refuse again."

"Most likely", nodded Darren. "We should fetch him before things go south."

"I will do that", Gladius said suddenly.

Darren looked at the other Death Knight. "You are leaving your post to help us?"

"There is something about these ponies..." Gladius trailed off with a dark frown. "Don't you dare tell my superiors."

Darren smirked. "I would not dream of it."

Gladius nodded curtly, took his runeblade, and left.

"What about the other warden? The guy with the brown hair, what's-his-face, Endiron?", said Jonathan.

"The rogue? He will be lurking in the shadows, watching the house as always... Ah. He will notice Gladius leaving", realized Darren, frowning. "I will go pack our things. You take care of Twilight, Priest."

He gave Jonathan a stern look, the sort a father gives his upstart son who tends to get into trouble one too many times. Jonathan felt his hair stand on end as the temperature dropped by a few degrees. He chewed on his tongue, biting back a snappy reply. What did Darren think Jonathan had been doing over the last few months?

Thankfully, Darren turned his back to gather the food and supplies. The air warmed up until the temperature had returned to its previous level. Their bedroom/livingroom looked much more homely than a month ago, with all the books and other things lying around. Even Arcus had arranged his personal belongings on top of a dresser, including a tiny framed picture of his wife. Now Darren ran around the house, cleaning everything up as quickly as possible and separating the important stuff from leftovers and trash. He rummaged in a chest and found Jonathan's backpack as well as Arc's saddlebags.

Jonathan sighed and turned to Twilight who was still sitting on the ground. He crouched down next to her.

"Twilight. I'm sorry. I just can't."

She sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes. Jonathan's stomach shrivelled as he realized that she cried because of him.

"Oh, dear Light, I'm so sorry", he whispered. "I don't know how to deal with this. But it's not your fault. I dragged you into this, idiot that I am. For a stupid wand of all things. And now you're the one who's been working your flank off to help the elves with a lost cause."

Twilight hiccuped. "No, it's my f-fault. I should have considered all the options when we planned out our quest. I mean, I knew that it would be dangerous. We've both been to Azeroth before. Or at least I sh-should have been able to rescue you. I'm the worst princess ever. Everything has gotten... completely", she took a breath, "out of control."

"Yeah, it has", sighed Jonathan. He pulled her into a hug, stroking her mane. "But it's still not your fault."

•°

Arcus meekly knocked on the door. As nopony answered, he let himself in. Gladius had told him that he should return to the house, then left him to his own devices as he ran away to Farstrider's Square. Still wondering why the knight would shirk his duty of watching the ponies, Arcus shook his head. Gladius had sounded worried. Closing the door with a click, Arcus cleared his throat.

"Twilight?"

Arcus approached the alicorn. Twilight looked up from packing her saddlebags. Her ears flicked towards him as he spoke.

"Hello, Arcus", she said, her voice trembling a little. Arcus winced as he noticed the bags under her eyes indicating that Twilight had been crying. "I'm glad you're back. We need to get going. Darren just packed your things. Gladius is still gone, I don't know what's keeping him." She continued packing, thankful she did not need to pretend to be busy since she actually had to hurry.

"Thanks, but... Twilight, I need to talk to you." Arcus dug at the ground with his hoof.

Twilight sighed and put down the tin cups she had been holding in her magic.

"Alright, but please make it quick. I don't want anypony to get hurt... more."

Arcus gulped. "I'm sorry. For what I said. That was mean. And it wasn't true. I do trust you, Twilight. And I know you trust us. But there's something I need to tell you. I've put it off for far too long, to be honest."

Twilight took the tin cups and levitated them into the saddlebags. Those had been the last pieces to pack. She stood up as she had been sitting on her haunches. Twilight faced Arcus, giving him her full attention. A confused expression flashed across her muzzle, a mixture of curiousity and a sad smile.

"I... I've been to Silvermoon before", admitted Arcus, his face flushing in shame.

Jonathan raised from his bed, almost knocking over the nightstand as he shot to his feet. His jaw had dropped along with Twilight's. Darren's mouth was slightly open, too. Then he raised his brows.

"That explains it", Darren said matter-of-factly.

"Explains what?", called Jonathan. "How in the world could you have been here before? You were with us the entire time! This isn't the moment to be messing around, Arc!"

"I'm not messing around!", insisted Arcus. "I'm telling the truth. I was here when we were in Undercity. There was this Translocation Orb that I touched and it teleported me to the Bazaar after I escaped a fight with a Forsaken and..."

"Wait a second", Twilight interrupted him, massaging her temples. "When was that exactly? And where was that orb?"

"I think I know where it is", said Jonathan as it dawned on him. "Remember when Arcus took that walk that lasted for hours and we looked for him in the ruins of Lordaeron?"

Twilight nodded, frowning.

"That's when it must have happened. Because there's an orb just like that in one of the ruins. Up some stairs to the left when you come out of the bell tower, am I right, Arc?"

This time, Arcus nodded and cleared his throat. "I met Sarithra back then. She was the one who'd made sure I was healed. And then Beldis gave me some basic warrior training in exchange for my secrecy. I thought we wouldn't go to Silvermoon anyway. I had no idea they would be spying on us, I swear!" His pleading eyes met Twilight's.

Darren hummed thoughtfully. "Was that when they gave you the red crystal?"

Arcus's eyes went wide as the memory resurfaced. "The red crystal? Yeah!" He frowned. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen it since the abduction. Do you have any idea...?"

"I smashed it", said Twilight with a mixture of smugness and guilt. "They hid it in Clara's flowerpot but I found it. Darren told me it was dangerous so I destroyed it and scattered the shards."

"Good riddance", mumbled Arcus, relieved that at least one problem had been taken care of.

"Not that it helped us", said Jonathan with a frown. "Sari's still got the trump card up her sleeve."

Arcus perked up. "She does?"

Twilight heaved a deep sigh and raised her head.

"Thank you for apologizing, Arcus. But I'm sorry, too. I must tell you something as well." She looked into his eyes. "About Sarithra's way of blackmailing me. Or... us, to be exact. The Elves did something to keep me obedient. They knew I would never hurt my friends. They... they tagged you, Arcus."

"They what?!", shrieked Arcus, his eyes wide.

"They tagged you", repeated Darren. "It is a tracking spell, most likely. They can say a word and the Light knows what will happen to you. Imagine yourself... dispersed across the house, for instance."

"Those bucking Blood Elves!", shouted Arcus, kicking the wall in frustration. Tiny bits of dust and a surprised spider fell off the ceiling. "And here I thought they wanted to to something that matters! This world sucks." He stomped his hoof, then started pacing up and down. "I so wanna smash that she-elf's face in. Like, right now."

"You may get the chance to do that very soon", commented Darren evenly, rolling up the last blanket. "Sarithra is on her way here. Very likely in company of other Blood Elves I am not particularly eager to get acquainted with. We should depart. Now."

"Vol'Shalai is still not back", said Twilight, closing her saddlebags with her magic. "We can't leave him behind."

"Yes, we can", cut Jonathan in. "He stayed voluntarily. They will let him leave because he doesn't know what the experiments were really all about. Besides, we're out of time. We don't have that much of a choice."

Twilight hesitated. Leaving a friend behind did not sit well with her. But Vol'Shalai was a Shaman. He actually had good chances of escaping by himself should he get into trouble. At least that was the impression she had gotten from him. When they had encountered him under the bridge, he had easily held his ground against two opponents at once.

Maybe they elves would interrogate him. He did not know anything but that would probably not stop them from trying to get information out of him. On the other hoof, they had been watched by Gladius and that Rogue Endiron all the time. Even sometimes - she shuddered slightly - in their sleep. There was nothing they had done in Silvermoon that Sarithra did not know about. It was unlikely that Vol'Shalai would get into the worst kind of trouble. Right? Twilight sighed sadly, making a decision.

"I'm afraid you're right. I hate to leave a friend behind. It just feels so wrong. But we have no choice; we have to go now if we want to escape at all."

"Good thing we're still in armor", said Arcus. "Come on, Twilight, remove the spell from me."

"I shouldn't", said Twilight with a hint of hysteria, "I might trigger -"

"I! Don't! Care!", shouted Arcus. "Just do it!"

Twilight flinched and her ears folded back. She backed away from the fuming stallion. As he saw her reaction, Arcus looked away in embarrassment. He took a deep breath. Then another one.

"I'm sorry", he said, ruffling his short blue mane. "I didn't mean to get so loud. Please, remove it."

Twilight swallowed. "Are you really sure about that?"

"Yes! Hurry, Twilight, please!", he urged.

She sighed once again and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. Her horn lit up as she cast a spell. As the glow of her magic expanded and embraced Arcus, he started floating in midair, encased in the pink bubble. The glow grew stonger as Twilight focused on the bonds of the tracking spell that the Blood Elves had placed on him.

"Why is it taking so long?", whispered Jonathan.

"There are three spells woven into each other", said Twilight, her voice strained from the effort. "Plus, they were hidden really well. I just cancelled out the first one. The next two will be more difficult.

"Ah-ha!" She smiled as a flash of light erupted from her horn, bathing everyone in an eerie light. "That's it! Only one spell left."

Arcus shivered, still afloat in the middle of the room. He paled visibly under his green coat and hugged his stomach. "I don't feel so good."

Twilight began humming a strange melody, probably an incantation, and reared. She raised her horn higher, her face scrunched up in concentration. Her wings unfolded instinctively to keep her balance. "Hold on, Arcus, just one more spell!" The light flashed once again and Arcus fell unceremoniously to the ground, collapsing into a small heap.

"I feel sick", he complained. He struggled to get back on his hooves, fighting back the urge to lose his dinner.

Twilight lowered her head, a faint smile on her muzzle. "I think that did it. The spells are gone." Arcus held his belly, his face still as pale as death, and nodded. "Thank you, Twilight." He shakily held out a hoof and Twilight bumped it. They both did not feel up to hugging right now.

All of them (except Darren) jumped when somebody pounded at the door. Two seconds later, the door slammed against the wall as it was opened by brute force.

"I don't think they are very happy about us leaving", said Jonathan. Everyone quickly grabbed their belongings. Darren drew his sword and Arcus unsheathed his own blades. When Twilight strapped her saddlebags around her barrel, the sunflower inside squeaked with surprise. "Sorry, Clara", whispered Twilight.

"No, indeed I am not. What a disappointment you are", said Sarithra angrily. She had not bothered to put her own armor on. However, she was holding both of her maces up and took an offensive stance. Twilight frowned; the elf seemed tired. There were bags under her green eyes and her golden hair looked slightly less perfectly groomed than it usually was.

"We're outnumbered", stated Darren. The elves entered the house, speading out to every corner of the room. "Slightly", he added after a moment of consideration.

"I don't care." Arcus smirked darkly. He dashed towards the next elf, who happened to be a mage, and stunned him by smacking his own body against him at a dazzling speed.

Darren quickly followed suit and threw himself at two elves at once. He parried their strikes, swiftly pushing the halberd and axe out of the way, and started carving his way through his opponents.

Twilight lit up her horn, creating a magic barrier between the elves and her friends. Then she cast a spell to send arcane missiles at their feet, accidentally setting the transparent blue curtain on fire in the process.

Jonathan ducked and barely dodged an arrow. What kind of a madman used bow and arrow indoors? He took cover behind the table and began his chanting. Golden rays enveloped his hands as the Light created a forcefield around Twilight - she was not shielding herself - and he threw a fiery lance at Sarithra.

There was chaos everywhere. It was hard to make out a thing with all the flashes of magical light and the noise of blades clashing. The elves were not easy to fight; after Arcus' quick surprise attack they fought back with vigor. Jonathan secretly admired the grace with which Sarithra moved around as she dodged his attacks, circling him and looking for an opening to punch him with her maces. His own shield was still holding but would probably fizzle out before long. Still, he had expected more elves to come.

Arcus was busy with his third opponent, pummelling him into oblivion. He tried not to rely on his blades too often but sometimes he would use them to parry attacks and keep the elves at bay. It worked surprisingly well. Was that the enchantment?

It was getting colder with every minute. Jonathan shivered; the water in the crystal jug on the table had frozen over. Darren looked like he was having the time of his life which unnerved Jonathan a bit. He would never get used to Death Knights fighting.

"Thank you for the training." Darren grinned at Arcus. Both of them managed to drive three elves against the wall. Darren stabbed one of them with his sword. A violet mist rose from the unfortunate elf's mouth and eyes and into the Death Knight's runeblade. With a hint of regret, Darren pulled his sword back before he could absorb all of his life force. The elf merely lost consciousness. His lips had turned blue and tiny flakes of snow covered his long dark hair.

Arcus tackled one of the other two. Judging by her red and purple robes and the spells she used it must be a mage. He punched the elf into the stomach, interrupting her spellcasting mid-sentence. The mage bent over, grunting in pain. Her hand got hold of Arcus's hoof. He twisted it and the grip loosened. Arcus jumped onto the elf's back, forcing her down with a muffled thud. He raised his forehooves, rearing on the spine of the mage, then stuck both blades into her back with an enraged roar.

Arcus rolled off the elf who emptied her lungs in a long last breath. The green light in her eyes faded as she looked at something far away.

Thuck.

A sharp pain in his right flank made Arcus cry in pain and forget the dying elf. Something was stuck in his hindleg, something sharp. He hissed, struggling to get back on his hooves, and faced his next opponent. The hunter's bowstring still vibrated from the shot he had released. With an angry scream, Arcus charged.

Jonathan panted heavily as he tried to hold his ground. He was still fighting with Sarithra, a fact which seemed to anger her greatly. It was only thanks to his agility, lightweight clothing and support of the Light that she had not managed to land all too heavy hits on him.

"You should be ashamed of yourself", Jonathan chastised her as he raised his hand to throw another beam of Holy Light at Sarithra. He tried hard to ignore the pain in his left arm; her mace had hit him sometime during the fight. He felt a bit dizzy from dodging her swings. "I mean, tricking Arcus? Blackmailing Twilight? Expecting me to die for your kodoshit after treating us the way you did? Do only elf lives count or what? You're just another bitch with double standards!"

Wow, Sarithra actually looked embarrassed as he said that. Her movements slowed down for a second. Jonathan used the breather to look around the house. The elves were far from defeated but the door was momentarily unguarded.

"Twilight!", shouted Jonathan as soon as he realized that. "Out!"

She nodded and her horn lit up once again. A flash of arcane light blinded everyone as she teleported herself outside along with her three friends.

They could hear the surprised gasp from inside the house. Sarithra shouted something, then a pack of angry elves dashed out and after them.

"Run", suggested Darren, pointing at the gate which marked the left end of the alleyway. It was already dark so there was not much going on in the streets. Jonathan saw that lamps were being lit in the neighboring houses, probably by the elves woken up by the ruckus.

They sprinted towards the gate, running for their lives. Darren was at the front, Twilight at the back. She flapped her wings and rose into the air. Twilight flew ahead of Arcus, casting another forcefield spell to shield them from arrows and frostbolts.

"They're holding back, aren't they?" she shouted.

"They want us alive", Darren agreed. "Never mind that. To the Shepherd's Gate!"

"We're never gonna make it that far", panted Jonathan as they emerged from the other side of the gate. The elves were catching up. Jonathan turned around and threw more lances of holy fire at them. The first two of the pursuers screamed in pain as the beams hit them, holding up the entire group as they bent over in pain.

The gate was not very wide, being in the inner parts of Silvermoon City. It was not even guarded. Twilight thought this was odd. She remembered the gate being flanked by at least four elves during the day.

There was no time to dwell on this, though. They ran along a short alley, passing another gate - the two guards were shot down by arcane missiles from Twilight and a frost spell from Darren - and entered a wide square.

"The Bazaar", said Darren. "Light damn it, we took the wrong turn." He grimaced and turned around, his face unusually alive with emotion. "This is hopeless." He pointed his large sword at the foremost pursuer, trapping his feet within chains of ice that appeared out of thin air.

"We can't escape through here", said Arcus, catching up with Darren. "We went straight ahead. But we should have taken a left turn before the last gate."

Twilight, however, was distracted by something else. She looked up as she noticed a blue light floating across the marketplace.

"What's that?", she asked, pointing at the light.

"Dunno. Looks kinda familiar", answered Arcus. "Anyway, keep going!"

They ran to the middle of the plaza where a small, circular building stood, surrounded by a group of golden-leaved trees and perfectly rectangular bushes. It was the auction house, empty at this time of the day. Jonathan knew that there was a platform at the back of the small room. They needed a place to hold their ground. He just hoped that they could defeat the pursuers before reinforcements would arrive. Their chances of escape were dwindling with every second.

"Auction house!", shouted Jonathan, pointing at the building. The four friends ran for it.

They did not get far. Backup had arrived from the opposite side of the plaza. Twilight skidded to a halt next to Arcus as she realized they were surrounded. The saddlebags felt heavy on her back. She tried to catch her breath without making it too obvious how much out of shape she was.

Sarithra grinned with satisfaction as she ordered her warriors to apprehend them.

As the elves approached, a high-pitched squeak made everyone stop and look up.

Arcus' eyes widened with surprise and disbelief. Jonathan mouth split into a wide smile until he grinned from ear to ear.

Six enormous bats descended over the Bazaar, each mounted by a heavily armed Forsaken warrior. They were accompanied by a familiar undead griffin and a small blue light that swiftly materialized into a translucent pegasus pony. Her long mane and tail flowed around her as if she was underwater.

"Hello, Priest", said the pegasus ghost. She smiled serenely, watching the dumbfounded elves as they looked to their leader, uncertain what to do.

"Get them!", shouted Sarithra, her face twisted in rage. She raised her maces and stormed towards the Forsaken riders.

The pegasus ghost spread her wings wide, opened her mouth and gave off a long, otherwordly scream. It made the elves stumble. Some of them even fell to the ground, instinctively but ineffectively covering their long ears. Twilight gasped in fear as she felt her heart literally skip a beat.

"Quickly, get on the mounts!", shouted one of the Forsaken - a woman with her face hidden behind a mask - and stretched out an arm to help Arcus onto the back of her bat. Twilight and Jonathan hurried to get into the saddles of the other bats while Darren mounted his undead griffin.

The pegasus screamed her banshee screech once again, buying the rescuers time to take of. All of the mounts flapped their wings in quick succession. They ascended from the square, barely dodging the arrows and fireballs of the remaining elves.

Twilight could hear Sarithra's enraged scream fade away behind her.

"Levinia! How did you find us?", she shouted against the wind as they flew over the rooftops, quickly gaining height. Her ears were still ringing from the banshee screams but she had suspicions that she was better off than Sarithra and the poor Blood Elves. Their faces had been contorted with enormous pain.

"Bane showed us", answered the pegasus, grinning widely. She floated alongside the bats with ease, flapping her wings only out of habit.

"Bane? Who's that?", asked Twilight, completely confused.

Levinia pointed her hoof at the griffin. "He can't talk... but he's undead, like me and these humans, so we figured something out to understand what he wants. Also, there was this troll."

"But you... how did you get here? And -"

"Later", said Levinia. She did not need to shout since her ghostly voice resonated within Twilight's mind. "First, let's get out of here."

Twilight nodded and could not help but smile and close her eyes as the bats left Silvermoon behind. They raced towards the sea in the West and soon the bats left the coastline behind, the stars above them and the ocean below.

Finally, they were free! But dear Celestia, she definitely had enough of elves for a while.

Author's Note

I swear, I have nothing against Blood Elves, I actually like them. But it's just too damn easy to make them want to fight the Scourge... :trollestia: I imagine that people this old can have trouble with letting things go.

Oh, and I'm going to post the remaining chapters in quick succession. It's actually finished. Proofreading and editing is the only thing left to do. :)

Thanks for the positive feedback so far! If you see any typos you can send me a PM.

Level 17 - The Friend on The Outside

The bats swiftly sailed across the bay, the coast always to their left. Twilight felt exhaustion take over even though it was cold and the saddlebags were heavy on her back. She had not had the time to pack them properly, with the weight equally split up between both sides. On top of that, she had to hold on to the saddle with her hooves since there were no safety belts this time. Her head tilted forward, bopping against the back of the bat rider. He turned his head back to her, mild concern on his pale green, half-rotten face.

"Sorry", muttered Twilight, too tired to even care about his features being horribly distorted from decay.

•°

Vol'Shalai dragged himself along the street, careful not to bump into any of the elves that crossed his path. There were not that many of them around, it was after sunset and everyone was either having fun at the taverns or heading home.

Once again he had been unsuccessful. He sighed even though he was still feeling a bit high from the 'shrooms. While not all Troll Shamans used this method, he could usually get good visions by meditating, chanting and exposing his lungs and stomach too all kinds of... medicine.

Two weeks ago or so, he had actually seen a grey pony just like Twilight in his visions, except she'd had no horn, just wings. And, he had to admit, she had been prettier than Twilight. The pony had a really long flowing mane and tail and a slender build. When he told her that she was pretty - with all the respect one had to show the Loa - they had talked for a while. She had asked where he was. Which was weird. Usually the Loa knew where everybody was. Vol'Shalai had told her about Silvermoon and the ponies and she seemed to be very interested. Once his vision of the pony Loa faded away, he promised himself to shut up about it until he'd figure out what it meant.

He had failed to get another vision since then which angered him a bit. The Sparkle pony was not supposed to know but Vol'Shalai had gathered enough from her talking with the boys that he knew what the experiments were all about. He just had been too chinked to respond properly. However, as he noticed Twilight and Arcus getting more and more edgy with time he put even more effort into trying to get an answer from the Loa what his role was in all of this. That, of course, resulted in him getting even more unresponsive in the evenings.

Vol'Shalai stopped as his feet bumped against a door. Whoops, he was already back. Good thing he knew the way by heart. He pushed the door open and -

Wait a tick. This was no door. This was an upturned table. He let his gaze wander about the room.

The house was a mess. The furniture was strewn about the floor, most of it broken or burned. There was nothing left of the curtains except smoldering blue heaps of cloth in the corner. The pillows looked like they had been through a goblin shredder machine. The crystal jug was no more; crystal shards covered the floor, surrounding a block of ice that was slowly melting. There was the smell of burnt wood with a hint of fresh blood in the air. And there were suspiciously dark smudges on the carpet.

Vol'Shalai frowned. Apparently he had missed all the fun. He picked up the ice block, sniffing on it, then licked it cautiously. This looked like either Darren's work... or a frost mage's. Jonnie's backpack was gone and so were the saddlebags. Had the ponies been abducted or had they managed to escape?

He crouched behind the charred sofa as he heard heavy footsteps approaching, accompanied by a woman shouting commands. Two elves entered the house, one of them making some noise with their plate armor, the other almost none.

"Search the house." Vol'Shalai rolled his eyes. That must be Sarithra. Annoying bitch that she was. She sounded pretty aggravated.

He risked a look around the sofa. Yep, that was Sarithra. And Gladius. The knight stopped, noticing the movement, then relaxed a little as he recognized the shaman.

Vol'Shalai raised his eyebrows, asking a silent question.

The corner of Gladius's mouth curled upwards. Then he started searching the house while thoroughly ignoring the troll. So that's how it was. Vol'Shalai nodded, retreaing behind the sofa again. Nice to know someone among the elves was not a selfish ponce after all.

Vol'Shalai closed his eyes and took a totem from his pouch, focusing on his connection with the Spirits of the Wild. He could feel himself shifting over to the spiritual plane as he shrunk in size. Vol'Shalai crouched down until he was on all fours.

Sarithra did not even notice the spirit wolf that jumped over the table in the doorway.

The wolf picked up the pace as soon as he was on the street. He hurried through the alleys and gates, passing unconscious guards and some healers on the way without slowing down. It did not take him long to get to the Shepherd's Gate. The wolf ran across the white stone bridge that marked the entrance to Silvermoon. Turning to his right in a wide arc, he skipped over a group of annoyingly well-cut bushes, heading into the woods.

Once the walls of Silvermoon were out of sight, the wolf slowed down into a trot, then stopped walking. He reared, shifting back to the material plane while turning into a troll.

Vol'Shalai laughed. If Sarithra was in such a bad mood it could only mean one thing. He raised his fist, happily punching the air.

Good for them to escape. He did a little dance, waving his axe around to thank the Loa, then calmed down again.

He took a sip from one of his many pumpkin bottles, then rubbed his long chin. Where would they go now? He pondered that for a moment. Somehow, it seemed unlikely to him that the ponies would return to the Plaguelands. No, Jonnie would probably lead them back to Lordaeron as quickly as possible. Wherever they meant to go, in order to get someplace else they had to regroup and restock. Plus, the zeppelin tower was halfway between Undercity and the neighboring town Brill so it was likely they would head there.

Vol'Shalai nodded, wiping his hands on his pants. Alright then, Undercity it was. He started walking, heading straight for the Dead Scar. He was pretty sure the flight master was to be found somewhere around these parts.

•°

They kept flying for hours. Thankfully, neither Twilight nor anyone else fell off the bats. She woke up to the cold wind and to a jolt as the bat abruptly changed altitude.

Twilight looked back: The sea was still visible in her back but there was no more water below. Instead, tall brown mountains spread as far as the eye could see. Their tops were covered with snow. She poked the Forsaken rider in the back with her hoof. He turned his head a little, indicating that he had noticed.

"Excuse me", shouted Twilight over the wind, "Where are we headed?"

"Western Plaguelands, then Undercity", replied the Forsaken. Twilight nodded, more to herself.

"Are we going to land soon?", she asked.

The rider nodded, pointing at a small valley Twilight had not previously noticed. His hand was covered by a gauntlet. A bony wrist was exposed as he stretched his arm. Yes, definitely undead. He took the reins again. "Just a little longer, then we can get you a blanket." He turned his head a little for Twilight to see his smirk.

She smiled back sheepishly and nodded a Thanks.

Behind her, the other bats squawked as they also changed course. They turned to their left in a wide arc, descending quickly. Twilight managed to catch a glimpse of Arcus. He was splayed over the saddle of a bat, looking rather unhappy. He left a trail of food behind which disappeared between the few clouds that were scattered about. Twilight grimaced and faced forward again.

•°

"Oh, look", said Jonathan, drawing his hand out of Twilight's blue saddlebag. "Herbs."

Twilight blushed. "I completely forgot about those. They could have made such great healing potions! We used up all the others in Silvermoon..." She rolled her eyes. "Wait", her ears perked up, "do I still have the cauldron?"

"Yep", said Jonathan, "I could feel it in there... somewhere..." His hand disappeared in the saddlebag once more, revealing the small black cauldron. "Catch." He tossed it over to Twilight who caught it in her magic. She happily set it down on the small fire that sat in a circle of brown rocks. Then she lit her horn, casting a spell to suck humidity from the air. Miniature clouds gathered above the cauldron. Twilight stretched out a hoof, carefully poking the clouds. Raindrops sprayed from the clouds, which quickly dissolved. She repeated the process until the cauldron was almost full.

"That is really cool." That was Arcus. He was leaning against one of the big rocks that surrounded the campsite. His mood had improved considerably since the Forsaken had surprised them with a big sack of cloth which was packed with all kinds of food and also more blankets. They had distributed the bread, roasted the vegetables over the fire and cooked tea. Well, at least something that was close to tea. Arcus suspected that they had added dried mushrooms to the mix since he felt a bit more relaxed than he should after fighting, running and riding a bat for hours. Everything tasted slightly bland but that was to be expected from a meal prepared by people who had mostly lost their tastebuds.

The first thing Jonathan had done after the landing was to empty two entire waterskins. After that, he had called to the Light to heal the worst wounds. His left elbow was now bandaged to keep the tender new skin protected for a few days.

Arcus had suffered the most injuries. He had not really noticed during the fight but now he felt sore in all kinds of places, the worst being his right flank where an arrowhead had been buried. How the hay had he managed to run so fast with that thing stuck in his hindleg? He had no idea. Still, it was good that Jonathan cleaned out and bandaged the wound, even though it hurt like Tartarus while he did it. Arcus absent-mindedly tapped his left hindleg. He had been so angry during the fight that the emotion had blocked out everything else. Was that normal? He was sure he had thought about that before at some point.

Arcus eyed Darren. The Death Knight had not eaten anything, as usual. He sat next to Arcus, cleaning his sword by sticking it into the ground, then wiping it with some kind of cloth. Darren handed Arcus the cloth with raised eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, right", said Arcus, suddenly understanding. He took the cloth and started wiping his own blades clean. He was still not used to having to take care of his weapons. Was he really cut out to be a warrior? Even though the fighting felt kind of natural to him he could sense that something was off. Funny enough, now that they were out of Silvermoon, he felt so suspiciously... docile.

"Darren, can I ask you something?", he said after a while.

"Of course."

"Um... in private?", added Arcus, smiling awkwardly.

Darren sheathed his sword, nodding. He rose to his feet and waved his gloved hand, offering Arcus to leave the circle first.

"It won't take long", Arcus told Twilight, who nodded and returned her attention to the cauldron. He folded the woollen blanket he had covered himself with and put it down next to his saddlebags. Both he and Darren disappeared behind the rocks, Arcus with a slight limp.

"What is it?" Darren put his hood down, eyeing Arcus curiously.

Arcus hesitated, shivering despite his cloak. While Darren waited patiently, he tapped his hindleg, unsure how to formulate his question.

"How do you do it?", he blurted out eventually. "How do you deal with f-fighting?"

Darren raised his eyebrows. "I must kill to survive. Our situations... differ."

Arcus hung his head, digging at the ground with his hoof.

"Was that the first time you killed somebody?", asked Darren cautiously.

Arcus nodded, his head still low. "I - I stabbed that mage to death. Her eyes broke. I saw it." He jerked his head up, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I was - I was so angry. That I - killed her." Arcus blushed, ashamed, as he felt tears blurring his vision. He looked down again, a big lump in his throat.

Darren sighed, watching Arcus. He sat down next to the pony, oblivious to the cold.

"I have long forgotten what that feels like", he admitted after a while. "After all these years, you should think that the faces blur together. But I can still remember every single one. The worst part is that I had to stop caring at some point."

Arcus flinched, looking at Darren incredulously.

"Yes", said Darren. "There are only two things you can do, Arcus: Wait until the memory fades. Try not to repeat your mistakes. Well, and pray for the dead, I suppose, though you better ask Mr Baker how to do that", he added, rubbing his neck.

"How long until it stops h-hurting?", asked Arcus, tears still dropping from his muzzle.

Darren remained silent.

"I want to undo it", sobbed Arcus. "I don't want to be so angry that people die." He buried his face in his hooves. "I don't want to be a warrior anymore."

Darren snorted. "This is not what being a warrior is about", he said. "At least it should not be."

Arcus sniffed, rubbing his muzzle.

"It is about standing up to protect what is important to you." He stretched out a hand, slowly putting it on the pony's head. "We escaped to keep you, the Princess and Mr Ba-... Jonathan from harm. They put a curse on you. You cannot have forgotten that."

"No, no... I just... I don't know. It's confusing...", Arcus stammered. "I don't know. Even if it was their fault, too, it was still me..."

"Maybe the mage did not have to die. But you cannot change it. It is done. It is over. You are free now."

"I don't think I will ever be free again", said Arcus sadly.

Darren nodded hesitantly, leaving it at that. There was no right answer to this. So he just sat with the crying pony, carefully stroking his mane.

•°

Jonathan was beginning to worry when Arcus and Darren finally returned from their talk. Arcus's eyes were bloodshot and his cheeks damp. Jonathan did not ask.

Twilight eyed Darren, who gave her a short nod. She smiled sadly, suspecting what the talk had been about.

The potion bubbled away inside the cauldron, filling the silence. None of the Forsaken seemed to be up for any talking. Three sat around the campfire, two others stood facing away from the fire, keeping watch. The sixth one, the woman, tended to the bats, feeding them bloody meat.

As Twilight turned away from that with disgust, her gaze fell upon the blue wisp that lazily circled the camp. It seemed that Levinia did not have anything to do either. Twilight shifted her weight. She did not feel as happy as she had expected. There had been a lot of fighting. Maybe she had permanently hurt somebody. She poked the fire with a stick to keep it going, then stood up to join Levinia.

"Hello", she said.

The blue light exanded until a pegasus floated next to Twilight.

"Hello, Twilight", said Levinia. "How are you feeling?" She eyed the alicorn with concern.

Twilight sighed. "I'll be okay", she said after a while. "I hope." She turned to face Levinia. "So how did you find us?", she asked.

"Well, I got caught in a dream", admitted Levinia. "Not the first time, I know." She rolled her eyes as Twilight giggled. "But the dreamer was on Azeroth. That sure was new."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Oh?", she said curiously. "Who was it, then?"

"Sylvanas", smirked Levinia.

"The Banshee Queen? You are foaling around, aren't you?"

Levinia shook her head. "No, I'm not. Sylvanas tried to have a vision but she had a dream instead. And Princess Luna noticed the dream. I mean, how could she not when it stretched even across the Great Dark Beyond?"

"Must have been some dream", muttered Twilight.

"I wouldn't know. As soon as I got there, the dream was already dissolving. I ended up in a dark chamber of stone, next to the, uh, elf. At first, she wanted to vanquish me. But when I told her about Priest she was ready to listen." Levinia crossed her forelegs. "Sylvanas is not easy to deal with, let me tell you that. I haven't met many ponies that were this difficult."

"How does she know Jonathan?", asked Twilight, frowning. "I wasn't under the impression that they ever met up close."

"Ah, you see, the Banshee Queen has spies everywhere. It's the Capital city, so yeah." Levinia rolled her eyes. "She knew that a weird Forsaken had returned to Undercity and that he behaved like a living person. And that he had two colorful ponies with him. But not much more." Her ears went down. "I'm afraid that I told her Priest has been healed. I hope that's not going to be a problem."

Twilight groaned. "So that's why she sent the Death Guards to fetch us..."

Levinia shook her head. "I don't think so", she said. "I told her about another dream that I got caught in. That's when she agreed to help." She floated closer to Twilight, a smile spreading on her muzzle as she tilted her head. "Does the name Vol'Shalai ring any bells?"

Twilight nodded slowly.

"He told me you were in trouble and that Blood Elves experimented on you. When I passed that on to Sylvanas she got so mad she stabbed one of her guards. Good thing the woman was already dead so nothing bad happened." Levinia grinned. "After that, she ordered a few Death Guards to extract you immediately. It helped that we found Bane in the Eversong Woods. He could follow Houndslayer's trail, you see. Undead souls bound to each other or something like that."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you", she said. "For getting us out of there. We couldn't have made it on our own." Her ears splayed back. "I wish we could hug", she muttered.

Levinia shrugged with her wings. "Can't be helped", she said. "I'm just glad that we can talk to each other. I had not expected that, to be honest."

"Hm, yes, that's probably because there's more magic on Azeroth than in Equestria. I have a feeling we shouldn't return to Undercity, though. How can we be sure Sylvanas won't try the same thing as Sarithra?"

"We can't", said a hoarse voice next to her, making Twilight jump.

"Goodness, Jonathan, you startled me!"

"Sorry." He smiled apologetically. "But I agree with you, we probably shouldn't go to Undercity." He sighed in defeat. "At least we got the pine stick for the wand. Would have been nicer to find a star ruby, too, but we better get back before..." He trailed off as he noticed the wide grin on Twilight's face. "What?"

"We found several gems", said Twilight. "There was this maggot, remember? The huge one?"

"Hard to forget", muttered Jonathan.

"Darren went inside and looted its previous victims. It was really disgusting." She stuck out her tongue. "Anyway, maybe there's a star ruby among the gems. Want to have a look?"

"Sure." Jonathan nodded enthusiastically. "Nice to see you again, by the way", he added, facing Levinia. "Thanks for saving us."

"You're welcome", grinned Levinia.

He nodded, then followed Twilight to the campsite. She was already approaching Darren who sat next to the fire, reading in that little book of his. He looked up when he noticed her.

"Hey, Darren. Do you remember the gems you took from the maggot?", asked Twilight.

"Of course", answered Darren. He rummaged in his small bag. "They must be somewhere in there", he muttered.

Jonathan smiled as Darren handed him a dark green leather pouch.

"Thanks", he said. His smile broadened as he drew a red gem from the pouch. It was about as big as a cherry and had an unusual cut for stones of this size: It was almost round.

"Well, Princess, you know what this is?", said Jonathan.

Twilight's face lit up. "It's a star ruby, isn't it?"

"Yep." Jonathan returned the gem, then closed the pouch and stuffed it into his backpack. "You know what else?", he said, his grin fading a bit as he grew serious. "Let's go home."

•°

When they told the Forsaken about their plan, it turned out to be a problem.

"No", said Mr Carpenter firmly. "We have our orders from Lady Sylvanas herself. We are to rescue you from the Blood Elves and bring you to Undercity. You are to be presented to the Banshee Queen as soon as we arrive."

Jonathan's expression turned sour as he heard that. Arcus also frowned, glancing at Darren.

"To what end?", asked Darren, trying to keep his voice neutral. Arcus doubted that anypony else but him noticed the anger that made the Knight's body tense up.

"I don't know", admitted the warrior. Mr Carpenter was apparently the leader of the Forsaken who had rescued them. He was taller than Jonathan but with a similar slim build. An axe as big as a full-grown pony was fastened to his back, along with a jagged iron mace in form of a horned human skull. Symbols of the Horde and the crest of the Forsaken adorned both weapons as well as his tabard. His plate armor had a purple tint to it and he wore a dark violet hood that covered most of his head. All in all, he looked like a typical Death Guard as Arcus had seen many in Undercity. His hair hung down in shaggy green strands, his haggard face was relatively intact. The only thing Mr Carpenter' face did not have was a nose.

Right now, this face was scrunched up in irritation as he tried to convince the ponies and Jonathan not to make his work so hard.

"Mr Houndslayer, the Dark Lady is not obliged to inform us of her intentions. If she orders us to fetch you, fetch you we will."

"Maybe Lady Sylvanas just wants to have a talk", suggested Twilight, bottling up her fresh potions. She stored the corked vials in the saddlebags she was wearing, then continued, "Is there a way we can get her promise that we won't get hurt?"

Mr Carpenter stared at her. "No."

Her ears folded down. "Oh... In that case, why did you bring us food and supplies? That would not make much sense if we were prisoners - again", she added in an annoyed tone.

"One point for the mage", muttered one of the other Forsaken to his comrade. Both grinned. Mr Carpenter shot them a glare.

"Will you come along willingly", he asked Twilight, "or do we have to use force, little pony?"

Arcus narrowed his eyes at the 'little pony' but gave Twilight a nod when she looked at him.

Jonathan hesitated, then nodded as well. He turned to Darren. "You don't have to come with us, you know. I can pay you right here."

Darren shook his head. "My work is not done yet." A faint smile touched his lips as he eyed the ponies. "Sometimes you have to do more than you were asked."

"Then it's decided", said Twilight. "We will trust you for now. We will come with you. Who knows, it might be interesting to talk to the Queen."

Mr Carpenter kept staring at her. His gaze was beginning to unnerve her, her wings twitched under her cloak as she tried to keep the smile plastered to her muzzle.

"Can we please just go and get it over with?", begged Arcus.

The Failure

"Up to now, your service in the Guard has been exemplary. So what. Is this?"

Sarithra brought her fist down on the long wooden table. The sound reverberated through the hall. Her face was barely lit by the low fire that burned in the hearth. It had a striking resemblance to the room in which she had gotten her orders to catch and experiment on the ponies. Today, Sarithra had to make do with this chamber instead. The Elder would not permit her to enter his tower since she had failed her mission so spectacularly.

"You informed the prisoners of our arrival, you disobeyed direct orders by aiding in their escape. You, Gladius, have kept the second half of the guards from joining the fight and you, Endiron, were caught throwing knives at the guards of the gates. Two of them died, the others suffered heavy injuries. You have provided no valid reason for your behavior and have become a liability to the force. Your actions cost us resources so valuable that nobody can compensate for them, namely the means to find a cure for the Curse of Undeath."

She eyed the two soldiers who stood in front of her. Both were at attention, blankly staring at an imaginary horizon. Gladius could pull that off better than Endiron. The Rogue's left eye twitched for a second, betraying his nervousness, while Gladius's icy blue gaze could have drilled a hole into the stone wall.

"I have ordered the Guard to reclaim the ponies and the healed human. If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, now would be the time."

When none of them answered, her frown deepened.

"You are hereby expelled from the City Guard. If you leave Silvermoon during the next month or are reported for illegal actions regarding our research you will be taken into custody and judged accordingly. Dismissed."

Her face heated up as shame and anger made her heartbeat go faster. Sarithra turned away from them, facing the fire.

Gladius and Endiron left the chamber, not daring to exchange a look.

Sarithra sat down on a chair. When she was certain that she was alone, she buried her face in her hands and cried.

Author's Note

There are those moments in the Star Trek: Voyager series when Cpt. Janeway disciplines her subordinates. The disappointment and contempt in her voice always felt much worse to me than the simple shouting of Kirk or even Picard. This scene reminded me of that.

Level 18 - The Banshee Queen

It took the Forsaken three days of flying with a few landings in between to get their 'guests' to Undercity. Twilight, Arcus and Jonathan tried their best to recover from their escape from Silvermoon although flying in the cold wind did not help much with that.

They entered Undercity through the same sewer hole that Jonathan had shown the ponies at the beginning of their journey. Twilight felt constricted as they rushed through the pipes. When you were flying instead of walking, the tunnel felt much smaller than it actually was. They passed the abominations and exited into the Outer Ring. Turning left, the bats followed the canal for a while, then landed in front of a heavy-looking gate.

The Death Guards made everyone dismount. Two Forsaken from the city led the bats and griffin away, disappearing in the small crowd that had gathered before the gate. Darren muttered something rude under his breath when Bane was taken away.

"At least I can easily summon him", he whispered to Jonathan, who nodded, trying to hide a grin.

Mr Carpenter urged Twilight to follow him as he pushed through the crowd. He got a few half-hearted complaints but they let the strangers pass without much of a hassle. Twilight thought she heard a familiar voice for a moment but she did not recognize anybody among the gathered Forsaken.

The gate opened without noise, revealing a torchlit hallway. It wound downwards in a wide circle. The ceiling was decorated with stone skulls and bones. After every few yards, an archway appeared, flanked by Death Guards. They were in similar armor as Mr Carpenter, except they had a much more menacing and official air to them. Each archway was decorated with another huge stone skull that glowered at anyone who dared enter these halls.

Twilight gulped, realizing that they approached the Royal Quarter. She was about to face the Queen of the Undead. As the thought began to sink in, the walls of the long, narrow hallway seemed to close in on her. Her hoofsteps reverberated through the corridor, creating echoes that hurt her ears. What should she say? How did a foreign Princess behave in presence of a Queen? This was not the same situation as with Chrysalis. Twilight could usually divide her acquaintances into stranger, friend or foe. Lady Sylvanas was neither.

Levinia floated next to Twilight as a blue wisp, bouncing up and down to encourage her. Twilight took a deep breath, looking back at her friends. Arcus looked fairly intimidated and sort of twitchy but Jonathan and Darren seemed mainly unfazed by the menacing atmosphere. Two Death Guards walked next to Mr Carpenter, the other three followed behind Darren.

Jonathan smiled at her. Twilight tried to smile back but it probably looked more like a grimace.

•°

Jonathan watched Twilight as they descended into the deepest part of Undercity. The alicorn looked nervous and jumpy, looking back at him for reassurance. He flashed her a smile. Inside, he was not half as calm as he tried to appear.

It seemed that his fear was about to come true. He still felt some loyalty towards Sylvanas even though he was technically not a Forsaken anymore. Despite his initial sadness, he did not hold any grudge against her. He could not even blame her for his sister's fate. If she really had been ressurected as a Forsaken she must have kept her free will. Not that he could do anything about it anyway. Sylvanas might not like the living but she took care of her people once they were undead. The problem was that she tended to be unpredictable sometimes. Who knew how she would react to the chance of a cure? She might see it as an escape from Undeath - or she might feel offended by the very thought of it. Jonathan was not sure if he could get out alive in either situation.

He tugged at his dark blue turtleneck sweater, then ran a hand through his shaggy white hair, trying to straighten it. Man, the hasty way back to Lordaeron had left everyone filthy and stinking. When one of the Death Guards grinned at him, Jonathan stopped trying to look better and blushed.

He frowned, trying to collect his thoughts. Best to be polite and honest with the Queen. She probably knew when someone was lying at her. He already felt cold sweat running down his back.

•°

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the hallway was at an end. Mr Carpenter halted in front of the two male Death Guards that flanked the last door. One of them straightened up, apparently recognizing the newcomers.

"The Dark Lady is not ready to see you", he rasped. "Wait."

Mr Carpenter nodded. He turned left and led the party through a small door that Twilight had not noticed before. It was as dark as the grimy stone walls. Jonathan had to bow his head a little to avoid bumping it on the frame.

The tiny chamber could not hold all of them so four guards waited outside. A single torch shed an absolute minimum of light on the dark walls.

Mr Carpenter used the time to hold a little speech.

"Everyone, listen up. First, the ghost must stay outside for reasons of confidentiality. Now, when you approach the Queen, you will address her with 'your Majesty', 'Mylady' or 'Madam'. You will not speak unless spoken to. Be precise when you talk, she does not have time for banter. Your weapons must stay here. You may pick them up when you leave the Royal Quarter, given that she allows it, of course." He nodded at Twilight and Arcus. "The ponies will enter first."

Twilight's ears splayed back. She and Arcus stared at Jonathan, their eyes wide, silently hoping for him to object.

"Can't we go together?", asked Jonathan, frowning.

Mr Carpenter shook his head, scratching his chin. "Orders of the Dark Lady. You must wait... Sorry", he added after some consideration.

Jonathan crossed his arms, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He was really glad that Twilight had renewed the anti-smell spell at their last stop before Undercity. At least he would not pass out because of nausea.

Twilight's ears flicked nervously. Jonathan reached down to touch her shoulder. She thankfully nuzzled his hand, something she had never done before.

Somebody rapped at the door, making everyone alive in the chamber jump. Arcus reluctantly gave one of the Death Guards his bladed hoofguards. Mr Carpenter quietly led the ponies outside. He surprised Jonathan by giving him a guilty frown before closing the door behind them.

•°

Now Jonathan and Darren were alone in the chamber, along with two Death Guards and the wisp Levinia.

Darren eyed Jonathan curiously. The Priest stared at the wall, quietly muttering something to himself.

"Don't make them screw up, don't make them screw up..."

Darren cleared his throat.

"Why did you not bless them to calm them down?", he asked.

Jonathan sighed. "Might have been an insult to the Dark Lady. She's not much into Light magic as you can probably guess."

"Hmm." Darren nodded, taking his sheathed sword off his back. He handed the large belt over to a guard, giving him a stern glance. Jonathan had to separate from his knife but could keep his armguards.

They waited for at least half an hour in the cold chamber until there was another knock at the door. Jonathan could catch a glimpse of Twilight and Arcus, looking slightly rattled but otherwise unharmed. They had no chance to exchange any words; Jonathan was pushed outside while Darren had to stay. The guard that had Arcus's hoofguards shoved them into his open hooves, urging him to put them on again. As Jonathan stood before the gate, trying to collect himself, the ponies were led away, flanked by four of the previous Death Guards.

"Enter", another guard told Jonathan. He nodded, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The Royal Quarter was just as he had imagined it. It was a cavernous, round hall, supported by large colums. Dark curtains hung from the ceiling, indicating a hint of comfort. Skull-decorated doors lined the curved wall, each guarded by a heavily armed Forsaken. A small flight of stairs led up to the center of the hall which was an elevated stone platform, also decorated in the distinctive style of Undercity. In the middle of it, on top of four massive circular steps, stood the Banshee Queen.

There was no throne and there never would be. Jonathan thought of the old throne room high above in the ruins of Lordaeron. Lady Sylvanas would never sit on a humongous chair, looking down on her subjects like an orcish warchief, mused Jonathan. Probably because a 'king' had stolen her life and her hope for a bearable afterlife by turning her into a Banshee.

There was nobody else present except for the guards. Jonathan had always assumed that a few dignitaries would be found here but the upcoming conversation was probably not something for them to overhear.

As Jonathan was still standing frozen on the doorstep, taking in the view, a little shove from one of the guards made him jump. He raised his hand, indicating that he was going to move, and approached the platform. He felt a bit wobbly on his knees but tried his best not to stall any further. Jonathan climbed the stairs, clearing his throat nervously. Two guards followed him, watching each and every one of his moves.

Lady Sylvanas was flanked by two more elite guards. She looked at the approaching Jonathan with her red glowing eyes, her face neutral. Pale elven ears poked through slits in her dark hood. Her armor, consisting mostly of leather and elven steel, accentuated her slim figure. Her dark purple cape was ragged and bleached from age. She was wearing the trademark bow and quiver on her back and was also armed with two elvish swords. Jonathan knew that the guards were mostly for show. Sylvanas was a renowned expert in both melee and ranged combat. Not that he would have tried anything stupid anyway.

Jonathan wondered what she had discussed with the ponies. He took it as a good sign that they had still been alive when they had left the hall.

He stopped five feet away from his Queen and bowed respectfully. The guards stood next to him, their armor clinking when they moved. Jonathan straightened his back and stood as still as he could, waiting for her to adress him.

Finally, the Queen spoke up.

"Leave us", she told the guards.

"My Queen, are you -?" One of them tried to object.

"Leave! Now!" Her voice grew impatient, making Jonathan cringe inside. He sent a quick prayer to the Light.

The guards hurried outside, leaving Jonathan alone with the Banshee Queen.

Sylvanas shifted her weight, taxing Jonathan. She began to pace around him, eyeing him from every angle like a fragile exhibit.

"So you are the human that claims to have been a Forsaken", she said coolly.

He did not dare to move, not even to look at her. Like a soldier at attention, Jonathan kept his hands at his sides, his eyes fixed on an imaginary point in the distance. As much as he was afraid, he couldn't help but feel awe. To be so close to the Queen and still remain alive! There were few who could say that of themselves. He prayed that it would stay that way. He could feel raw power emanating from her, a dark force that pushed against the mind, making him feel tiny and helpless. Sylvanas spoke again.

"I had imagined you taller." She stopped right in front of him. "Look at me, human", she hissed.

His yellow eyes met a hostile red glow. Sylvanas' gaze was fierce and hollow, like her voice. It still had an elvish beauty to it but it was distant, cold. There was a dangerous echo in her voice, like two voices speaking slightly out of sync. "What possessed you to think that anybody would fall for such a childish game?"

Jonathan cleared his throat. It felt so dry that it reminded him of his time as an undead. "I know it's hard to believe, Ma'am", he rasped, "but I didn't intend for anyone to find out about this whole situation."

She chuckled humorlessly. "Of course not... it would be hard to stop so many from resisting the temptation... ah, it doesn't matter. It matters not if you are lying or if you truly have been undead before. Either way, I must admit you brought me something rather precious." Her voice was almost a whisper now. Jonathan shivered.

Twilight and Arcus! He bit his lower lip, unable to suppress the trembling in his legs.

"You fear for those creatures", observed Sylvanas, content that she had hit a nerve. "Yet I can hardly sense any fear for yourself. Do you not dread losing your life again?"

"As much as I would prefer s-staying alive, I know there's worse things than dying, Ma'am", stammered Jonathan.

"Indeed", she muttered.

"Why did you come here?", demanded Sylvanas. "Why did you return to Azeroth? Do not think I have not heard of the portal, human", she spat. "Nothing happens in my kingdom unnoticed. Was it to gloat? To drag more of my people over to that other dimension? To -", she snorted with contempt, "visit relatives?"

Jonathan exhaled shakily, trying to keep his knees from giving way. The hostility was almost tangible; Sylvanas was like a tigress stalking her prey. The Queen closed up on him once again.

"I just wanted a wand", he blurted out. "Though I - I have to admit I didn't think the whole thing through. And my family: Well, they're dead. Just like I used to be."

She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "You are wasting my time. If you do not answer truthfully, I will have the guards extract the information from you."

"Your Highness, I swear I'm telling the truth!", pleaded Jonathan desperately, instinctively switching language from Orcish to Gutterspeak. Getting questioned by Forsaken jailers was one of those things worse than dying.

"The magic threshold in Equestria is higher than that on Azeroth. So I couldn't perform any active magic 'cept healing", he explained, spilling information as quickly as possible. "The ponies volunteered to help me on my quest to get the wand materials. That's all there is to it. Well, we met Vol'Shalai on the way. He's an old friend I know from Northrend. And I hired Darren Houndslayer as our guide. Going to the Sin'dorei capital wasn't part of the plan. They captured us, but their arguments were very conv-"

"Silence."

Jonathan closed his mouth obediently, swallowing hardly.

"You admit that you were helping the Blood Elves to find a... cure for Undeath?" She hissed the word with all the contempt she could muster. Which was a lot.

"Well, we tried our best. They would have killed us otherwise but I pretty much doubt the research would have been successful. So, uh, thanks for saving us from the... elves,... Ma'am." He could not help but feel amusement as he remembered whom he was talking to. Sylvanas was an elf after all, Banshee or not. So he had just thanked an elf for saving him from elves. Idiot, he thought, mentally slapping himself.

"Was that a joke?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Uh, er, I -", he stuttered.

"You are smiling", said Sylvanas, her tone incredulous. "The corners of your mouth, they just twitched."

"Your Highness?" Jonathan was positively sweating now.

"I'm very well aware of the irony. But it is not that humorous", sighed Sylvanas, and to his surprise she appeared to relax a little. "Some people cannot be saved. You should not take this matter lightly."

Jonathan rubbed his bandaged elbow. "Sorry, Ma'am. Coping mechanism. I have that since Northrend, I guess."

"Fighting the Scourge, I presume."

"Yes, Ma'am. I knew I couldn't go for the big fish so I focused on the small fry in Zul'Drak. Felt good to have revenge though I'm not... doing that anymore, now that I'm..." His voice died down.

"Go on." Sylvanas crossed her arms, leaning forward.

Was she actually interested in hearing his side of the story? Jonathan couldn't believe his luck.

"After Zul'Drak, I went to Orgrimmar and Undercity, doing smaller jobs like finding people, killing monsters, that kind of thing. When I travelled to Northrend once again I met Twilight... uh, the purple pony. She appeared in the Barrens after a portal accident", he continued quickly. "I helped her to return home, got sucked into her second portal and lost connection to the curse of Undeath. Apparently, Equestria's magic is way different than Azeroth's or Draenor's so the curse sorta... dissipated. The Light, it healed me. I turned human again and... that's pretty much it." He shrugged helplessly. "I don't have a cure as such, Ma'am, I don't really know how exactly I got healed. There is no cure in Azeroth, that's for sure."

Sylvanas smirked with satisfaction.

"Excellent. It means that the Blood Elves have nothing. You are more lucky than you realize... and I may yet let you live."

"Really? Oh wow, thank you, Mylady, that's -"

"Not so fast, boy." Sylvanas grabbed Jonathan's cloak, pulling his face close to hers. Their noses almost touched when she hissed at him, "I am only going to let you live if you take your pretty ponies, leave this world immediately and never return. On no account must you ever set foot on my soil again. Banishment eternal. Is that clear?"

"Crystal", pressed Jonathan out. Her cold breath was paralyzing. And his feet did not touch the ground. He knew he was not the smallest but Lady Sylvanas was significantly taller.

She released him, baring her teeth. Jonathan caught a glimpse of her impressive canines. "Also, you must speak to no one about this... Equestria. I will not allow anybody to follow you there and deny you ever were in Undercity."

"Yes'M." Jonathan grimaced as he remembered something. "We promised Darren... Houndslayer he could come with us", he admitted nervously.

"He is not a Forsaken, I cannot forbid him to follow you. And good riddance if he is gone. One less leak to fret about. I will have enough cleaning up to do with that Sarithra character."

"Darren is an honorable man, I'm sure he wouldn't tell anybody", vouched Jonathan for the knight. He chose not to think about the plans Sylvanas might have for the Blood Elf warrior.

"Maybe under normal circumstances", said Sylvanas, "but even those so-called honorable men have a breaking point at which they will tell all of their best kept secrets."

Jonathan nodded sadly. "I know", he muttered. "Sorry... Ma'am", he added quickly.

"You have gotten a second chance. I... do not have that luxury. My contract with the Val'kyr is binding for all eternity. I must ensure that our people will not diminish - and I will. You, however, are not a part of this anymore." Sylvanas sighed, stepping back.

"You are the most respectful human I have seen in years", she mused. "They usually wail or grovel, pathetic vermin that they are. And the other races are even worse. Only the Undead seem to understand what I am trying to accomplish."

Jonathan smirked shakily. "Th-thank you, your Majesty."

"Your hair is white as well... But that aside, you are nothing like him. A pity you are breathing. I could fix that quite easily, though."

He relaxed a tiny bit as he realized that Sylvanas had made a joke. Sort of.

"Your Highness, I swear to you, by the Light and by the Void, that I won't tell anyone about all this", said Jonathan, noticing that his voice was finally firm. He crossed his arms before his chest, his hands closed into fists: the salute of the Forsaken. "Until I die - and, uh, just in case, not after that, either."

"I will hold you to your word. Very well, human. You may go. Live your short life, die, and enjoy the afterlife."

Jonathan nodded gravely. "Thank you. But please, Mylady, my name is Jonathan Baker. And I'm a Forsaken."

"No, you are not." She gave him a sad smile. "But I will not forget that you used to be one of us."

Sylvanas straightened up. The soft expression trickled from her face, replaced by a cold façade once again.

"Farewell, Mr Baker. May we never meet again. Guards!" Sylvanas shouted the last word, her voice suddenly as impatient and hostile as ever.

The doors opened and the guards quickly returned to her side, saluting.

"Release him and the others. Make absolutely sure that they set up their portal and leave within the hour", commanded Sylvanas. "They must take all of their belongings with them. Scan them for scrying artefacts before you let them go."

"Thank you, your -", began Jonathan.

"Silence! Just leave."

He bowed, giving the Queen the hint of a smile, then spun around and hurried outside, along with the two guards who eyed him suspiciously.

•°

Jonathan did not remember leaving the Royal Quarter. His brain had simply shut off after the stressful experience of meeting the Banshee Queen. He knew he must have gotten his knife back and returned to the upper level somehow. As he stepped through the gate, facing the crowd that was still waiting in front of it, he slowly came to his senses again. Clearing his throat, Jonathan stood on his toes to look for the ponies.

He could catch snippets of conversation from the Forsaken around him, mostly about issues they meant to adress in front of the Queen. They also seemed a little irritated that he and the ponies had taken so long with their audiences.

Aha, there they were. Twilight and Arcus were on the other side of the canal, waving at him. Darren sat next to them, on the stairs of a small bridge that led across the green slimy water. He had gotten his sword back and was for once not reading in his little book. It seemed they just wanted to keep their distance from the crowd. A familiar blue light floated next to Darren's head.

Jonathan waved back at the ponies and crossed the bridge in a little sprint.

"You okay, Princess? Everybody?", he asked, hugging Twilight.

"Yeah, we're good", said Arcus happily. "The... the Dark Lady had that spooky vibe about her and her voice was like... like two ponies talking at once. So creepy. But she was still kind of polite when she saw that we didn't have bad intentions. Doesn't seem used to friendly conversations. Maybe she tried to be nice because Twilight's a princess or whatever. Though that doesn't really seem to be her style." He gave Jonathan a pat on the back, grinning. "So what did you tell her to impress her so much she let us go?"

Jonathan released Twilight from the hug and shrugged. "I... I dunno. I think she liked me being honest and not trying to grovel. Apparently, she believed that the Blood Elves didn't get any important new information. But she made it very clear that we have to leave right away and never ever return. Which makes sense. Once the ponies are gone, nobody will be able to get to Equestria anymore."

"Lady Sylvanas is a really impressive person", added Twilight. "When we were done telling her everything, she told us to wait. I think she wanted to compare our story with yours and that's why she didn't want to see all of us at once. She seems to be very headstrong but I have the feeling we got through to her... somehow."

"Oh, thank the Light", sighed Jonathan. He frowned at Darren. "You didn't see her, did you?"

Darren shook his head, standing up. "The guards informed me of our situation. I thought it unnecessary to bother the Dark Lady any further and she did not insist on an audience, either."

"Same here", said Levinia.

Then the Death Knight did something he had never done before: He smiled widely. "She allowed you to go home, I gather?"

Jonathan grinned back. "Yeah. Finally. I still don't really get what came over her but like hell I'm gonna question it."

"I can't wait to see my wife again", sighed Arcus happily.

"And our friends", added Twilight, jumping on the spot.

"I can't wait to eat one of Pinkie's cupcakes", said Jonathan. He readjusted his backpack and put up his hood.

"Then let's get out of here."

"Yes, let's", said Arcus. "After a trip to the bathroom."

"What bathroom? Here, in Undercity?" Jonathan giggled, the relief still making him feel giddy. "No such luck, mate, you need to wait with the washing until Canterlot."

Arcus facehoofed. "I just want to take a leak, okay?"

"...Oh."

•°

Mr Garrett had to jump back a few steps as an orange dragonhawk five times his size landed in front of him. At first the flightmaster felt tempted to defend himself with a broom but then he saw that the rider was of the Horde.

The troll grinned at him, then jumped off the mount. As soon as it was rid of the rider, the dragonhawk took off again, disappearing into the pipe up high in the hall that led to the surface.

"Sorry fo' dat, mon", said the troll. "Ya seen any ponies lately?"

Mr Garrett slowly shook his head. "No", he said. "Why, you supposed to meet'em?"

"Sorta", said the troll. "Well, if dey come along, please tell'em dat Vol'Shalai been here, eh?"

Mr Garrett nodded. "Sure", he rasped.

"As if I'd tell on them", he muttered as the troll left for the bank island. He picked his broom up and resumed cleaning away the batshit.

•°

Vol'Shalai snorted, then scratched his long nose. Where else could the ponies be? Bookstore? Twilight loved books, didn't she? Or maybe the inn? It was still possible he was wrong and they did not even plan to go to Undercity.

As he took a peek into his bank account, he found that there was enough gold to buy a decent meal and even get a ride to Brill.

"Hmmm..." Or he could try to get another vision first.

No, he was too tired for that. Vol'Shalai had been flying for days in a row without any rest. A pity he was too late after all. Or was he too early? Anyway, it was probably best to catch some Zs before starting anything else.

He withdrew a pillow from his bank account. As he let go of the banker's crystal, the pillow materialized in midair and Vol'Shalai caught it before it could fall to the filthy ground. He smiled when his eyes fell on the tribal patterns on the cloth. Miwemba had made sure to sew together a particularly tough pillow. Vol'Shalai had already used it for sleeping on several battlefields. There was a weak enchantment weaved into the threads, keeping the cloth from ripping.

After getting a blanket, Vol'Shalai said his thanks to the bank clerk. He climbed the stairs that led to the upper gallery and found the innkeeper. Vol'Shalai booked a coffin for the night and made himself as comfortable as he could.

•°

"I still hate these stairs", ranted Arcus. "They must have built them with giants in mind. I mean, come on, even you guys have to make those huge steps to climb'em."

Jonathan looked back to face the pony.

Arcus closed his mouth, rolling his eyes. "Sorry. It's not that bad."

"Are you sure?" Twilight flapped her wings to take two steps at once.

"Don't look so concerned", huffed Arcus. "Seriously, I'm fine." He smiled, slightly confused. "Huh... Weird."

"What is?", asked Darren.

"Now that I think about it: Since we escaped from Silvermoon, I don't feel so angry anymore", said Arcus.

"Maybe it was the tracking spell that put you on edge and you just didn't know it", assumed Jonathan.

They had arrived at the end of the stairway and entered a cave. Arcus recognized it; he had almost entered the wrong sewer pipe before. As they walked through the green slime that covered the ground of the tunnel, trying their best not to slip, Arcus caught up with Jonathan.

"You know what, I think you're right", he said over the splashing of his hooves on the tunnel floor. "But there's something else. I was really, really homesick."

"Hm", hummed Jonathan. "Makes sense. I'm just glad we didn't die before we found the wand parts", he sighed.

"About that", said Twilight. "Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure."

"Can we not return to Azeroth ever again?"

"Okay." Jonathan grinned.

"I am glad we are agreeing on this", said Mr Carpenter, making Arcus jump.

"Luna's saltlick, you're still behind us?!", he squeaked.

"Of course", rasped the Death Guard. He smirked, revealing a set of rotten yellow teeth. "Why, did you forget?"

Arcus nodded frantically. "Actually, yes", he admitted, wondering how the heavily armed Forsaken could be this quiet wading through a pool of water. On the other hoof, there were so many echoes that it was hard to tell how many people walked here.

Mr Carpenter chuckled. It sounded like a saw cutting a piece of mouldy wood. When they reached the abominations that guarded the entrance of the pipe, both raised their enormous right hands in a sloppy salute. The Death Guard just nodded and kept following the Equestrians.

As they finally exited the sewer tunnel, Twilight heaved a deep sigh. She threw her head back and stretched her wings, smiling at the gloomy green sky.

Jonathan grinned as he saw how happy she was to be outside again.

"So", he said, "where we gonna open the portal?"

"I think it will be the easiest if we return to the spot where we arrived", said Twilight. "I can use the magical residue to find the connection to Equestria."

"Okay", nodded Jonathan. "But this time, let's avoid the watchtower."

Author's Note

I intentionally left out the talk with Twilight so there could be speculation what Sylvanas actually discussed with her.
Also, Twilight is being a bit naive about what is going on in the Queen's head. She is going to "tale care" of Sarithra one way or another... And even if Sylvanas kind of likes Jonathan she still wants to uphold her image. I'm pretty sure she can tell when somebody is lying.
The again, I intend to leave the original lore of WoW unchanged so the next big thing that will happen to Sylvanas is that she will get a whole new leadership role and go find a special... lamp thingy, as described in Legion.

Epilogue - Where The Heart Is

"It's so weird to come home after months and nobody thinks you were gone that long." Jonathan shook his head in disbelief.

"It is, isn't it?" Twilight laughed.

It was two days after their return to Equestria. Both Twilight and Jonathan were busy unpacking and sorting their things. Jonathan had brought his cardboard box upstairs and quickly hid some of his belongings inside it, including a book from Undercity: his Hearth's Warming present for Twilight. He quickly closed the box, then he unwrapped the wand and put it on the central table. After that, Jonathan drew Clara from his bag. He rubbed his chin.

"Hey, Twilight. What d'you think would be the best spot for Clara? She looks like she's kind of a social flower."

The rummaging in the kitchen stopped for a moment and Spike stuck his head through the door.

"How about here?", he said, pointing back at the kitchen with his thumb. "Everypony's bound to come here several times a day. Especially me", he muttered, "but that's beside the point."

"I like that." Jonathan joined Spike in the kitchen and put the flowerpot next to another plant on the windowsill. "Plus, the water is right next to her. Good for lazy people." He grinned guiltily.

"Hear, hear", came Twilight's voice from the library.

Jonathan smirked back at her as he returned from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I know", he said. "I promise I'll take better care of her." He sat down next to his backpack and resumed unpacking. "Man, half of the stuff I have in here I didn't even need. My Jeweler's set... parchment... the oil lamp... garlic? Hey, look, Twilight: The enchanted sheet of paper you prepared for emergencies. Great idea - and totally didn't work because the elves had your saddlebags." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, I still think you should keep it, just in case", said Twilight. "One never knows."

•°

"You're back, you're back, you're back!" Pinkie Pie pulled Twilight and Jonathan into a hug, almost strangling both of them.

"Yes, we are", said Twilight happily.

"And for good", added Jonathan. He waved at Mara Dust and Arcus who entered the Steaming Cup just now.

"This is great! So did you get your wand?", asked Spirit Rez, pouring Jonathan a cup of coffee and floating it over to the table with his magic.

The human accepted the cup and leaned back in his chair. "Yep. Enchanted by Princess Luna herself. I feels great, being able to cast spells again. So, Pinkie, you already told everyone?"

"Of course! I've also set a date for the 'Welcome back to Ponyville and Sort-of-Cuteceñera' Party. It's tomorrow! At first I wasn't sure if you wound want a party but then I realized that it's been way longer for you than it has been for us so I thought, 'why not?' and I went and told everypony. There will be lots and lots of your favourite cupcakes and sweets and cake and all of your bestest friends will be there: Mara and Spirit and Ditzy and Rarity and aaall the other ponies. I couldn't get a hold of Discord, yet, but -"

"Wait, you want to invite Discord?", Twilight asked, shoving a hoof in Pinkie's mouth to interrupt her wordstream.

Pinkie pulled the hoof out, her smile growing even wider. "Well, somepony has to start inviting him to things or else he will be not invited all the time and I can't imagine that would be a nice thing, now would it?"

"Well", said Mara, "you can ask Fluttershy to tell him. They have those tea parties, don't they?"

Arcus poked Twilight's side. "Any word from Darren?", he said quietly.

Twilight sadly shook her head. "I tried several spells to track his movements but it didn't work."

"Well, pity we didn't drag a Blood Elf over to Equestria, like Gladius, for instance", said Arcus. "They sure would know how to do that."

"I suppose they would", sighed Twilight, playing with her piece of cake. "I'm still going to keep trying. If there is any chance he ended up in Equestria, we've got to help him find his way to Ponyville."

"Yeah. I wish I could do something to help." Arcus's ears splayed back.

"Hmmm." Twilight rubbed her muzzle. Then her face lit up. "Hey, maybe you can. Both you and Priest. Arcus, you have traveled a lot all across Equestria, haven't you?"

Arcus nodded.

"And Jonathan..."

"Huh? What's up, Princess?"

"You are really good at drawing. Do you think you can make a picture of Darren?"

"Yeah, I think so", said Jonathan. "What for, 'WANTED: dead or undead' posters?"

Twilight grinned. "Something like that. We could send letters to different ponies and ask them to keep their eyes peeled for a human knight. I mean, not counting you, Darren would be the only human on the planet. He's got to stick out."

"I like that. It's a great idea." Arcus smiled.

"Then let's do this." Twilight ate the last bit of cake and stood up. "I'll make a list of all the helpful ponies I can think of. And I'm going to do it right now. See you later, Jonathan. Bye, everypony! Thanks for the coffee!"

Jonathan gave a lopsided smile, watching Twilight rush out the door.

"Aaand she's back to being Twilight. Thank the Light for that pony." He grinned.

"I'll make a list, too." Arcus rolled his eyes, adding, "But not right now."

He looked around the café. He saw familiar faces everywhere and his friends were by his side.

Spirit brought more cake to the table. Pinkie quickly grabbed a huge slice and ate it in one piece. She looked at the door for a moment, confused that Twilight was already going back to the library. Mara shuffled closer to Spirit, giving him a hug, while Jonathan drank his coffee, sighing happily.

"I want to have this moment", said Arcus to no one in particular.

His eyes fell on the door as the bell jingled.

A beautiful light brown earth pony entered the café, looking around. Her red wavy mane fell out of her face as she turned her head, recognizing Arcus. She trotted over to him and kissed him on the muzzle.

"Hello, husband", she said.

"Maple Leaf! I thought you were with your parents."

"I heard you were on a special adventure so I decided to come back early", said Maple, smirking at him. "I got a pretty cryptic letter from Princess Twilight Sparkle yesterday. It said that you were gone for both four days and three months... and that you missed me. I want to know what that's all about."

"That mare", grumbled Arcus, not really unhappy about that.

Maple still had that smirk on her muzzle.

"Well.. was she right? Did you miss me?", she asked.

Oh, sweet Celestia, he could get lost in those orange eyes. A strand of red mane fell into Maple's face. He brushed the hair aside, touching her cheek.

"Yeah", said Arcus, his eyes suspiciously wet. He hugged Maple tightly, ignoring the d'awws from Mara and Pinkie and the happy grin on Jon's face. "Yeah, she was definitely right."

•°

Princess Celestia lit her horn. As she reached for the sun and pulled it up into the sky, she smiled happily. Princess Luna was probably already asleep. She had happened to eat her pancake today which was a rare occurence. Celestia had made the pancakes as she did every morning but usually Luna just ignored her efforts. It was nice to make her happy once in a while.

Celestia left the balcony, stepping into the tower. A piece of parchment was on her desk. She unrolled and read it once again. There was only one pony that would write her a letter this early in the morning.

Dear Princess Celestia,

thank you again for helping us with the portal. Jonathan is very happy with his new wand. He uses it to enchant many items, mostly small things like parchment, mirrors and gems. His customers use the mirrors to talk to distant relatives and the parchment can be used to store small spells, making them popular among the earth ponies and some pegasi.

Jonathan has moved into his own little house on the edge of town. You can see the Everfree Forest from there, it is pretty close to Fluttershy's cottage. He left today to go on a gem hunt with Rarity. I think they will be back in the evening.

There's still no word from Darren. We sent letters to many friends across the land but nopony has seen a human knight anywhere. We will keep trying.

I think it's safe to say that even when you lose track of a friend yor never lose the connection you have with them. We all miss Darren, especially Arcus Tangens.

I have been thinking about the conversation with Queen Sylvanas. I agree with what Princess Luna said the other day. Sylvanas probably let us go because she knew that she could not get what we have and wanted at least one Forsaken to get away from his curse. It's really sad if you think about it. She must have a kind heart somewhere below all that hate and fear or else she would have just killed us. Luckily, her moment of kindness happened when we were there. I like to think that was the magic of friendship. Jonathan said that she liked that he was being nice to her. I hope that somepony will help her to find a way out of the dark. If she would have to care for more than only undead people she just might find friendship again.

Arcus disagrees with me on this, though. He says that it was just dumb luck that the Banshee Queen let us go.

I am looking forward to Hearth's Warming. Jonathan already said he has a special present but I can't wait until he sees what I have in store for him.

Are you going to celebrate with your sister? If you want to, you can come visit us once the official celebration in Canterlot is over.

I'm looking forward to seeing you again.
Your friend and always your faithful student
Twilight Sparkle

P.S.: Here is one of Jon's enchanted mirrors. I bought a pair from him yesterday. It activates when you touch the glass and say the name of someone who has the counterpart.

Celestia rolled the parchment up and stored it in a big chest that stood in the corner of her office.

It was time to start Day Court. She rummaged through the drawers of her desk, trying to find some documents that she was going to need. When she had found them, she tucked them under her wing.

With a last glance at her office, Celestia left. She exited the chamber and closed the door with a resounding click.

She had not noticed the faint blue glow in the new mirror that hung on the wall behind her desk.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading!

Level 1 - A Letter to the Princess

Author's Note

This is the third story in this WoW/MLPverse storyline. In case you found this story before my other ones, I recommend reading "Twilight goes to Dalaran" first, then "Dead Heart". But even if you don't you should probably be fine.

Level 1 - A Letter to the Princess

The small doorbell jingled as another customer entered. Spirit Rez set the cappucchino down on table three, smiled politely and headed back to the counter. He took a mug of coffee and a chocolate one into his light blue magic and floated them onto a tray.

"Here, please get them to Fluttershy and Rarity, they're outside."

Lyra Heartstrings, his new part-time employee, nodded and took over as Spirit turned to see who had entered.

"Now what can I get you?" He needed to lean his head back to look into the customer's eyes. "Hey Jonathan, how's it going? Want some coffee, with three sugar?"

"You read my mind", said Jonathan, smirking. "I'm gonna be over there." He pointed with his thumb at a seat in the corner of the café.

Some heads had turned when Jonathan had entered but when they recognized the town's resident human they returned to their conversations pretty quickly. Everypony who visited the Steaming Cup knew by now how he and the earth pony Mara Dust had saved Ponyville from a mysterious ghost attack. Jonathan had earned himself some respect back then. The fact that the human was wearing decent clothing and no more bandages also helped a lot.

Surprisingly, it had been Rainbow Dash - the pony who was usually one to talk about her own victories - that had spread the news. By the third day after Nightmare Night even the last pony in town knew that the ghost that had been haunting Derpy was gone.

Spirit waited for the cup to fill, then personally brought it over to Jonathan, easily weaving through the tables, comfy wooden chairs and sofas.

"Here you go." He put the mug down on the table and gave the human a closer look.

Jonathan looked tired; the circles under his eyes were darker than usually. His white shoulder-length hair was messy even though Spirit suspected it had been combed this very morning. He could not grasp how the man managed to get his mane so untidy in such a short time. Spirit Rez's own orange mane and tail were in top shape even though he had already been up for hours.

"Long night?", he asked.

"Yeah."

He waited for a few seconds, as usual, until Jonathan admitted, "I tried to do some Enchanting again..."

As Jonathan rubbed his neck in frustration, Spirit looked around the café. Everypony had what the had ordered and Lyra was at the counter, ready to jump to any table where somepony wanted to make an order. Good. That meant he had a few moments off. He sat down on the chair next to Jonathan.

"Still no good?"

"Nah. Twilight made some suggestions, again, but it's no use." Jonathan frowned, his frustration obvious. Spirit could swear a streak of his white hair was curling upwards as Jonathan spoke. "I don't think it's the gems. They are perfectly fine. Rarity agrees by the way, she keeps promising to find me more of them."

Spirit nodded soberly. "Hm."

"I think it's a channelling problem", mused Jonathan, taking a careful sip from the coffee. "Oh yeah." He closed his eyes for a moment, appreciating the flavor.

Note to self: Jonathan likes stronger coffee better, thought Spirit. He grinned internally, happy that his friend enjoyed the drink. "Channelling problem? How do you humans cast your magic anyway? You don't have horns. Do you use your hands like Earth ponies use their hooves?"

Jonathan tilted his head. "I don't really get it either. We can cast smaller spells just like that - if the caster is gifted. For the bigger stuff, we use magical tools. But I can't, not anymore. Try to imagine you suddenly can't cast any spell. At all. Just like that." He snapped his fingers.

They sat in relative silence for a few heartbeats. The clinking of spoons and the murmur of quiet conversation filled the room, creating a calming background noise.

"Maybe you need one of those tools, then", suggested Spirit and shrugged.

"And that's where the dog lies buried", countered Jonathan, taking another sip. "You guys don't have them. Only as props, like that one blue-coated performer."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Listen, I gotta get back to work but maybe you wanna come over later?"

"Sorry, I promised Twilight to help her with her book sorting today."

Spirit whistled sympathetically. "I see. - Well, a guy needs to stay liquid, even when he's living in a library", he agreed.

"Exactly. How's Mara by the way?"

"Oh, she's doing well, been helping quite a lot of ponies lately. She's loosened up some more since she got her Cutie Mark, it's really amazing."

"I bet", grinned Jonathan. "Take good care of the mare."

"You know I do", said Spirit, grinning back, and returned to the counter.

•°

"I need a wand", declared Jonathan.

"Sorry, what?" Twilight raised her head from the parchment she was writing on. It was so long that it stretched down to the floor, disappearing somewhere between the bookshelves. The library of Ponyville was flooded with sunlight that shone through the windows, the rays dancing on hundreds, no, more likely thousands of books.

"Nevermind", he said and resumed stacking books in alphabetical order. "Just something... Nevermind."

"Okay, if you say so", muttered Twilight and picked up the quill again with her magic.

The scratching sound of the feather started to grate on Jonathan's nerves. He put down the book he was currently holding ("Brewing in Cauldrons: A Lost Art") and sighed.

The scratching stopped. "You know", said Twilight, "maybe we should take a walk."

He frowned. "You go ahead, I gotta take care of something."

"All right, but if you want to talk about it, I'll listen", assured Twilight. Her eyebrows were still knitted together as she gave Jonathan a concerned look.

"Thanks, I know. But really, you take the walk, I'll be fine."

The alicorn gave him another look, then shrugged and rolled up the parchment.

As Twilight left the library, Jonathan went to the basement.

The large, almost circular room stretched beneath the roots of the oak, adding a significant amount of storing room to the house. There were only a few books here and they were not on the shelves that covered the walls. Strange gadgets and material for all kinds of experiments took up that space instead. Jonathan descended the stairs, passing by an enormous collection of erlenmare flasks and reagent vials, and went over to a large carton in the basement's corner.

He crouched down and opened the flaps, revealing the only items that didn't belong to Twilight or her baby dragon Spike. Jonathan rummaged in the box, putting aside the things he wasn't looking for. A small oil lamp, joined by a small box of chalk; next came some books, then a paper bag of cookies - Jonathan wondered how he could have forgotten about those. Folded letters. And what he was actually looking for: fresh parchment and a battered quill.

Twilight had offered to give him a new one but Jonathan had insisted on buying his own things with the money he earned from working at the library. Once, when he had enough, he would pay for his own apartment or house.

The last item that left the carton was an inkpot.

Jonathan returned everything to the box, save for the writing material and the cookies. He sat down on the lowest step of the staircase, readying the blank parchment on his knees. Of course it was paper, not actual parchment, but old naming habits die hard. He carefully screwed the inkpot open and dipped the quill into the dark liquid.

Hour Highness,

Oh crap, that was wrong, she didn't want him to use any honorifics. Jonathan groaned and readied a new sheet. Maybe he could reuse it when he wanted to annoy Twilight.

Dear Luna,

Light, that still sounded weird. She had offered her friendship but still: she was a freaking princess! Twilight was a princess as well, but Jonathan had known her as just 'Twilight' when they had first met so this was different. So how should he put it?

Dear Luna, thank you for your recent offer. Though Twilight and my other friends are excellent company,

He hesitated.

...things have gone slowly since Nightmare Night. Mara Dust is doing great and Ditzy has fully recovered from her injury. I am still adjusting to life in Ponyville and started working at the library. I would like to pick up my old profession again - Enchanting - but I cannot because my magic is still being blocked from active channelling. A talk with Spirit Rez (The yellow unicorn who is Mara Dust's fiancée) gave me the idea to create a wand.

Jonathan put the quill down and ate a cookie. Should he tell Twilight? He still had not sent the letter away. He could ask her when she got back from the walk.

He shook his head. This was his problem. He had only told Spirit because he needed to vent but he would solve this on his own.

I know the materials required for the wand but the problem is that I do not know where to find them. It would be Starwood, a special kind of Mystic Essence, a flawless Star Ruby (I already asked Rarity in a different context, she does not know where to find the special kind I would need) and an enchantment. Do you by any chance know a unicorn who specializes in enchantments or something similar? If I asked Twilight she would put all of her resources into research - but I know she does not have time for it right now. She is already busy enough dealing with her new duties as a newly crowned princess.

That sounded a bit dumb - Luna was a princess, too, but Jonathan did not know whom else to ask; Spirit Rez specialized in making drinks and the only other unicorns Jonathan knew were Rarity, Lyra Heartstrings and Sweetie Belle. And that one shop vendor in The Well Brushed Coat. She didn't count either since Jonathan was sure that she had no knowledge of Enchanting Spells.

I would appreciate any suggestions but please take your time. I am aware that there are more important matters that need your attention as a princess.

Thank you again for your previous help.

Hoping that you and your sister are well,
I remain your friend,
Jonathan Baker

P.S.: Mara says Thanks for the Cuteciñera gift. The hairband looks really good on her as Spirit keeps pointing out.

Jonathan nodded, lowering the quill again. That should do it.

•°

Arcus Tangens groaned in annoyance and shook his head. He leaned back and sighed curtly, then bent over his desk again to re-check the map of Ponyville's Train Station area. He was right; he really had forgotten to measure the diameter of the second drain behind the platform. He had marked it on the map but that was no use without the numbers. Arcus spat out the pen and wondered if he should go and complete the map today or leave it to his colleague tomorrow.

"Ah, whatever." He rolled the parchment up with his nose and attached a sticky not to it. The day was over, period. And it had been the last day before his fortnight of vacation, praise the sun! Time to enjoy fall and go trekking in the mountains, oh yeah! Well, technically it would be sixteen days.

Arcus stored the parchment in the flat basket on his desk marked "To Do" and grinned. He had already attached a post-it note which said, "That means you, Caramel!" He hopped off his chair and turned to say goodbye to Caramel who was just returning from the closet. The caramel-colored earth pony had put away the surveying equipment. He had been struggling with the Fillydelphia Rods; they kept falling out of the small space. Eventually he had used a pendulum's string to tie them together, getting a glare from Arcus.

"We do have a rope for that, remember?", hinted Arcus, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, right", stammered Caramel, hurrying to follow his green-coated colleague's advice. He rummaged in the closet, almost knocking the rods over again, until he found the indicated rope. He reappeared from the tiny storage room with a flushed face. "Thanks."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine", said Arcus who started to get a bad conscience for leaving Caramel alone for the rest of the week. "Pendulum will return on Monday after all. I forgot an entry on the map, please take care of it, okay?"

"Yeah. Well, Arc, you have a nice vacation", said Caramel and smiled.

"Thanks." Arcus smiled back. "See you in two weeks!" He nodded at his colleague and exited the office.

As he stepped outside, he took a deep breath, wondering what he should do with the rest of the day. The wind caressed his coat and made his short blue mane and tail bounce a little. It was already quite cool in the evening; Summer was definitely over now. There was still much going on in the streets but everypony's pace had quickened after Nightmare Night. It was only less than two months until Hearth's Warming and the pegasi were on time with the fall weather this year, that much was certain.

Maybe Spirit's shift was already over. Arcus headed for the Steaming Cup, whistling while he walked.

•°

The sun was low above the horizon, her golden rays illuminating the straw roofs of Ponyville. The sky glowed in all shades of orange and red. Twilight cantered along the streets, deep in thought.

Jonathan had been strangely distant the last few days. He kept disappearing into the basement and even though it was not the only place he spent his time Twilight suspected something was going on he did not want her to know about. Weren't they friends? They had saved each other's lives several times now, didn't that count for something?

She sat down on a bench in the center of town, facing a café on the opposite side of the street. Ponies went about, some of them entering or leaving the two-story house. A wooden sign hung above the door, depicting a blue cup of coffee with a bit of steam rising from it.

Her frown deepened as she kept mulling over the facts. Was the human avoiding her because he felt guilty for staying in the library? It would not be a surprise; he had displayed discomfort about it before. But no, that was not it. Twilight could tell by the pleasure with which Jonathan ate anything Spike made for lunch. A good appetite meant that he felt welcome and appreciated.

She sighed and stared at the café's door. Her ears perked up when a yellow unicorn and a leaf green earth pony left the house. They went over to her, smiling at the alicorn.

"Hey Twilight! How you doing?", said Spirit.

Arcus raised his hoof to greet her. "Hi, Princess Twilight."

She grimaced slightly. "Just Twilight, please."

Arcus set his hoof down again. "Right."

Twilight said, "I'm all right, I suppose. Did you have a busy day?"

Arcus and Spirit grinned at each other. "Definitely", sighed Spirit.

"I can't wait for tomorrow", added Arcus. "I'm going to have a vacation in the mountains!"

"That sounds fun!", said Twilight politely. "Do you know where you will be going?"

"Not yet; that's something I will decide tomorrow."

"Is your wife going with you?"

"Nah", Arcus smirked, "She's on her own vacation - visiting her parents. She won't come home for another two weeks. We agreed to first travel alone and then spend a few days in Fillydelphia afterwards."

There was a short silence during which they awkwardly smiled at each other, obviously out of smalltalk.

Twilight took a sharp breath. "Actually, do you two have a moment to join me in the library? There is something I'd like to discuss."

The two stallions exchanged confused glances. "Sure", said Arcus and Spirit shrugged.

•°

Jonathan was reading a book. Or rather he was trying to. He sat on the couch, his legs sideways, his back supported by a pile of pillows on the arm of the couch.

The lines were slightly blurry. It took him a moment to realize that he had been staring at the same page for five minutes. He turned the book to throw another look at the title.

Heirlooms - The Magickal Legacie of Starswirl the Bearded.

It wasn't the book's fault he could not concentrate. Jonathan closed it, shaking his head and hopping off the sofa. He decided he needed a drink. It was late but not late enough to go to sleep yet. Not that he was tired at all.

Twilight sure took her time tonight. Spike was already asleep. The baby dragon had been playing with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, bringing Dinky home afterwards.

Jonathan straightened his blue shirt, shuffled to the kitchen and opened the fridge, hoping to find something useful. If he was lucky...

A-hah. Twilight still had not gotten rid of the remaining apple cider. He grinned and removed a bottle from the fridge, then closed it with his knee, reaching for the cupboard above the kitchen counter to get a glass at the same time.

A door slammed shut. Jonathan raised his eyebrows, then poured himself a glass. As he went back into the main room, a steaming alicorn stomped across the room, heading directly for the human. Uh-oh. Maybe he should not have taken the cider.

Twilight, followed closely by Spirit and Arcus, had entered the library and man did she look pissed. Jonathan set the glass down, not before taking a sip to gain some courage to face the fuming mare.

"Hey, Twilight", he greeted her cautiously.

"You!", barked Twilight, her brows knitted together in a stern expression.

"Look, I'm sorry, if I had known I wouldn't have touched the cider, but now it's open so -"

"What", she asked, taken aback. "What cider? Oh, that one."

Spirit, standing a few steps behing her, made throat-cutting motions, trying to warn Jonathan to watch what he was saying. Jonathan frowned back at him, then faced Twilight, forcing a neutral expression. "So this... isn't about the cider?"

"No! Why would it be about the cider?! This is about you avoiding me for days!", corrected Twilight.

Arcus went over to the couch and made himself comfortable. Spirit rolled his eyes. He shot a guilty glance at Twilight, who, oblivious to his behavior, poked Jonathan in the chest.

"Wait, what?" Jonathan's confusion rose.

"Come on, don't play clueless with me!" Twilight was getting more irritated with every second.

"No, seriously, what's this about?", he asked, his voice steady.

"You have been trying to enchant stuff for how long exactly?", asked Twilight.

Jonathan cast an accusing stare at Spirit.

"She asked. Was I supposed to lie?", he defended himself.

The human sighed, disappointed. "You told her my enchanting skills are gone? Thanks a lot, Spirit."

"Sorry", mumbled the stallion, looking to the ground. "I just don't get what the big deal is."

"It's a big deal because it's the same as getting robbed of your Cutie Mark", explained Twilight in a slightly calmer tone than before.

That didn't evoke quite the shocked reaction she had expected. Arcus just frowned and shook his head.

"You lost me there", he admitted. "I thought humans didn't have any Cutie Marks?"

Jonathan grumbled. "Of course not... but Enchanting is actually my special talent. And when Discord turned me into a pony to amuse himself I did have an Enchanting Cutie Mark. Get it?"

"Er", said Arcus. "Yes, I guess."

"Yeeeah", drawled Spirit. "Okay... So how come that magic is blocked?"

Twilight tapped her chin, then exclaimed, "Of course! It must be because the level of arcane energy in Equestria is lower than in Azeroth. That would explain why I could cast high level spells that easily when I was there... We need more effort to channel magic, that's why ponies might have developed foci over the eons. Unicorns have their horns, pegasi their hooves and wings and earth ponies their hooves as well. Alicorns have all three", she added quickly, grinning wryly. Her anger seemed to have evaporated as she entered 'the zone'.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "it still doesn't explain why I can't use any magic here. I didn't need a horn back in Azeroth, now did I. Besides, we already talked about this before. Why should I bother you with it? The Light started to come back, too."

"This is different! The Light isn't arcane magic. You were the one who said so", reminded him Twilight, pacing up and down. "You said it is a universal kind of magic, theoretically accessible by anyone. But the Arcane depends on other circumstances like leylines and immanent energy. It can be measured. That's why Magic and Science are so closely related! If there is less magic in the air it gets harder to gather it for casting spells. It's the magical threshold, Jonathan. You're below it." She stopped in front of him, her eyebrows raised in excitement.

Jonathan could feel the blood rush up into his cheeks. "Why, thank you for... clarifying. Are we done now? There is a book I want to read."

"No, we're not", insisted Twilight, stomping her hoof. "I want to help! Why didn't you tell me?"

Spirit hid his face behind his hooves.

"Because it is my problem!", snapped Jonathan. "I don't see how you could help me with that. I tried to solve it, it didn't work, the magic is gone, I don't have any focus!" He overemphasized the words, contempt in his voice.

"But I -", tried Twilight to interrupt.

"It might not have occured to you but I have other things to do than running after some alicorn who thinks she can solve everybody's problems by obsessing over them!", he continued, unable to keep his voice down.

"Now wait a minute!", croaked Twilight. "I don't obsess over things! Okay, maybe a little. Sometimes! But there must be a way to get your magic back!"

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?", spat Jonathan sourly. "Another success, another thing solved, who cares about the guy anyway, might as well be about one of your potions. No way, I'm outta here. I've had enough of your science crap."

Slap.

Twilight hadn't put much strength into the strike but it still hurt. The human held his cheek, speechless. The alicorn gaped at Jonathan, her mouth quivering.

"How dare you!", she whispered. "I thought we were friends! How could you think you are just another project to me? I wanted to help you because you were sad, that's what I wanted to do! You - big - jerk!"

She turned on her heels and rushed outside. Jonathan looked after her, unable to form a clear thought.

A gentle nudge in his side made him flinch. It was Spirit.

"Smooth, dude. She's right and you know it. Twilight is so clever, did you seriously think you could hide from her how much it bothers you?"

Jonathan glanced at him, then dashed off. Arcus rolled his eyes and joined Spirit in the doorframe.

"You think they'll realize that Priest already found the solution?"

Spirit shrugged. "Maybe. I'm gonna sit this one out. Wanna go to my place and have a drink?"

"Sure, if you pay for it", grinned Arcus.

•°

Jonathan hurried through Ponyville, looking into every alley he passed. He got some curious looks by the ponies still on the streets.

"Excuse me, have you seen Twilight?", he kept asking several of them but all of them shook their heads.

Did she fly away? He would not be able to get to her if she was sitting on a cloud.

Which gave him an idea. He raised his head and searched the sky for clouds that looked out of place.

There - one of them was not the usual fluffy white but a dark raincloud, no more than maybe eight feet in diameter. It floated idly above Sugarcube Corner. Jonathan skidded to a halt and hesitated, then took a deep breath.

"Twilight!"

As expected, there was no reaction.

"Twilight, I'm sorry!"

A lavender-colored muzzle peeked over the edge of the cloud.

"I didn't want to be a burden so I avoided the subject. And I'm sorry for what I said."

"Really?", came the hesistant question from above.

"Could you come down, please? I don't want to shout..."

Twilight sniffed and got to her hooves. She stretched her wings and glided off the cloud which, no longer in physical contact with her, changed to its previous white. She landed a few steps away from Jonathan, looking to the ground.

"For what it's worth, I'm still your friend", he said. "I'll tell you when something bothers me from now on, 'kay?"

Twilight raised her head and looked at him. "I'm sorry, too", she admitted. "I didn't suppose you would think of my curiousity as an intrusion. It wouldn't be the first time I failed a friend because of something like that."

He scratched his neck and gestured vaguely. "I don't really know why I didn't tell you. Maybe it's standing in your shadow. Don't get me wrong", he added quickly as Twilight opened her mouth, "I really like being friends with you and hanging out and stuff. But being a freeloader at first and losing my special talent next kinda made me want to achieve something on my own. Does than make sense to you?" He grimaced.

"I think so", mumbled Twilight. "But why did you tell Spirit, then?"

He snorted. "That's different. He's not as involved as you. Maybe that made it easier. You know, to get an independent, um, opinion."

The left corner of her mouth went up. "Is that the reason why you wrote to Princess Luna who isn't even living in Ponyville?"

He flinched.

"Gotcha." The smirk spread on Twilight's face.

"Okay, okay", groaned Jonathan, heat rishing to his cheeks - again. "I get your point!"

"Don't worry so much, Jonathan. It just makes me worried, too. I brought you into this whole mess, remember? If I had not created the transdimensional portal with your help you never would have landed in Equestria in the first place." She approached him and her smirk turned into a genuine, if a little sad, smile. "I want to make it up to you somehow. Not because I owe you but because I want you to be happy."

Jonathan sighed. "I see. But if that had not happened, I'd still be undead now", he countered. "So in a way we are even."

"Just accept my apology, please." Twilight put a hoof on his hand. "We'll figure something out to get your magic back, I promise!"

"Okay." He felt the pressure leaving his shoulders and relaxed a little.

They did not hug. Jonathan was not the hugging type and Twilight knew it. She let her hoof remain on his hand a moment longer to at least confirm the reconcilement, then let go before it could get awkward. Well, more awkward.

"Awww! That's so nice!", cheered someone directly behind Jonathan, making him jump and spin around to see who it was.

"Pinkie, you nearly gave me a heart attack!", he gasped.

"Oops, sorry", said Pinkie Pie, smiling widely. "I didn't want to interrupt such an important talk, but now that everyone's happy again, I thought I could say something. It's always great when friends talk to each other again!"

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Our quarrel lasted half an hour tops."

"Yes! Isn't that terrible?", wailed Pinkie.

Twilight laughed. "What do you think, Jonathan? Should we go back to the library and call it a night?"

The human nodded. "Yeah, that would probably be for the best."

"Oh, but you didn't come by today to get your Daily Cupcake!", noticed Pinkie. The pink pony dashed inside the shop and was back within seconds, a paper bag in her mouth. "It'sh with apple bitsh inshide!"

"Thanks, Pinkie Pie", said Jonathan, grinning. "Nice of you to remember."

"Anytime!"

•°

As Jonathan and Twilight returned to Golden Oaks, he suddenly stopped as he remembered something. "Wait, how did you know that I wrote to Princess Luna? I didn't tell Spirit that particular detail."

Twilight tilted her head. "There was a letter on the table with a moon seal", she explained. "I drew the conclusion that you sent her one first and that was a reply."

Jonathan frowned. When had that appeared? So Luna did not use dragon breath for sending her mail?

"Anyway", he said aloud, "I wrote to her because I actually have an idea how to get a focus."

"The wand!" Twilight's hoof went up to her forehead. "Of course! I should have listened better when you mentioned it. I'm sorry."

"Forget it", Jonathan dismissed it.

They arrived at the library. Twilight opened the heavy wooden door with her magic and stepped inside first, heading directly for the table in the main room. Jonathan closed the door and slowly wandered to the sofa, opening the paper bag he had gotten from Pinkie Pie. As he had expected, Twiligh was already back, levitating the letter over to him.

"Come on, won't you read it?"

He smirked - with tight lips because his mouth was full of apple bits and cupcake crumbs - and snatched it from her magical grip. Unrolling the parchment, he swallowed and read.

"'My dear friend,

while I am honored to be bestowed with such trust, I highly recommend talking to Twilight Sparkle about this. She may seem busy but she will be more than delighted to help you. There is no need for false pride.'"

Jonathan grunted, his cheeks red once again. Twilight waved her hoof, urging him to go on.

"'I believe the wand is a wonderful idea, but alas, I do not know any unicorns capable enough to recommend. The only ponies coming to mind, aside from Twilight, would be my sister Celestia and my humble self.

Concerning the ingredients, I can only say that you will not find them in Equestria, based on the realistic assumption that if Rarity cannot obtain a gem it does not exist at all. I am truly sorry to be unable to assist you further. However, should you manage to obtain the objects I will gladly help with enchanting them!

Night court is slow; I will eagerly await your reply for it is one of very few that I receive.

Be well. Your friend,
Luna'"

Jonathan lowered the parchment. "Crap."

Twilight, however, smiled. "Not in Equestria, you say?"

•°

Arcus Tangens wandered around in his small house, picking up supplies for his vacation. He scanned the living room for things to tidy up and the kitchen for leftovers. The bathroom was already shiny and clean and he had asked his neighbor to take care of the betta fish.

A worn out pair of powder blue saddlebags lay on his bed. He stuffed a cloak and a long scarf into it, along with other clothes - ponies usually did not wear much in Ponyville but the weather in the mountains was a different matter. Then followed supplies for making fire, a first-aid kit, a compass and several maps, complete with his own annotations.

He grinned when he thought of the mountains. Most ponies in town assumed that the Everfree was the only place in Equestria not supervised by weather guards but Luna's saltlick, were they wrong! In fact, only about half of Equestria's weather was under pegasus control. They just managed to use the currents that already existed and redirect them for their purposes so the weather in the more populated areas could be controlled. Derpy had told him of an instance when she had gotten into a nasty wind that had pushed her so badly off-course that she flew into the wrong direction afterwards. She ended up in the North instead of the South. It had been very embarrassing, to say the least.

Arcus paused for a moment, dropping a map onto his bed, and sat down. He really would have liked if Spirit came along on his trip. It would be so much more fun. The sinking feeling in his stomach eventually passed when he remembered the new friend he had made.

•°

Thump thump thump thump!

Arcus knocked at the library door with more force than necessary but he just could not control his nervousness.

"We're open, just come in!", came the muffled voice of Princess Twilight through the door.

He pushed the door open, slightly embarrassed, and entered to see a bigger chaos than the one at his own home. To put it nicely, Jonathan, Twilight and Spike were surrounded by clutter.

"What's going on?", wondered Arcus aloud.

"We're going on an adventure!", beamed Twilight.

"It's not an adventure", corrected Jonathan, "It's a quest to get wood and a gem."

"Same difference", said Spike, trying to step out of the pile of things without making it topple over. Arcus recognized travelling cloaks, bread, a first aid kit similar to his own and mostly books. Some of them were so big that Spike would have trouble carrying them around.

"Oh, and don't forget to pack pillows and blankets", continued Jonathan, obviously picking up an interrupted conversation.

"Why, I thought we'd stay at an inn", replied a confused Twilight.

"The inn of Undercity has only coffins. You need to bring your own pillow."

"Oh."

"But there's lots of books, that's a plus."

"Are you saying", groaned Twilight, "that we won't need any of these and I gathered them here for nothing?"

Jonathan shrugged. "Princess, I never said we needed them. You asked Spike to get them."

"How exactly do you intend to carry all that stuff around anyway?", wondered Arcus around. "Do you have a carriage?"

Twilight turned to him. "No." She sighed. "Okay, definitely less books."

Arcus grinned at Jonathan. The human grinned back, trying hard not to say anything. Spike just rolled his eyes.

"Hmmm", muttered Twilight, pacing around the pile and returning most of the books to their respective places with her magic. "I wonder... Arcus, do you have any plans for the next few days?"

The Elder

"You wished to see me?" The Elder elegantly sat down on the chair closest to the fireplace and eyed the Commander.

"Yes, my Lord. I have assessed the situation and I still believe the pony is not a threat to us. However..." The Commander hesitated.

"Continue", demanded the Elder, nodding. The glowing embers illuminated the back of his hood, keeping his face in the dark.

A bead of sweat ran down the Commander's neck. It was simply too warm in this room. The Elder always insisted on keeping the fire going and the door shut. It would have been no different if it had been summer. In fact, the Commander doubted that the Elder ever left the tower at all. There was no way to argue over matters like this with an elf who was more than two hundred years older than you. It would have been highly disrespectful. So the Commander straightened up, hands folded behind the back.

"However, knowing that he can move freely about Undercity and that we are currently only allowed to send a single diplomat and one Paladin teacher there, we should consider using this opportunity to investigate certain... rumors. To see how much truth lies behind them."

"Rumors? You are not talking about the ridiculous claim from our source? I had not taken you for such a gullible one, Commander."

"I am rather sceptical about it as well, my Lord."

"Yet you still claim that the creature is intelligent."

"Yes, sir, I can confirm that. He is definitely sentient, and, apparently, not born as the result of magic. So it makes you wonder whether the rest might be also true. And several reliable sources claim the same thing - that there might indeed be a cure. This is the perfect chance to place an unwitting spy in their midst."

"You don't say." There was not a hint of irony in the Elder's voice. He hummed, thinking for a while, then gently folded his slim hands. "I agree. Proceed. If you are right, we may gain knowledge we have been seeking for since... Lordaeron. But if you are wrong, Commander, you will eliminate the proof of our intrusion before it is discovered. You must make sure to retrieve the information in both cases and bring it directly to me. No one else must know of this until we have results. You may choose a small group to complete the misson. Is that clear?"

"Yes, I understand."

"You may go." The Elder closed his eyes and rested his chin thoughtfully on his folded hands as the Commander left the tower, the footsteps barely audible above the crackling of the fire.

The Informant

"Here ya go, M'lady." A bony claw set the wine glass down on the dark wooden table. The dim yellow and green light of dirty candles reflected in the liquid, tinting it dark brown.

"Thank you, Mr Garner." The Commander accepted the glass and turned away from the Forsaken innkeeper, facing the man sitting opposite to her. "Now, you were saying...?"

The dark-haired elf cleared his throat. "They passed through here. However, if I had not placed a rogue in the Alliance Inn, we would have missed them. They left in a hurry. Apparently there has been an incident and the human as well as the green horse-creature were arrested for that night."

The Commander crossed her arms and leaned forward, ignoring her drink. "When was that?"

The man raised a thin eyebrow.

She sighed and slipped two coins across the table. They disappeared in the informant's hand without a sound.

"Three days ago. They left through the northern gate, in the company of a Death Knight. That's all I know."

She nodded, taking her glass of wine, and took a sip. "Very well. Good evening", she said, looking at him over the rim of the glass.

He took the hint and bowed to her, then, with a turn of his cloak, he was gone. Nobody took notice of his sudden disappearance, especially not the trolls who were feasting next to the Commander's table.

The Commander leaned back and tilted the glass, looking at the sweet liquid twirling inside it.

So they had a guard now. That would complicate things a little. A pity the orb only gave her information about their whereabouts. But the stronger a spell on an object was the simpler it had to be in order to last as long as possible.

Well, it couldn't be helped. If they had to dispatch the entire unit, then so be it.

Level 19 - The Silverpine Wand of Stars

Vol'Shalai's eyes snapped open and he was immediately wide awake. He had overslept!

Grumbling to himself, he climbed out of the coffin and gathered his things. He sprinted to the bank island, dropping off his pillow and blanket along with a few of his flasks, and ran towards the elevator. He waited impatiently until the stone door retreated into a gap in the ceiling.

As he stood in the elevator, waiting for it to rise to the ruins of Lordaeron, he tapped his foot and thought about his last dream. He had seen a small grass-covered hill, a flash of arcane light and trees in the background. The sky had been covered with a green fog. He was sure the dream had shown him where to look for Jon and his friends.

If Vol'Shalai could pick up their trace he was confident he would catch up with them.

He opened his totem pouch, palmed the totem of the wild and began his transformation into a spirit wolf.

•°

"This is it", said Twilight, pointing at a small hill in the center of a clearing. It looked slightly different than at their arrival; the grass had grown a lot and was covered with tiny blue flowers. The trees were brighter than before, fresh leaves covering the long branches. A few birds sang in a nearby thicket, welcoming spring to the Glades of Tirisfal.

It had been three months since she had opened the portal to Lordaeron. To Twilight, it felt like a year. Jonathan's voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Yep, I remember that tree root", he said, rubbing his side and pointing at a tree root at the foot of the hill.

He stalked up the hill, Darren and the ponies in tow. Mr Carpenter stayed where he was, watching them climb the grassy incline.

When they reached the top of the hill, Twilight looked around.

"Yes, I'm sure it was here", she muttered. Twilight raised her horn and began to cast the spell. Jonathan quickly joined her side.

She reared, spreading her wings to keep her balance. As the light at the tip of her horn grew brighter, Jonathan touched Twilight's shoulder and added his part of the spell, stabilizing the portal with his Light magic.

This time, Twilight was the one who needed to specify the destination. She closed her eyes, recalling her memories of Canterlot. She thought of Princess Celestia, her dear mentor, who would be waiting for her and her friends to return. She remembered Princess Luna, who had helped them several times during their journey, directly and indirectly. Twilight thought of the golden spires of Canterlot Castle, the citadel on the mountain, of its white halls and corridors and the glass windows that lined the throne room.

She allowed her mind to fly up into the sky of Equestria and take in the image of her homeworld, with its tall mountains, green forests and lush hills. She made sure to think of the Badlands, the Crystal Empire, Manehattan, Ponyville and any significant landmarks that came to her. When she was sure that she had her home clearly before her mind's eye, she returned her focus back to Starswirl's Library. That was where the mirror stood, waiting for the portal to reconnect.

She could almost feel it.

Twilight opened her eyes and released the last part of the spell.

The arcane light expanded, forming intertwining circles. Ancient Equestrian runes formed inside the lines, pulsating in the rhythm of the spell. Pink and golden sparks ran across the wheel of magic. Then, in a blinding flash of light, the circles overlapped and formed a perfectly round gate with a diameter of roughly two yards. The force of the spell created a shockwave that threw everybody to the ground.

Twilight smiled as she saw the result of their shared effort. The ring of magical fire floated in midair, unmoving. It pulsated slowly, humming like a power line. The portal's surface rippled with every pulse, like water at the bottom of a well. The portal appeared to be stable.

"Thanks", Twilight said to Jonathan.

He nodded and readjusted the strap of his backpack, exhaling deeply.

"Is eyerybody ready?", asked Twilight. "Darren?"

The death knight smiled. "Yes, I think I am."

•°

Vol'Shalai the spirit wolf sniffed the ground, trying his best to pick up the faint scent of pony. He raised his head and howled. He had found it.

The wolf picked up the pace and ran along the dirt road, unseen by anyone outside the spiritual plane. He was very close.

•°

Twilight stepped through the portal, followed by Arcus and Jonathan. Levinia dashed after them as a small blue light.

Darren hesitated for a second. He cast a last look over his shoulder, inwardly saying goodbye to his homeworld. Would he miss it? Probably.

But he had made his decision. He wanted to live again. Additionally, he would not be alone, now that he had made friends again. His entire family was dead; there was nothing left for him here. So Darren clenched his teeth and crossed the threshold.

•°

The spirit wolf came to a stop on the top of a small elevation. He recognized it as the hill from his dream.

There was nobody else here, except for a single Forsaken at the foot of the hill. The wolf growled. It seemed he was too late.

There was a strange disturbance next to him, though. Maybe that was the portal that the ponies had set up to get back home. Vol'Shalai shifted back to the material plane, turning into the troll that he was. He wanted to have a closer look. How often did you get to see an interdimensional portal?

His transformation almost failed as pain shot through his limbs. He doubled over, grunting, and collapsed on the ground. Vol'Shalai groaned, holding his head which hurt as if it was being crushed in a vice. He was not sure whether he had ever felt that much agony in his life. His legs twitched with involuntary spasms. He called to the Loa in his panic, praying for the pain to stop.

It was over as abruptly as it had started. Vol'Shalai shivered as he regained control over his body. Cold sweat ran down his face.

"What... da hell... was dat?", he gasped. Panting and sweating, he looked up. The portal had collapsed, leaving behind a few sparks that quickly dissipated in the wind. Apparently, Vol'Shalai had transformed too close to the portal, thus interfering with its magic.

He looked at himself, tilting his hands, flexing his fingers. Everything seemed to be alright. He had not grown any additional limbs or lost any for that matter.

Whew. Vol'Shalai wiped his forehead and huffed. With shaking hands, he uncorked a pumpkin bottle and took a sip from one of his potions. As the brew warmed up his stomach and refreshed him, he staggered to his feet, looking down the hill.

Well, that was that. He was late - yet again. What a disappointment. But at least the ponies and Jon got home. Probably.

Vol'Shalai took an exasperated breath. He brushed some leaves off of his pants. Time to do the same thing as the ponies and get back to Miwemba... and beg for forgiveness. He was supposed to be back on Darkspear Isle months ago. Would she believe his story?

"Hey!" An angry voice snapped Vol'Shalai out of his thoughts. He readied his axe and whirled around, taking an aggressive stance.

The Forsaken from before was running up the hill, towards Vol'Shalai. He rolled his eyes. Great. The warrior had probably noticed him as he had transformed back into a troll.

The human came to a stop. He was clad in plate armor and wielding a big-ass axe. That did not impress Vol'Shalai. Maybe he had just a small axe himself but the elements were much more powerful than a metal blade.

"Get away from there!", said the Forsaken in Orcish. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Well, duh", grunted Vol'Shalai. "I did notice dey left without sayin' bye. No need ta rub it in!"

"What?"

"Look, mon", said Vol'Shalai, talking extra slowly. "I be deir friend, Vol'Shalai. If ya have a problem wit dat, it be yar problem. But I'm not gonna let ya go after de ponies or anyting because dey just wanna go home. So, ya see, ya be actually da one who be tresspassin' here."

The Forsaken raised his hand and opened his mouth. Then he closed it again.

"You know about the ponies?", he said eventually, relaxing his stance.

Vol'Shalai nodded, rubbing his chin. He lowered his own axe, mirroring the Forsaken.

"Ya know what? Let's talk about dis over a pint of Dwarven Stout. What'cha say?"

"I... I don't see why not", admitted the Forsaken. "If you can prove you're telling the truth. I'm just here to ensure they actually left."

Vol'Shalai grinned. "How about a deal? I give ya an exact description of what dey look like and what dey been doing in Silvermoon. And ya be tellin' me why dey been in Undercity."

He shouldered his war axe and walked downhill. The troll did not bother to look back. He knew that the Forsaken had picked up the bait.

•°

Jonathan was sure about one thing: He still hated portals. Once the nauseating ride through the trippy tunnel of swirling shapes and energies was over, he fell out of the mirror with a thud. Still, his landing was surprisingly soft.

"Get off me, please." Arcus had involuntarily served as Jonathan's cushion. The earth pony groaned, holding his side. Jonathan swiftly rolled off Arcus's barrel. He held out his hand, helping the green earth pony up.

"Sorry", he said.

Arcus shook his head. "Not like you could control what you fall onto."

"Welcome back", said a gruff male voice.

Jonathan and Arcus turned around, looking for the source. A white unicorn stallion in golden armor had spoken. There was a light blue pegasus mare next to him, also clad in golden plate armor. Each of them was armed with a short spear. Day guards.

They were back in Canterlot, in the library of Starswirl the Bearded. They were back home! Jonathan grinned, even chuckling a bit. Finally, some good news.

Twilight coughed and staggered to her hooves. Her blue saddlebags had fallen off her back. One had opened when she had fallen out of the portal. Part of its contents were spilt across the floor, including a a few potion flasks. Luckily, nothing was broken.

"Oops", she muttered, using magic to collect her things and stuff them back into the bag.

"Princess Twilight, are you alright?", asked the female guard, rushing to her side with a worried frown.

Twilight gave her a comforting smile. "Yes, I'm not hurt", she said. "Still a little dizzy but that should pass in a moment." She looked back at her friends. "Is everyone okay?"

Arcus nodded and Jonathan smiled. "We're good", "Just some bruises", they said.

Levinia, still in the shape of a wisp, flew across the room, circling Twilight's head. The light grew brighter as she bounced up and down, indicating her happiness.

Before she could turn into a pony or say anything, her light grew fainter. It flickered and disappeared within seconds.

"Levinia! Oh no!" Twilight's eyes went wide. "What's happening?", she asked, alarmed.

"She's back to being invisible", said Jonathan. "it's not Nightmare Night after all."

Twilight's ears went down. "Oh. Right, sure." She looked disappointed.

Jonathan put his hand on her shoulder. "She'll be all right, Princess. We just can't see her anymore. She's a ghost, remember?"

"Of course", muttered Twilight. "That's hard to forget."

The male guard politely cleared his throat. Twilight's ears flicked, turning towards the noise.

"Yes. Sorry about this", she said, adressing the guards. She straightened her back, taking a bussinesslike stance. "Please tell Princess Celestia that we have returned. Princess Luna will be asleep at this hour", she added, more as an explanation for Jonathan and Darren.

The pegasus guard saluted, instinctively flapping her wings. Her hoofsteps reverberated through the cavernous library as she dashed for the throne room.

"Wait a second." Twilight turned on the spot, searching the library.

Somebody was missing.

Arcus put his hooves before his mouth. "Holy Light, Darren's not here", he whispered in shock.

•°

"Oof!" Darren fell out of the portal, face first into the the snow. A howling wind assaulted his ears, bringing more snow as he watched. The portal behind him flizzled out and dissolved into a shower of pink and golden sparks.

He sat up and looked around, brushing a stray lock of grey hair out of his face, and pulled up his hood. There was nothing around him save an endless white cold. His dark cloak and tabard flapped in the vicious wind, tugging at his armor.

"Twilight?", he called against the wind.

There was no answer. Where was he?

"Arcus? Jonathan?... Levinia?"

No, if they had arrived before him, they were gone now. They had either walked away or been buried by the snow...

Darren stood up, turning around on the spot to look for elevations in the snow. He could not find any. That meant that his friends truly were not in the vicinity.

The snowstorm lost its enthusiasm. As the last flakes settled down, Darren could make out the sky. It was a dull purple, with shreds of clouds scattered about. The lights of the Aurora Borealis danced above the horizon, illuminating the night sky.

"Light damn it." So he was alone again, stranded in the merciless cold of Northrend.

•°

Vol'Shalai put a foot on the Forsaken's belly and pulled his axe out. The Death Guard still twitched a little so Vol'Shalai summoned another lightning bolt. The energy crushed the human, reducing him to a smoldering heap that stank to high heavens. No resurrection for this Forsaken, that was certain.

He sighed. It was not nice to kill in cold blood but he had to protect the secret of the ponies. Really, the Forsaken should have seen it coming. As if Vol'Shalai would believe that he had the wellbeing of ponies in mind. He probably just wanted to tell Sylvanas the position of the portal. The mages would be able to reopen it for another week. But Vol'Shalai would not take any chances.

He shook his head, then swung his axe again, sticking the blade into the ground. Vol'Shalai used the earth to wipe the axe clean of the dark smudge that passed for blood in these lands.

Now that he had wrapped this up, it was really time he got home.

•°

"Oh no!", cried Twilight. "He didn't make it!" Her eyes filled with tears. She had broken her promise!

Jonathan knelt down and hugged her.

"It's not your fault", he whispered into her ear. "We all know that portals are risky."

As the tears flowed down Twilight's cheeks, she hugged Jonathan back, throwing her forelegs around him. "Still, he could have been healed", she sobbed. "Now he's either d-dead or all alone. Nopony should be all alone."

Jonathan did not know what to say to that. He awkwardly patted Twilight's back. Arcus trotted over to them. He put his foreleg on Twilight's back, joining in the group hug.

"I'm sorry", he said, a lump in his throat. "Darren was my friend, too."

Distant hoofsteps made the three friends break the hug and stand up. The pegasus guard had returned, with Princess Celestia right behind her.

"Welcome back, everyone", said Celestia, smiling at the ponies and the human.

Twilight's face lit up as she saw her mentor. She wiped the tears off her muzzle and hugged Celestia.

"Princess Celestia! I'm so glad to see you again", she said. "I't been so long."

The Solar Princess smiled serenely. "You have been gone for four days", she said. "That means that in Azeroth...?"

"It's been over three months", said Twilight, letting go of Celestia's neck and stepping back.

A small frown darkened Celestia's face as she eyed Twilight. "Twilight, are you all right? You have lost weight - and you don't look very happy."

Twilight nodded slowly. "It was an exhausting journey", she said.

"You can say that again", said Arcus. He knelt down. "Princess."

"Raise, my little pony", said Celestia. "I am happy to see that all of you made it back in one piece. To be honest, I was very worried."

Arcus stood up, looking at the ground. His ears splayed back at the words of the Princess.

"What is it?", asked Celestia, confused.

"Darren didn't make it", he said sadly. "We promised him we'd take him to Equestria."

Twilight nodded, explaining, "He is a human that helped us a lot. He went into the portal, too, but he didn't come out on this side."

"I'm sorry to hear that", said Celestia with compassion. She raised her head, flicking back her beautiful flowing mane. "You can rest now and recover from your quest. I have new guest rooms prepared for you. We will meet again in the afternoon, once Day Court is over. Then you can tell me everything." She gave them an encouraging smile, especially Twilight, and walked out of the library.

The guards motioned for everyone to follow them.

"This way, please", said the unicorn.

•°

Darren walked through the endless whiteness, trying to use the stars as guidance. They were arranged in unusual constellations. Now that he thought about it, he could not find anything familiar up there. He shook his head in disbelief.

Apparenty, this was not Northrend. Was he in Equestria? Could this be the Frozen North where the Crystal Ponies lived?

Something must have gone wrong with the portal. He was not familiar enough with the arcane mechanics behind the spell but that much was obvious. It must have been intercepted. Or maybe they had taken too long and it had collapsed prematurely, thowing him out at a random location? How was he to know?

Darren sighed and kept putting one foot in front of the other. For once in his 'life', he was glad about the curse. If he were not undead, he would have been frozen to a popsicle by now.

He decided to walk in a more or less straight line, towards the part of the sky that was slightly brighter than the rest. If he ever wanted to see something else than snow, he had to get to civilization. Hopefully he would not fall into a glacier crack before that.

•°

The guards led the three friends to the other side of the building complex. Starswirl's library was in the bowels of Canterlot Castle so they needed to go upstairs and cross the entrance hall first, then enter an entirely different wing.

Twilight was shown her room by the pegasus mare. It had the size of a princess suite.

The unicorn stallion took Jonathan and Arcus to another room that had two beds but was almost as spacy as Twilight's.

"Wow." Jonathan was impressed. "This guest room is even bigger than the last one."

"The Princess ordered for you to get the best we have", said the guard. "To ensure you would be well rested after your return."

"Okay, that's really nice of her", said Arcus.

The guard left the room, closing the door behind him.

"This room actually reminds me a bit of the house in Silvermoon", said Arcus with a lopsided smile. "Except it's brighter. I just hope somepony'll pick us up for lunch. We might get lost in the castle."

"I think I'm gonna skip lunch." Jonathan took off his boots, then fell onto one of the beds with his arms spread wide. "Mmmm", he sighed into the fluffy pillow. "Soft bed. Yeah, definitely no lunch." He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

Arcus rolled his eyes and smiled, then winced as a dent in his armor digged into his still slightly injured flank. He sat down and began to take off the barding.

•°

Somepony knocked at the door, waking Twilight up. She groaned. Slowly raising her head, Twilight blinked a few times. Now she knew what pegasi felt like when they talked of time zone disorder after long travels.

"Ugh." Twilight flicked the blanket aside and slid off the bed, hastily brushing down her bedmane. "Please enter." She held a hoof before her muzzle as she yawned.

The door opened, revealing the unicorn guard, along with Jonathan and Arcus, who both smiled at her. All in all, they looked well-rested, considering they had left Undercity in a hurry.

Jonathan was still in the same clothes as before minus his cloak and scarf. Apparently he had taken care of the worst tears in his garments by binding bandages around them. Twilight also noticed that the smell was better. Had Jonathan washed the shirt? She was sure that the dark blue had been more brownish before. The human also had combed his hair and bound most of it into a ponytail. A few strands had slipped out of the band. It had gotten shaggy over the months, growing down to his shoulders.

Arcus also looked much better. He had gotten rid of his armor and obviously taken a bath just like Jonathan. His coat was well-brushed and his short sky blue mane combed. His right cutie mark was still covered by a bandage that went around the flank and upper hindleg but the bandage looked fresh and clean.

"Hi", said Jonathan. "Ready to meet the Princess?"

Twilight frowned. "W-what time is it?"

"Four-fifty past midday", replied the guard at the door.

That woke Twilight up immediately. "What?! Already?" She raced to her bed, picking up her saddlebags and, after a moment of consideration, Clara in her flowerpot. "Then let's go before Princess Celestia has to wait even longer."

"Don't worry, Twilight", said Arcus, "I'm sure the Princess will understand. After jumping from one world to another, you can't be expected to adjust within less than a day. I mean, we sorta left in the evening and arrived in the morning without a proper night in between. That's just... wrong."

•°

"Levinia was drawn to Azeroth through the dream of Queen Sylvanas?", asked Celestia.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. And since the magic there is stronger than in Equestria, she was visible to everypony and could even talk to us. Levinia explained everything to Sylvanas. She sent some of her Forsaken warriors to rescue us. We could convince her to let us go if we keep our secret and never return to Azeroth."

"Wait", interrupted Jonathan. "She told me to never return to her territories", he corrected. "She's not the ruler of the entire planet. So if we ever had to return, we could just open up the portal someplace else than Lordaeron."

Arcus and Twilight gave him a deadpan glare.

"I said, 'if'", added Jonathan quickly, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know I promised. It was just a hypothesis. But you know what?", he raised an eyebrow, "I'm finally getting it. I had to return to Undercity to realize that I didn't belong there anymore. It's just like my teacher said, that I would find out the truth eventually. Undercity is a city for the dead. And I belong with the living now. With you.

"Even though you're a different species, you're closer to living humans than the Forsaken will ever be. On top of that, we are friends. So don't worry, I don't want to go back. You're stuck with me for good." He smirked, crossing his arms.

Twilight and Arcus nodded, seemingly relaxing. Twilight wiped her eyes with a hoof.

"Fair enough", said Arcus. "Besides, you got what you came for, didn't you?"

Jonathan grinned. "Yep." He pulled the silverpine wood and ruby star from his backpack. "Here."

"May I?" Princess Celestia leaned forward a bit.

"Sure, Princess." Jonathan opened his hands and let Celestia use her magic to float the wand materials across the tea table.

"This is an exceptional gem", she said. "Where did you find it?"

Twilight blushed and muttered something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that", said Celestia.

"Inside... inside a maggot. In the Plaguelands", said Twilight. "Darren had the idea of 'looting' the corpse after we k-killed it."

Celestia gingerly put the gem and stick back into Jonathan's hands.

"I see." Her smile was gone. She put a hoof on Twilight's foreleg. "I'm sorry you had to go through so much."

"Please don't be." Twilight shook her head. "We made some choices. And even though we couldn't have foreseen all the consequences, we still have to live with them. That... that's just how it is."

Arcus cleared his throat. He shuffled around in his seat, fiddling with his teacup.

"There's something I want to say", he began. "Twilight, Jon, I want to apologize for how I behaved. Maybe it was the tracking spell that made me so angry but that doesn't excuse the things I said. I was rude and impatient. I'm sorry, especially for yelling at you. At the end, I didn't consider anything... but myself." His ears splayed back and he lowered his head, unable to look Twilight in the eye.

A hoof on his shoulder made him look up.

"I'm sorry, too", said Twilight. "I should have lifted this spell so much sooner."

"We're still friends, right? We're not gonna split ways once we get back to Ponyville? I'd really miss you guys. I already miss Darren... and... losing friends is just..." He trailed off, trying not to tear up.

Twilight pulled Arcus into a hug. "Of course we are still friends. We couldn't have done this without you, Arcus."

"That's right", said Jonathan, smirking. "Besides, I need a sparring partner. How else would we stay in shape? It's not like there's going to be that much trouble in Ponyville."

Celestia giggled, holding a hoof before her muzzle. "I wouldn't be so sure about that", she said.

Everyone perked up as somepony knocked at the door. The guards, both unicorns, used their magic to open the portal, revealing a familiar dark blue alicorn.

"Princess Luna!", cheered Twilight and Jonathan at once. Arcus bowed his head, almost knocking over his teacup. He quickly got hold of it before it could fall and spill its contents. He smiled awkwardly and his cheeks took on a deep crimson.

"I heard that somepony came back from the Undead", said Luna, winking at Jonathan.

He smiled back at her and pulled up a chair.

"So Sylvanas chose to help you", said Luna, sitting down between Twilight and Celestia. She raised her voice, calling, "Servant! More Tea!"

The door of the hall snapped open once again and a maidservant rushed inside, pushing a small cart. She swapped the empty teapot for a full one, restocked the cookies and gave Luna a fresh teacup and saucer.

"Thank you", said Luna, nodding politely.

Once the maid had left, Jonathan spoke up. "Thanks for looking out for us, Princess. We'd probably still be stuck in Silvermoon if it hadn't been for you and Levinia."

"I'm happy that I could help", said Luna with a hint of smugness in her voice. Celestia managed to keep her unwavering smile.

"Even though part of it was on accident", admitted Luna after a few seconds. "Now, I am sure you already told my dear sister most of your story", she cast a brief look at Celestia, "so I will cut to the chase right away. There is still a promise I have to keep, is there not?"

Jonathan gave her a blank look before slapping his forehead.

"Right! The wand. Sure, yes." He rummaged in his backpack, revealing the two wand parts. "Sorry, I forgot about the letter for a second."

Arcus looked at Twilight, confused. "What are they talking about?", he stage-whispered, eyeing the star ruby.

"Princess Luna offered to help create the wand", explained Twilight in the same manner.

"Oh, okay. That should be interesting", said Arcus in his normal voice.

"Indeed", Luna cut in. "Shall we begin?" She grinned eagerly, clapping her hooves together in excitement like a giddy foal.

"Good thing the star ruby is already properly cut", said Jonathan. "So, what now?"

Luna's expression grew serious as she rose from her chair, stepping away from the table. She lit her horn, taking both the star ruby and the piece of silverpine wood in her magical field. Arcus and Jonathan watched with fascination as Luna connected the two parts, cutting and polishing the pine stick at the same time. Twilight grinned widely. She had never seen Luna do any magic like this before. The end of the stick began to come alive and grow, winding around the gem in intertwining spirals.

Once the stick and gem were fused together, Luna looked at Jonathan.

"You may join the effort now", she said.

"Okay, how do I do that?"

"Place your hand on the gem and say the necessary spells. I shall use my magic to help you channel yours, thus embedding the magic in the wand."

Jonathan nodded, doing as Luna had requested. He closed his eyes, trying his best to remember all the correct phrases. When he was done chanting, he opened his eyes again. The spell was already in effect: Luna's magic field was surrounded by layers of golden and blue light. The words of the spell floated around the gem in circles. Arcus could probably not read them; the words were in the shape of ancient magical runes and hieroglyphs.

A bright flash of light and the magic was compressed into the gem, finishing the wand. The gem glowed in a bright red for a few seconds, then the glow dimmed down to a dull light.

The magical light around Luna's horn faded away as she let go of the wand.

Jonathan gaped at the finished wand in his hands. It had an intricate beauty to it that he never could have hoped to create on his own. A fine line ran along the pine shaft, faintly reminding Jonathan of the spiral of a unicorn horn. The wand was roughly twelve inches long and about as thick as his index finger, getting a bit thinner in the middle. He applied a little pressure to bend it, noting with satisfaction that it was sturdy and also a bit flexible. The spiral of the shaft continued into the tendrils that held the gem. Now that he thought about it, the wand tip looked a bit like a flower bud. Tiny red sparks floated around the ruby, just like fireflies or, as Jonathan suddenly realized, the stars in Luna's mane. The design looked... regal.

Arcus gave off an impressed whistle, snapping Jonathan out of his comtemplation.

"Uh, er, thank you, Princess, I mean, Luna", stammered Jonathan, still holding on to the wand. He stepped closer to Luna, sniffing and rubbing his nose. "This really means a lot."

He gasped with surprise when Luna pulled him into a hug.

"And that I did not expect", he said, glancing at Twilight. She giggled at his dumbfounded expression.

"You are most welcome", said Luna, letting go of a red-faced Jonathan.

He went back to the tea table, waving the wand around awkwardly. "No, honestly, this is... really... a beautiful wand. I never could have done that. Seriously, Princess -"

"Oh, please cease the praising already", interrupted Luna him. "'Twas a gift for a friend. We shall leave it at that."

"Okay", said Jonathan meekly, carefully putting the wand away.

"How long are you going to stay in Canterlot?", asked Luna, changing the subject.

"No offense, Luna, but I think we all want to get home as soon as possible", said Twilight.

Jonathan and Arcus both nodded at that.

"We have been on this journey for three months and really need a break from all the adventuring", explained Twilight.

"Amen to that." That was Jonathan. "Besides, I need to find an apartment with space for a workshop and I'd rather do that sooner than later."

"Do you need help?", asked Arcus eagerly. "I'm usually up to date on the property market."

They kept on discussing their plans for a while, with Celestia and Luna occasionally asking questions about Ponyville. Twilight also presented the notes she had taken in Azeroth. She had managed to collect extensive knowledge on herbalism, the Forsaken and arcane magic. The pile of parchment was not yet organized for which Twilight apologized several times. She promised to sort them out once she was back in Ponyville.

The Princesses seemed happy to just take part in a conversation that did not deal with the problems of nobles for once. The talking went on until dinner was served, at the same table. The three adventurers ate about three times more than both Celestia and Luna combined. The servants needed to return with more food once the bowls were empty. After dinner, Princess Celestia took everyone to a certain balcony and lowered the sun. Princess Luna stood next to her, raising the moon at the same time. Everyone bid their farewells and went to their respective rooms.

Jonathan repacked his backpack, carefully rolling the wand into a piece of parchment. He put Clara on the nightstand after filling her pot with water from the bathroom sink. Twilight had returned the flower to him during the afternoon without losing a word about his negligence. Jonathan was still embarrassed when he thought about it.

He dabbed at the leaves of the flower, reflecting on the quest, while Arcus was busy packing his armor, declaring that he would not wear it again before it was properly repaired. Clara opened her eyes once in a while, looking a little sleepy, and gave Jonathan a smile. He had to admit that the sunflower looked really cute. She had grown a bit. He wondered whether he should buy her a new pot once he was back in Ponyville.

Okay, now he was a little bored. Jonathan sighed. Going on a journey could do that to you: Once things started to settle down, Jonathan quickly became restless. Well, before he would go to sleep, he could always give Arcus a hand with the packing.

"Hey, Arc, need help with the armor?", asked Jonathan.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Hm. G'night then."

"Night."

And with that, Jonathan decided to call it a day.