Author's Note

Readers- "Three weeks without an update?!

Me- "I'm sorry!"

For real, sorry guys, that's a long wait for such a short chapter, I hope to do better with the next but it might breach the 10k words mark so I dunno...

Deep Breath

Chapter 13: Deep Breath

They set out for Cenarion Hold the next morning, Rarity was told to take it easy for a few days by Emy. Twilight took up the front of the group, walking along the worn, dirt path to Cenarion Hold. She was very contemplative, now that she knew all she could hope to know about her situation. She supposed she had more confidence in the matter of this attempt on the Old God's life succeeding, but she was still nervous. After all, it was a frightening circumstance.

Weary of her thoughts, Twilight turned to look around as she walked, the scenery was not unlike that of Tanaris, as it was a desert. However, everything took on a beige tone and the mood of the desert made it seem colder than a desert should be. The creatures that lived in Silithus were - so far - only insectoid in form. Spiders, scorpids, giant tarantulas, worms, and wasps were all that one could say populated the desert surrounding them. Mind you, all of said creatures were the biggest specimens Twilight had ever seen of each species, always bigger than the average pony.

They were safe on the path from the creatures only because of the series of large, purple, crystalline wards that hummed with protective magic as they hovered by the path. Cenarion Hold was just on the horizon, and Twilight could see the hippogryphs circling the tall watchtowers. The Hold itself was built upon a giant, long-abandoned termite mound, with only three buildings to its name, it was a rather small stronghold. Nonetheless it was miraculously untouched by the massive hive that had been erected mere yards from the small Hold.

They made good time, and were climbing the steep, dirt ramp before noon. The Cenarion Circle, who were responsible for maintaining the Hold and observing Silithus, were a neutral faction. It was mostly comprised of Druids from both the Alliance and the Horde who had given up any grievances they may have had with one another to join the Circle. As such it was no surprise to see both Tauren and Night Elven ponies working together in harmony. And although some of the more hostile races of both factions often bristled at the sight of one another when meeting in such neutral towns, the mood was relatively peaceful.

Twilight made for the tall watchtower that had caught her eye from afar and proceeded up a second, even steeper dirt ramp across the path to the inn to get there. The platform of solidified dirt was home to a small barracks and a hippogryph stable on the left, and Twilight turned to her right to ascend into the tower. She promptly ran straight into a massive bull Tauren, who blinked down at her in surprise, then smiled, "Can I help you, young Mage?" he asked kindly.

Twilight smiled nervously, despite the fact that the Tauren were altogether more friendly than any other Horde race she still found them intimidating just due to sheer size. This particular Tauren had a gentle eye, and wore many feathers in both his mane and his armor. His chestnut coat blended perfectly with his leather armor, and one might think he weren't wearing any at all. "Sorry for running into you..." she chuckled, reassured by the amused glint in his eye as he nodded for her to continue, "...we are looking for Warden Haro?"

The Tauren smiled again and swished his tail, "Well I don't think you'd have to look far, as my name happens to be Haro." Haro inclined his head respectfully to the unicorn, who seemed startled. "I assume Tyrande sent you?" he asked, gesturing for the group to follow him as he proceeded up the stairs to the watchtower.

"Yes she did. Has she sent any word to you?" Twilight trotted somewhat fast to keep up with the larger bovine's gait, his steps seemed to take him further than her even when he was walking at a casual pace.

"Indeed." Haro affirmed, "I am led to believe that an Old God is responsible for the awakening of Ahn'Qiraj?" the group entered a room in the tower and were led to sit down on the cushions placed on the floor.

Twilight rolled her eyes and stifled a giggle at Rarity's excitement upon seeing such 'luxurious' quarters. "Y-yes, how long has this been going on, exactly? I was told that the Old God has been living there for some time." Twilight asked.

Haro settled himself on his haunches and placed a hoof to his muzzle in thought, and Twilight noticed the golden bull-ring in his nose with fascination. "I'd say no more than a few weeks, hence the fact that Tyrande seemed confused as to why she didn't know sooner. We were only recently suspicious of such things." Haro said.

Twilight nodded, "Did she say when she would send troops to assault Ahn'Qiraj?" she asked, guessing ahead that they would likely be staying at Cenarion Hold for a few months before an actual army would be sorted and sent to Silithus. Perhaps sooner if they received help from the King of Stormwind, or maybe even King Magni of Ironforge.

"Tyrande said she cannot be certain, but she estimates that she will have troops here in Silithus no more than two weeks after the Lunar Festival." Haro pulled a missive from a hidden pocket in his armor and handed it to Twilight.

Twilight took the missive and unrolled it, reading what Tyrande had written. The Lunar Festival is in three weeks...just a little over a month. Not bad. she thought to herself, funny how it seemed like yesterday she was in Stormwind with Rainbow celebrating the same festival. Twilight blinked to shake the sudden nostalgia she felt and handed the missive back. "In that case I suppose we'll be seeing you around quite often for some time." she stood and bowed her head courteously, "If you'll excuse us, we should find some rooms at the inn and settle ourselves." she smiled at Haro.

Haro nodded, "Indeed, you should." he stood and stepped forward to shake her hoof, "Welcome to Cenarion Hold."

Twilight had tried to insist on paying for the rooms, but the innkeeper would not hear of it, as she was housing the coming troops for free. She had reasoned that she had no desire to do any less for Tyrande's 'special' warriors. That had been hours before, and now the Mage was sitting on her haunches, forelegs resting on the rail of the balcony the inn had. While Twilight was grateful that she would have time to rest and prepare for the impending siege of Ahn'Qiraj, she was nervous.

So nervous, in fact, that her heart felt as though it were clenching every so often before it resumed it's never-ending beat. Twilight looked down at her hooves and managed to smile without the need to force it. Rarity had nearly fainted at the sight of the runecloth clothing provided by Calandrath, the innkeeper. The dainty, and somewhat small Elven unicorn mare was feisty, but she appeared to have a passion for clothing. Needless to say, she and Rarity and instantly bonded. Twilight fidgeted with the soft, crimson cloth covering her sleeves.

"Twilight?" Rainbow sat down beside her, not wearing her leathers, but she had opted for black trousers and a white, billowy, silk tunic in place of the white robe offered to her.

"Hello Dash." Twilight acknowledged her with a slight smile.

"How are you?" Rainbow asked, putting a hoof on her adoptive mother's own. Twilight might like to think it was a sisterly bond they shared, but Rainbow would only ever think of her as a mother. She raised her after all. "You seem different today. Somewhat at peace with yourself for the first time I've ever seen. Is something different?"

Twilight let her smile fall and looked to the moon, considering her dream, and what Princess Luna had said. "Yes, I suppose I am different." she replied, turning to face the prismatic Pegasus beside her. "I had no nightmare last night...and even stranger still, I saw Luna herself."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, not in disbelief, but rather surprise. She had been taught of the legendary alicorns who had been made avatars of the sun and moon, appointed by the Titans to help the dragon Aspects watch over Azeroth. There was only one other alicorns known besides them, the avatar of love, but it was rumored that she was not immortal. "Are you quite certain?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight nodded, "Luna told me much - and I must say she is as awe-inspiring as the legends say." the unicorn looked back at the moon, her eyes darting between the larger white and smaller blue moon. "Almost feels like she is still here, I suppose that's thanks to this-" she looked down at the swirling turquoise jewel she had hung beside her trademark emerald.

"Isn't that Theradras' jewel?" Rainbow gently lifted the gem and inspected it. Twilight hadn't told her much, but she did know some of her adventure into Maraudon.

Twilight nodded again, "Luna said that they made a counter spell for C-his...magic." she corrected herself and cringed at the mere thought of C'Thun.

"C...who?" Rainbow was certain that Twilight had been saying a name, and now looked up expectantly at her.

Twilight looked away and rubbed a shoulder with the opposite foreleg, "The...Luna told me who is responsible for my nightmares, or - I suppose you could say - affirmed my suspicions..." she stroked the turquoise around her neck almost desperately as she spoke, not wanting to think about her dreams, but nonetheless having to.

"Who?" Rainbow placed her foreleg around Twilight's shoulders and perked her ears, letting her know she was listening.

Twilight looked at her out of the corner of her eye, "You know why we are here, right?"

Rainbow looked at her incredulously, "Of course! To stop an Old God, you told me yourself."

"Not so coincidental that the closer I got to him, the worse my dreams became...the less I slept...the weaker I got." she hinted, being as vague as possible as she was not wanting to be tempted into saying his name.

Rainbow furrowed her brow and looked at Twilight in shock, "The Old God?" the unicorn nodded to her now-sputtering friend. "B-but...wha...why? Why the hell would he do it to you? What did he have to gain?!" the prismatic Pegasus was trembling with rage now and had jumped to her hooves to pace.

Twilight closed her watery eyes, inadvertently squeezing a tear out of each as Rainbow ranted. Her shouted obscenities quickly dwindled to murmurs and gritted mumbling, however, and she soon stopped to observe Twilight. "Are you okay?" she asked again, placing her tingling hoof on the unicorn's shaking shoulder.

Twilight took a shuddering breath and nodded, "For once, Rainbow, I'm okay...truly. I'm not scared of the battle. What do I have to lose?" she turned and wiped her eyes with the back of her hooves.

Rainbow looked at her carefully, "You seem very...resigned, and even calm about the situation." she took Twilight's hoof and held it with both her own forelegs, "Why did he do it?" she asked pleadingly, as if she were afraid she wouldn't receive an answer.

Twilight looked down at her hoof, surrounded with two blue ones, and sighed, stroking the soft, blue feathers that protruded from the soles of Rainbow's hooves. Then she smirked, "Because I'm the only thing in Azeroth that he fears."

It had been a few days since she told Rainbow of her dream, and she promptly asked her to keep it secret. Not so much the fact that C'Thun was responsible for her suffering, but that she was a Liberator. She didn't want Shining to know. Why? Twilight told herself it was because she didn't want him to worry. But truth be told, she wasn't sure whether she'd be returning from this siege. Rainbow had hesitantly complied, warning that if she got hurt then she would tell all.

Twilight now walked the grounds of the hold and explored, the recent days having been spent resting all she could to make up for her decades of sleep deprivation. She leant against the moonwell and ran a hoof through the water with a smile. It was strange, yet nice, being back in her carefree environment, if only for a few weeks. She hadn't felt so relaxed since she was a little filly. And despite the sudden knowledge of her true purpose, the weight of her destiny felt like a mere pebble on her shoulder compared to the boulder that was her nightmares.

Twilight stood and left the moonwell, trotting up the dirt ramp to the barracks and tower. From the height she could see the broken and battered Temple of Ahn'Qiraj in the distance. A shudder ran down her spine at the sight. And just looking at the ruins made her feel lightheaded, but looking away proved difficult, her eyes wanting to remain glued to the distance.

A hoof shook her shoulder, "Are you alright?" the hippogryph master asked, having seen the young mare go pale and still as a statue.

Twilight gasped at the sound of somepony speaking and spun to face him, nearly smacking their faces together. "Oh my, I'm sorry!" she nervously reached a hoof up to tuck her mane behind her ear, "I was just feeling a bit faint." she, for once, didn't fib.

The stallion nodded in understanding, "Be careful, miss." he bowed his head and returned to his hippogryphs.

Twilight sighed and descended the ramp once again to go to the inn. If she was going to lose control every time she looked at that place then she had no idea how she would charge in during battle. No doubt C'Thun was trying his hardest to reach her despite the counterspell. She didn't return the greetings of her fellow ponies as she went upstairs, inciting worried looks and suspicions in her closer friends.

Twilight climbed onto her bed and relaxed with a great heave of breath, fiddling with the gems around her neck. It was going to be a long few weeks, although she wasn't necessarily bored per se. Her ear twitched as somepony approached, and she raised her head to see who had followed her up. Perhaps it would have been better to acknowledge her friends to avoid raising any concerns...

"Hi, Shining." she murmured, adding a half-hearted smile, hoping to somehow persuade him she was ok.

Shining furrowed his brow further than it already had been, "Don't think you can fool me. Something's bothering you..." he scolded, but his tone was laced with worry and tentative gentleness.

Twilight frowned, "I'm not bothered at all. I'm just tired...decades without a proper night's sleep does that to you." she turned away and smirked when she heard Shining begin to speak, but stop himself.

"You-I......ugh!" Shining dropped his head and scowled when he saw that Twilight was smirking at him. "What are you smiling about?"

Twilight chuckled and tapped his muzzle with her hoof, "I appreciate your concern, but truly, Shining, I am fine." she smiled genuinely and nuzzled him on her way past. "I hope you didn't eat all the food!" she called as she strode downstairs. Shining smiled and turned to follow her.

The Lunar Festival had come, and the celebrations, as usual, lasted for more than a week. Although Centurion Hold was far more withholding when it came down to the free-flowing ales that came with festivities. The fireworks, however, were welcomed warmly - as they helped deter the wasps that had set up a hive beside the Hold.

Rainbow had complained profusely when Twilight tried to drag her away from the bartender to keep her sober. But despite the most valiant efforts on both Twilight and Rarity's behalf, all of their companions were roped into a drinking competition by Pinkie Pie. Obviously, Pinkie won, and apparently Shining was not very good at holding his liquor, as Twilight spent the entire following day nursing his hangover.

Rainbow and Applejack had gone hoof-to-hoof for the majority of the competition, but Pinkie beat them by three tankards of ale after both had proceeded to pass out. And even then Pinkie seemed surprisingly sober, yet somewhat loopy, often mentioning cake, balloons, an alligator, and parties or something along those lines. Overall, Twilight was sure they had drunk most of the ale Cenarion Hold had in stock. Rarity , of course, had been disgusted, having told Twilight so while divulging herself in a small glass of Pinot Noir.

The rest of the festival was spent enjoying fireworks. For Twilight, it reminded her of her time in Karazhan, and how she and Rainbow had sat in the tallest reaches of the library, watching the great explosives from seemingly meters away. Everypony donned the traditional - and somewhat comical - garbs that came with the festival. Shining complained that it itched and Rarity whined about the color choices, wishing she could have made her own.

Rainbow had sulked when Twilight made her wear one, and she had even paid a Gnomish pony to take a photograph. Twilight kept the picture of her pouting friend in her satchel with a snigger, showing it to all she could. Rainbow would never live it down, of that she would make certain.

As the Lunar Festival came to a close, Twilight began counting days. Tyrande had said the troops of Darnassus would arrive about a week from after the festival. So Twilight took to watching the horizon, simply waiting. Not to say the last month had been boring, not in the slightest. She and her companions had to help with controlling the insect population, scouting missions into Twilight Cult camps, and they even had to collect herbs for the cook.

Twilight was in no matter bored, but rather anxious, and her anxiety had only increased with each moment, every day she had to wait to face her destiny. Luna hadn't come to her again, and she was slightly disappointed. She had hoped to receive more guidance on the matter of the fight. She even performed a ceremonial prayer in the moonwell, asking for advice and divine intervention from the avatar of the moon.

Alas she seemed to have no response, and had dragged herself from the moonwell in a depressed state. Now, as she looked to the horizon, she fiddled with an amulet she had bought in Darnassus. It was a silver moon, engraved with the word: "Elune." one of Luna's alternate names. She was mainly called so by the Night Elf ponies, as she was practically a deity to them. The amulet was the third necklace she had strung about her neck, and as Twilight looked at them, she smiled when she noticed that they all represented something special.

The emerald represented her memories and sentiments. The turquoise represented protection, and her destiny. And the silver carving of the moon represented her spirituality. Twilight stopped fiddling with the necklaces and looked at the horizon once more. "Another day, no sign..." she sighed, turning away to go to sleep.

Twilight awoke not three days later to the sound of cheering, horns, and many pounding hooves. With a gasp she flung her blankets off and ran to the balcony, hardly caring that she was in a nightgown. Tyrande was trotting proudly into town, dressed in sentinel plates and trailed by her loyal saber, whose white hide seemed to glow in the sun. With a beaming smile, Twilight rushed outside and slid to a stop beside her friends.

Tyrande went straight to Warden Haro and began to speak with him. "We are finally ready. It seems like only yesterday we arrived here." Rarity whispered to Twilight, who suddenly frowned, so briefly, in fact, that Rarity almost missed it. But, nonetheless, she saw it and pondered it's meaning.

Twilight and her friends were summoned to speak with Tyrande, Haro, and the general of the Darnassian army: Oakwood, later on in the day, as the sun was setting. "I understand that you have been here some time..." Tyrande began, "..and as such I must ask if you have observed any suspicious activities in Ahn'Qiraj?" she directed her question towards Twilight.

Twilight stood to address the High Priestess, "I myself cannot say that I have observed anything unusual, but, then again, I have not been here long enough to be truly knowledgable on such matters. Perhaps it would benefit you more to ask the citizens of the Hold?" she suggested.

Tyrande smiled, "Of course, Twilight. That is answer enough." she turned to look out onto the open balcony of the watchtower. Leaning against the railing, she sighed and looked over her shoulder, "We have some strategy to discuss. I don't look forward to this siege, but with an Old God involved, I fear we have little choice." she looked up at the sky and murmured a prayer before she dismissed them.

Twilight stayed behind, cautiously approaching the Priestess, "Tyrande?" she whispered, leaning against the railing.

Tyrande turned to her with a gentle smile, "Yes, Twilight?"

Twilight pondered whether to actually tell her of her dreams, but deep in her heart she knew this was something she had to do. With a deep intake of breath, she began her tale, leaving out nothing. Tyrande listened intently, becoming more intrigued as she recounted her dreams, and shocked when her torturer was revealed. "...and when I put on this necklace, Luna came to me. She said I am destined to defeat the Old God, that the Titans chose me to be a Liberator." Twilight looked at Tyrande, whose face was pale.

"You've actually seen Elune?" she murmured, "I've prayed to and followed her all my life, never have I glimpsed the Avatar of the Moon. What was she like?" she asked earnestly.

Twilight smiled, "She was beautiful, awe-inspiring, breathtaking. Everything the legends say, and gentle, patient, kind. She was like a mother, come to think of it."

Tyrande listened closely and smiled, picturing the mare that had been painted as a deity in her culture. She inhaled deeply and flipped her turquoise mane out of her face. "It must have been incredible..." she said quietly, before widening her eyes in realization of the rest of Twilight's last sentence. "What did you say? A Liberator?" she looked at the mare beside her incredulously.

Twilight nodded, "Only the second ever to exist apparently." she smiled half-heartedly.

Tyrande put a hoof on her shoulder, "I remember when the first was so freshly thrust into legend, when before he had been an inspiration. While it is a burden, I am also relieved to know they exist still. You truly are special, Twilight. I felt it when I met you." she said assuringly, causing Twilight to smile.

"Did you know him?" she asked curiously.

Tyrande shook her head, "He lived just over a few-thousand years before my birth. I'm afraid all I knew of him was bedtime stories."

Twilight nodded, looking out towards the distance, noticing the ruins of the temple they were to attack within the week. It was strange how her symptoms changed, one day she could hardly look at the ruins, the next she was simply depressed, or tired. But at least she wasn't having the dreadful nightmares anymore. And thinking about her impending battle did not have its expected effect. She felt certain she would be terrified at the prospect, but she didn't. "You know...I'm not afraid." she murmured, as if realizing it for the first time. Tyrande looked at her, silently willing her to continue, "I mean, I suppose I'm somewhat nervous. But I'm not afraid, I feel at peace with this. As peaceful as I can feel anyway." Twilight dug the tip of her cloven hoof into the wood of the railing as she spoke to occupy herself.

Tyrande frowned, "You speak as if you're marching to you're death."

Twilight blinked, looking up at the sky, "Perhaps I am. Or maybe even a fate worse than death. But now matter how I want to feel about this, I'm simply not afraid...I feel resigned." she scoffed in laughter, That's what Rainbow said she thought to herself.

Tyrande nodded, still frowning, "But Twilight, promise you won't resign yourself to dying, you have ponies who care about you." she insisted gently.

Twilight looked at her for a time, studying her white, glowing eyes intently. And for a moment she pondered whether she could truly make such a promise. "I'll do my best, I can't make promises I don't know that I can keep."

Tyrande sighed, but resigned to her answer, "I'm sure you must be hungry, let's go have dinner. Thinking of such things can wait until we cross that bridge."

Twilight smiled and turned to follow her, looking back at the ruins once more before she continued down the tower. Until then, she'd spend as much time as she could with her family, she didn't know how much she had left.