The Warrior from Azeroth: Invasion

Chapters

A Soldier and a Farmer
Royal Summons
A Sign of Trouble
Calm Before The Storm
Meeting The Family
The Burning of Ponyville
A Threat From Within
Striking Back Part 1
Striking Back Part 2
Grim Tidings From Home
Unwelcomed Visitors

A Soldier and a Farmer

Author's Note

Starting off the new year early with a new story!

A Soldier and a Farmer

It was morning at Sweet Apple Acres. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the apple family was hard at work in the fields preparing for the harvest with the help of a grey earth pony stallion who was busy plowing the south fields with Big Macintosh and that stallion was none other than Pendragon. Once a human now reborn as a pony.

After the war against the scourge, Pendragon was rewarded a place in the royal guard at Canterlot and was even given a title of nobility, however he declined and chose to continue to live in Ponyville with his friends. Though it seemed like such a waste, the former paladin had preferred farm life to that of a soldier and his cutie mark which was three strands of golden wheat was proof of that and being the benevolent ruler that she was, Celestia respected and understood his decision.

Since the end of the war, life in Equestria was peaceful once more. The city of Trottingham was rebuilt after the remaining undead were driven out and the remains of the floating fortress Naxxramas were destroyed while some were kept as a tourist attraction, the alliance forces had returned to Azeroth as promised while leaving some of their inventions behind to help better the citizens of Equestria and as for the heroes who helped claim victory in the war, they returned to their normal lives with the acception of the occasional adventure.

Pendragon was now working as a farm hand on Sweet Apple Acres, the home of his good friend Applejack. He worked hard, never complained and was always on time to help each day. His morning started off by plowing the west field which seemed odd at first since he was the one doing the pulling yet somehow it felt natural and quite easy given his strength and size as a stallion.

"There. All done!" The stallion huffed wiping the sweat off his brow as he looked at the freshly plowed field before heading to the barn to return the tools and clean up with a fresh bucket of water. The moment Pendragon splashed himself in the face he was greeted by a familiar voice followed by the smell of freshly cooked pancakes.

"Mornin' sugarcube!"

"Morning Applejack."

Applejack came with some breakfast for her friend as a way of showing thanks for helping with the fields and other soldiers, when she heard that Pendragon was staying in Ponyville she was overjoyed as were the rest of her friends. She allowed Pendragon to work on the farm for a fair amount of bits and was happy just to have him around even her little sister was glad he was staying and treated him like a second big brother.

"Oh I almost forgot." Pendragon said before placing a small pouch full of gems in front of Applejack.

"W-where did all this come from?" She asked completely stunned when noticing some of the gems were covered in dirt.

"These little guys popped out of the soil while I was plowing the field. Your land is more rich than you realize Applejack." He said polishing off one of the gems making it shine in the sunlight.

"Are you sure you don't wanna keep these for yourself?"

"And look like a thief stealing what's rightfully yours? Forget it!" The thought of him stealing from his own friends was amusing to Pendragon and even made him laugh for a moment, though he was no longer a soldier he still maintained the teachings given to him as a knight and maintained a sense of honor.

"I don't need any extra money, I'm fine with what I already have so-!!"

"Thank you!"

Applejack embraced her friend with a hug that made his cheeks flush pink, Pendragon was at a loss for words and just stood there frozen like a statue with a crooked grin on his face.

"I gotta show this to granny!" Said Applejack snatching up the pouch and running toward the house. For a while Pendragon was lost in his thoughts of Applejacks warm embrace until he snapped himself back to reality with a firm slap to his face shouting.

"Get a grip man! She was just thanking you, that's all!!" He told himself trying to rationalize what jut happened. Though he hated to admit it he found himself attracted towards Applejack and with good reason she was strong, hard working and honest and not too shabby on the eyes and legs but he could not bring himself to tell her how he felt since he was from a different world and was afraid she would reject him but what troubled him most was his past. Before coming to Equestria, Pendragon was a soldier of The Alliance who fought war after war and battle after battle taking many lives.

"There's no way." He said to himself before heading to town for an afternoon stroll.

Ponyville

Ponyville was as lively as ever with its quaint little town and happy go lucky citizens who went about their daily lives. The militia that had once protected the town was disbanded along with The Guardians of Harmony; Ponyvilles first order of knigts as a sign of peace to the ponies of Equestria yet Pendragon and the other former soldiers were still honored as heroes for their service in defending the kingdom

"Morning Pendragon!"

"Morning."

The townsfolk would often greet Pendragon since he was still relatively new to the place and made sure he felt welcomed but none did a better job at that than Pinkie Pie who was hopping down the street after planning another successful party.

"Morning Pen!"

"Hey Pinkie. Finished another party?"

"You know it! It was for Derpy's daughter Dinky!" The news struck Pendragon as odd since he knew it wasn't Dinky's birthday until Pinkie began jumping up and down squealing in excitement.

"She just got accepted into Celestias school for gifted unicorns!"

"That's great!" He said with a smile until a thought came to him.

"But won't that mean she'll have to go to Canterlot?"

"No silly! Don't you remeber what Celestia did with the old castle?"

"Oh yeah."

The old castle in Everfree Forest had been reconstructed into a school after the war and was perfect for young unicorns with families who couldn't afford to send their children to study abroad, among the teachers of this new school were Princess Twilight Sparkle and her student Starlight Glimmer along with a few teachers and guards from Canterlot who were looking to get away from the city life. The second purpose of this new school was to encourage young students to explore nature by letting them go into the forest for studying but not without a guard or teacher but what made this school truly unique was that it not only welcomed unicorns but the other pony races as well.

"A lot has changed since then." Pendragon said thinking back on the war.

"Yeah...oh! I just remembered. Twilight wanted you to come to the castle to speak with you, she said it was important."

"Really?"

Pendragon made his way towards Twilights castle where he found a surprisingly large number of guards surrounding the outside. The moment he showed up the guards stood in salute having recognized the hero of Equestria.

"Greetings Lord Pendragon." A guard captain was at the front door to greet him.

"Please just Pendragon is fine."

"With all due respect sir, that's no way to greet a hero."

Many of the royal guards had respect for the former paladin despite his refusal to join their ranks but seeing so many in one place made Pendragon feel uneasy.

"Captain, mind if I ask why there are so many guards?"

"It's protocol sir. We always boost security during a royal council."

The captain lead Pendragon to the castles map room where he was greeted by two familiar faces.

"Princess Celestia! Twilight!"

"It is good to see you again Sir Pendragon."

"With all due respect princess, I'm no longer a knight."

"Nonsense. Just because you're not a soldier any more doesn't make you less of a knight."

With the pleasentries out of the way the council proceeded with todays discussion; the reformation of The Guardians of Harmony. This action would not only allow the order to be reinstated into the equestrian military but also declare Ponyville as Twilights own personal kingdom.

"Which is why we summoned you here Pendragon. I know we've asked this before but will you consider becoming the orders leader once again? I promise you will be well paid."

"Money is not the issue your highness." The stallion sighed.

"Throughout most of my life I have lived by the sword and moved from one battle to the next, I have seen kingdoms burn and watched close friends of mine die one after the other...I don't think I could go through that again."

"We're not asking you to go to war." Said Twilight.

"It's just a matter of politics. You know how much the nobles have been pressuring you into trying to work for them."

"Ugh...don't remind me." Pendragon groaned after remembering the countless times the nobles of Canterlot tried everything they could to win favor with him, some went so far as to try and blackmail or seduce him into service had it not been for the princess interferring.

"At least think about it." Celestia advised before bringing the meeting to a close. Pendragon returned to the farm still thinking about their offer which was very tempting but on the other hand (or hoof in this case) it would mean spending less time with Applejack and her family and possibly end up going on dangerous missions across Equestria and being away for days maybe even months at a time.

"Man...what am I gonna do?" He groaned to himself while rubbing his face.

Feeling the stress getting to him, he decided to rest on one of the hills overlooking the orchard and looked up at the sky still thinking about his choice when Applejack walked up from behind to shade him from the suns heat.

"Hey there sugarcube."

"Oh. Hey Applejack. What brings you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said sitting down next to him.

"Looks like ya got something on your mind Pen. You wanna tell me?"

Knowing he could trust her, Pendragon told her of the offer he was given by Twilight and Celestia and much to his surprise Applejack was overjoyed to hear the news.

"That's great news Pen! You should be honored Celestia wants you to become a knight again."

"Yeah but it's not exactly the role I was meant to have. This cutie mark is proof of that." He said pointing to the three grains of wheat decorating his flank.

"I mean heck! I WAS a farmer even when I was human!" He shouted slightly while throwing his hooves up in dramatic fashion making the mare laugh.

"Now hold on there partner. Just because you got a cutie mark for farming doesn't necessarily mean you should stick to it. Just know that whatever choice you make you'll have the support of both me and the family." Applejack smiled and left her friend to make his decision.

End

Royal Summons

Princess Celestia was up bright and early to raise the sun once more and looking forward to another day of royal duties. Her day started off with the usual signing of documents and meeting with a few nobles to discuss the current progress of the kingdoms economy.

"Raven what else is on my schedule?" The princess asked her secretary who was shuffling through the pile of paperwork before her.

"Well you have afternoon tea with your sister and then there's that meeting with Princess Twilight and Ponyville's newest resident."

"Ah yes. Sir Pendragon."

"With all due respect princess why do you keep calling him that? He is no longer a knight." Raven inquired as they continued to walk towards the castle gardens.

"Well I think after todays' meeting that will all change." Celestia smiled with confidence in her response. By the time she had reached the castle gardens she had noticed her sister luna who was waiting impatiently for her arrival.

"Well it's about time sister. The tea was getting cold." Luna huffed while the servants poured the tea and began mixing in the sugar and cream.

"I'm sorry Luna, I was caught up in my work."

"Ah that reminds me. Have you gotten a response from Sir Pendragon yet?"

"Not yet. I sent him a royal summons today with a rather...unique request." Celestia gave a sly smile making her sister a bit cautious.

Meanwhile

Instead of taking the train, Princess Celestia requested that Pendragon travel to Canterlot by another method, one that left Twilight a bit surprised.

"You're walking?!?" Twilight asked in confusion knowing that the city was a mile away.

"Yup." Pendragon replied while giving a few stretches.

"But it'll take you a whole day to reach the city by hoof! Considering you don't pass out from exhaustion."

"Relax, I did this sort of thing back home plus it'll be good exercise." The stallion then took off like a shot leaving a small dust trail heading down the road to Canterlot. By noon, he was already halfway to the mountain road leading to the city and was already out of breath and dripping in sweat.

"Hoo boy! I gotta lay off the hayburgers." He huffed as his galloping dropped to a slow and steady trot while he continued forward admiring the scenery. The clear blue sky and fields of grass were a beautiful sight to behold along with the ocean of trees that was the Everfree Forest, they reminded Pendragon of his old home back on Azeroth and the only thing that could make this better is if he was carrying a sword and marching to a battlefield which seemed strange but perfectly natural since he spent most of his life as a soldier and some part of him missed it; The sound of battle and the thrill of victory.

His thoughts were cut short when he saw the gates leading into the city and from the moment he entered he could see Canterlot was as lively as ever. Dozens of ponies were trotting through the streets with many of them being the local nobles of Canterlot while others were either tourists or workers getting to their jobs but for some reason many of them gave him odd looks and began cringing back until Pendragon realized why. He stank to high heavens after his long trek to the city.

"Excuse me. Could you point me to the nearest well?" He politely asked one of the ponies who quickly directed him to the city square.

"Thank you."

Once he arrived at the well, the stallion doused himself with a bucket of fresh water that washed off the sweat and dirt he obtained from the trip and was greeted by a familiar voice.

"I say, that's an odd way to take a shower."

"Fancy Pants?"

Fancy Pants was one of the highest ranking nobles in Canterlot and a close friend of Rarity and Luna. He and his wife Fleur were on their way to the castle for afternoon tea with the princess and were surprised to hear of Pendragons journey to the city.

"You really walked all the way here? My dear boy you must be exhausted!" Said Fleur noticing the fatigue in his eyes yet for some reason the young stallion seemed to be more delighted than tired.

"If you'll excuse me, I must get to the castle before the day is over."

"Why don't we go together? The princess is expecting us as well." Fancy suggested as all three headed toward the castle where a rather large group of nobles had gathered along with Twilight and her friends.

"PEN! OVER HERE!!" Pinkie Pie shouted waving her hooves when Rarity yanked her back down.

"Pinkie please! This is a formal gathering, not one of your parties." She lectured after hearing a few nobles whispering about them.

"Sorry." The pink mare apologized as their friend came over.

"Hi girls. Rarity, you look good." Pendragon complimented the white mare after noticing her outfit.

"Oh why thank you, I was saving it for a special occasion."

"What is the occasion?" Pinkie looked around to see a good number of the canterlot elite had gathered in the gardens when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived with their royal guards escorting them into the gardens. Like always, the first to greet the two sisters were the canterlot elite in hopes of gaining some favor with the royals while Celestia went to greet her former pupil.

"Twilight I'm so glad you could make it. Both you and your friends."

"Thank you princess but I was wondering why was Pendragon asked to walk all the way here?"

"Yeah what gives?" Asked Rainbow Dash who had her back legs planted on the table, much to Rarity's dismay.

"You'll see soon enough." The princess then called for Pendragon to stand in the center of the gardens along with six elite royal guards who formed a circle around the stallion.

"Thank you all for coming. For your entertainment pleasure, our royal guards will now demonstrate their combat skills against Sir Pendragon."

The seven friends gasped in shock while Luna covered her face in shame after her sisters plan was finally revealed as a test of Pendragons stamina and strength. The nobles however found this amusing and even began to smirk at the thought of a common farm pony getting beat up by Celestia and Luna's personal guards.

"This ought to be amusing."

"A filthy farm pony like him against the elite guards? What a joke." A unicorn couple said to themselves. Rarity instantly recognized the two as Jet Set and Upper Crust whom she considered to be the most snobbiest of all the unicorns of Canterlot and the most rude especially to her friends.

"Begin!!" Celestia gave the order and the fight was on. The first two guards charged at Pendragon from the sides with lightning fast speed yet the stallion stood there frozen like a statue while looking at his opponents as if he were analyzing them.

"Too obvious." He said to himself before ducking out of the way as the guards smashed into each other.

"He's fast!" Another guard said in astonishment before feeling a strong blow hit him in the gut and looked down to see Pendragons right hoof making a huge dent in his armor.

"Keep your eyes on your opponent!" Pendragon lectured before viciously slamming him into the ground with another blow of his left hoof. The crowd was in awe at the display of skill and even began to applaud as the fight continued.

"You filthy dirt lover! Take this!!" A unicorn guard began firing his magic at the stallion in rapid succession and seemed to have him on the defensive.

"Not so tough now eh farm boy?" He boasted with a laugh until he felt two hooves strike him in the back of the neck.

"Watch out for overconfidence!" Pendragon bucked him into the dirt as he leaped to a safe distance when the fifth guard charged him head on in hopes of tackling him to the ground.

"Too eager!" Pendragon shouted before stepping to the side and biting on his opponents tail, throwing him into the table where Jet Set and Upper Crust were seated the impact caused a great deal of tea and pastries to stain their outfits making them very annoyed while the rest of the crowd laughed for a short moment. The last guard to face Pendragon stood there frozen in fear after seeing his comrades wiped out so easily and as the stallion approached him he didn't see a simple farmer but a seasoned fighter who had experienced many battles.

"I...I surrender." He said raising both of his front hooves while Pendragon stopped in his tracks.

"I yield to the better man..."

Pendragon accepted his surrender and nodded with a satisfied smirk showing how much he enjoyed the fight. The crowd was pleased with the demonstration and gave a round of applause for both sides before continuing on with the party.

"Nice moves there soldier boy!" Said Rainbow Dash giving her friend a firm slap to the back that almost knocked the wind right out of him.

"Thanks cough!!"

"I'm so glad no pony got hurt or at least I think no pony got hurt." Fluttershy said looking at the guards being patched up.

"Perhaps you should've held back." Rarity suggested after seeing the damage that had been done.

"I did hold back."

"How is that holding back?!?" Twilight asked furiously when her friend gave a rather shocking answer.

"Well I didn't kill them. Right?"

For a second the friends were shocked by his response until one by one they broke into a humurous laugh when Jet Set and Upper Crust came onto the scene looking rather annoyed.

"I fail to see the humor in this! I mean how can you ponies admire such a barbaric display?" Upper Crust wined while wiping some frosting off her shirt.

"Only a dirt loving stallion from a hic town like Ponyville could fight like that." Declared Jet Set with his nose in the air until Pendragon stood up to look him straight in the eye.

"Don't insult my hometown in front of me you stuffed shirt!"

"I beg your pardon?" The unicorn was stunned by the insult just given to him.

"What's your name?"

"I am Jet Set, one of Canterlots most elite ponies!" He boasted before noticing the look in Pendragons eyes.

"And just what is it that makes you so elite hm? You fancy folk live up here in your big houses with servants waiting on you while ponies like my friends and me work our flanks off to provide the food that fills your big fancy kitchens!" Pendragons voice was raised slightly and began to draw the attention of the crowd.

"I can tell just by looking that you've never had to work one day in your life, everything was just handed to you on a silver platter!"

"Sir, you will find the word Fear is not in my vocabulary!" Jet Set replied trying to look tough but all could see his hooves were shaking.

"Perhaps. But it's in your eyes." Pendragon then gave a huge huff from his nose right in the unicorns face before storming off with his friends to meet with Celestia who was waiting for them at her table with Luna.

"I trust you finished your conversation with Jet Set and his wife?" Celestia asked with a rather unusual proud smile.

"Yes your majesty."

"Good. Now I would like us to pick up from our meeting the other day, have you decided?" She asked as the stallion nodded yes to her.

"I would gladly lead the guardians again, if my friends will join me."

"But of course." Celestia said with a smile while Twilight and the others joined in for a group hug to celebrate before rejoining the party.

"Um does this mean there will be a knighting ceremony?" Pendragon asked making Celestia giggle.

"Than can wait for tomorrow. For now let's enjoy the rest of the day.

End.

Author's Note

Proofread by: Wild Balance

A Sign of Trouble

Ponyville was busier than ever after receiving the news that Celestia was restoring The Guardians of Harmony and making Pendragon the orders master once more. Pinkie was running at full steam to plan the biggest party the town ever had with her friends helping her while Spike and Twilight fixed up the castle.

"Let's see. Decorations?"

"Check."

"Food?"

"Check."

"Perfect! Now all we need is our guest of honor." Twilight said with glee knowing she and her number one assistant finished everything perfectly. In another part of the castle, Pendragon was strapping on his new suit of armor given to him by the princesses and unlike most royal guard armors his was colored pure silver and matched the design similar to the soldiers of the alliance back on Azeroth but what made the armor unique was the lions head that decorated the breastplate. The symbol brought back many fond memories to the stallion as he began to recall first coming to Equestria and meeting his friends followed by the adventures they shared.

The symbol was colored an ocean blue much like his eyes and as the stallion continued to stare at it he suddenly felt a sense of pride swell within him when there came a knocking at his door.

"It's open." He said feeling a bit startled when Applejack came into the room with some cider to celebrate.

"Thought I'd give ya some refreshments before the big party."

"Is Rainbow Dash okay with this?" He asked cautiously knowing his pegasus friends obsession with her cider.

"Oh she'll be fine but I swear she drinks about as much as a..." Applejack paused trying to remember what she was going to say.

"What do you call them fellas with the beards?"

"Dwarf."

"That's it!"

The friends laughed after comparing Rainbows drinking habit to that of a dwarves which seemed accurate after Pendragon saw her drink several mugs during his first cider season in Equestria and during their conversation the stallion found himself stunned once more by Applejacks beauty and was entranced by her smile yet still he could not bring himself to tell her how he felt.

"Well I better get back to the others." She said as they finished their drinks.

"Good luck sugarcube!"

"Thanks."

As she left the room, Pendragon sighed with a bit of disappointment before refocusing his attention back to the upcoming ceremony and departed to the main hall of the castle.

Later

All of Ponyville had gathered for the knighting ceremony including the mayor and a certain draconequus who was pulling pranks on a few of the guests while under the watch of a certain pegasus.

"Discord, please behave yourself." Fluttershy asked politely after witnessing Discord use his magic on some of the guests and though his pranks were harmless they had a tendency to get on ponies nerves.

"Oh come now Fluttershy I'm just trying to lighten the mood." He argued before changing everything back to normal with a snap of his fingers.

"I understand but today is a very important day so please behave yourself?"

"Ohh alright." Discord caved in after seeing the look in his friends eyes and just couldn't resist. The crowd instantly became silent after hearing a loud fanfare followed by the sound of the castle doors opening to reveal a single stallion dressed in silver armor.

"So awesome!" Rainbow Dash squealed silently as she watched Pendragon march down the aisle with a focused gaze and his head held high while at the end of the hall stood Twilight, Celestia and Luna who were presiding over the ceremony. Twilight started off the event by giving a speech to all the guests who had gathered.

"Welcome everypony. Today we are gathered here to honor one whom we all consider a great hero and one whom I am proud to call my friend." Twilight stepped back and allowed her former mentor to proceed as Pendragon bowed before her.

"Pendragon Scourgebane; Soldier of The Alliance and hero of Equestria. You have done many great deeds in service to this kingdom and its people and it is for this reason that you shall be given the highest honor." She proceeded by placing her hoof on his right shoulder.

"Do you swear to protect Equestria and her people?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to pledge yourself to defend this land in times of great need?"

"I swear."

"And do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambition and devote your life to the honor and duties befitting those of a knight?"

"I swear!" The stallion answered more proudly than before making him feel a bit embarassed until Celestia nodded in approval.

"Then on this day, I Princess Celestia of Equestria hereby dub thee knight. Stand and be recognized." With two taps from her horn, Pendragon was officially knighted for all to see as he was handed the old banner that bore the symbol of the guardians. Seeing this symbol again filled the stallions heart with pride once more.

"Alright everypony! LET'S PARTY!!" Pinkie shouted to the top of her lungs while firing off her party cannon and after that the party was in full swing with lots of dancing, music and laughter from the ponies of Ponyville. Even the guards who had accompanied the two sisters joined in on the fun.

"Sister, isn't this a bit much?" Luna asked feeling a little concerned about their guards behavior.

"It's fine Luna. We're in a time of peace."

"For now anyway." Said Discord who was hovering just above them.

"What do you mean Discord?"

"I'm just saying that every time we find some peace and quiet a big threat always comes up to ruin the moment."

The master of chaos did make a good point, whenever Equestria entered a time of peace it seemed brief whenever a huge disaster or major threat occured and Twilight was always there to stop it with the help of her friends.

"Well I mean it would make sense that you would send your number one student. You are two-thousand years old after all."

"Just what are you implying Discord?" Celestia asked with a friendly smile yet there seemed to be this aura of fear surrounding her that was so intense even her guards were starting to grow afraid.

"N-nothing!" The draconequs quickly replied while looking the other way. Luna giggled at the fact that even after all these years her sister knew how to intimidate her rivals without looking threatening.

The Next Day

By the first light of morning, Twilight was up and about and ready to get started on her studies when she smelled breakfast being made in the kitchen.

"Mmm. I wonder what Spike is cooking today?" She wondered as she drew closer to the kitchen where her number one assistant was making pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice.

"Morning Twilight!" The little dragon greeted her while seating himself at the table.

"Where's Pendragon?" Twilight asked while cutting up and dividing the pancakes between them.

"Princess Celestia sent him some new recruits to train this morning. They went for a hike through the Everfree Forest."

Twilight was impressed that Celestia had already selected new recruits for her friend to train in such a short amount of time. Spike handed her the list of trainees and all seemed to have very impressive service records with one in particular catching the princesses eye, a certain pegasus who had transferred from the guard at The Crystal Empire.

"F-Flash Sentry is gonna be working here?!?"

"Flash Sentry is working here." Spike emphasized while Twilight began to panic, It was no secret to her friends that she admired the stallion from afar but was too shy to admit it and the reason she only liked him was after meeting his human counterpart in another world. The thought of him working so close to her made her feel nervous but at the same time excited.

"So Twilight what will these guys be doing?" The little dragon asked while stuffing his face.

"Oh! Well they'll mostly help with security around Ponyville and the new school and if possible deal with the occasional monster attack."

Meanwhile

The troops they had been talking about had just arrived at a small clearing near the old castle. The soldiers were exhausted, covered in twigs and mud and were close to collapsing on the ground.

"Alright men. We'll rest here for an hour, air out your armor and rest your hooves."

The guards did as they were ordered and discarded their armor and helmets to rest, the scenery itself was enough to make one feel relaxed with the many trees to shade you from the sun followed by the sounds of birds and insects chirping away in the forest canopy.

"Sir? You might want to come see this." One of the guards called out to show Pendragon a footprint of a rather large animal and from what they could tell it was fresh.

"This looks like it was made by a bog boar sir."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

When he first started as a pony, Pendragon studied the many animals that dotted Equestrias landscape with the help of his friend Fluttershy and was able to learn which ones were peaceful and which ones were dangerous. In this case, a bog boar which were known to be extremely aggressive towards other creatures in their territory.

"You there! What's your name soldier?" He called for a young pegasus with a lightning shield for a cutie mark.

"Flash Sentry sir."

"I need you to fly up and see where we're at."

"Yes sir!"

Flash took to the air as ordered and began scanning the horizon. At first he could see nothing but trees for miles until he spotted the old castle along with a group of foals heading out for what appeared to be a hike through the forest with their teacher, everything seemed peaceful enough until he spotted a flock of birds taking to the air as a bunch of trees began falling over in a straight line.

"Sir! We got a problem!" Flash said as he made a quick landing.

"What is it?"

"I spotted something huge heading for the school and a group of students just left there."

"Were you able to see the creature?"

"No sir."

"Hmm...men! Gear up!" The soldiers did as commanded and rushed to where the students were headed with Flash leading the way.

"We're close, the students are up at the next clearing."

"Alright. Flash, take two more pegasai and scout ahead."

"Yes sir!"

Two other guards followed Flash at great speed while the rest caught up on foot but by the moment they got there the only thing they found were the students studying the plants and insects around the area along with a certain unicorn wearing glasses and a wizards cloak while sporting a short beard on his chin.

"Sun Burst! My old friend!" Pendragon shouted cheerfully after seeing one of his old comrades from the war.

"Pendragon? My goodness wha-what brings you out here?"

"One of my men spotted something heading this direction. Tell me, did you see or hear anything?"

"Well now that you mention it, there was a bit of s commotion earlier but it was far off from here."

"Still it's best we escort you back to the school."

Sun Burst agreed to his friends proposal and did a head count of his students. One was missing.

"Oh my. Where's Dinky? Has any pony seen Dinky?" Sun Burst was starting to get worried and asked the other students to help search for her along with the guards unaware that the little filly was just behind the trees looking at some mushrooms she found growing on a rock covered in moss.

"Ohh pretty." The little filly was fascinated by the pattern and colors the mushrooms had when one in particular caught her eye.

"Hey! These kind of mushrooms are good for stews, I bet the school chef will love this." Dinky began pulling on the fungus with her magic yet it seemed to be thoroughly rooted into the rock.

"Stubborn huh?" The little filly began pulling harder and harder until finally the shroom popped off. Satisfied with her accomplishment, she began packing her school bag and prepared to rejoin the others until she felt something breathing down her neck and turned to see two glowing red eyes and a set of large tusks pointed right at her. She was staring down the face of a giant bog boar.

ROOAARGH!!!

"AHHHHH!!" Terrified by the beasts roar, Dinky ran as fast as her hooves could carry her with the boar close behind her and began crying out for some pony to save her before tripping on a stone and spraining her leg. The bog boar now had her cornered and was preparing to gore the helpless filly with its tusks.

"Mommy...Daddy...some pony help me! Please!!" She had never been so scared in her life and could only scream as the boar charged her down when she suddenly felt herself being lifted into the air.

"I gotcha kid!"

When Dinky opened here eyes she found herself being held by Flash Sentry while down below were several others dealing with the boar. One in particular she recognized pushing the boar back with his own body.

"Watch it boys! Stay clear of those tusks!" Pendragon and his men surrounded the beast and were attempting to drive it back into the woods but the boar had proven to be too stubborn to back down as it threw the stallion off him and began flailing his tusks about, two unicorn guards casted a binding spell to tie down the beast while a third knocked it out with a sleeping spell making this a quick battle.

"Is any pony hurt?" The stallion asked while looking at his troops to find none were injured while Flash floated back down with Dinky.

"Nice save soldier."

"Thank you sir but I think this little filly sprained her leg." Flash pointed to the injury on Dinky when Sun Burst and his students came onto the scene.

"A bog boar? This far out?" Sun Burst said in astonishment before tending to his injured student.

"I'm sorry teacher, I didn't-" Dinky tried to apologize when Sun Burst cut her off mid sentence.

"Now now it's alright Dinky." He said with a warm smile while rubbing her head as they headed back to the school to treat her injuries.

Later

An hour after the incident, the bog boar was released a safe distance away from the castle while Pendragon was writing a report for Princess Twilight in Sun Bursts office. The two stallions sat across each other on a small table with some freshly made stew from the chef.

"Maybe you should take a break before your stew gets cold." Sun Burst advised after seeing how many hours Pendragon spent on his paperwork.

"Don't worry, I just finished." Pendragon replied before putting away the papers.

"Now to the second part of our meeting. What was a bog boar doing out so far from its territory."

"Well from what I understand, most animals leave their turf to find new homes or because they were driven out."

Both stallions were puzzled by this event when one of the guards came in holding something odd in his hoof.

"Sir, we thought you might want to take a look at this. It was found in the boars skin."

Pendragon looked to see a large arrow head being held by the stallion and quickly plucked it from him looking shocked.

"Are you sure this was inside the beast?" He asked giving a serious glare.

"Yes sir, I pulled it out myself."

"Pendragon what's wrong?" Sun Burst asked while his friend carefully examined the arrow heads design amd craftsmanship.

"There's no denying it, this is an Orcs arrow."

End.

Calm Before The Storm

After their encounter with the orcs at the bog, Twilight delivered an urgent message to Celestia while she and Spike took Pendragon to the hospital to have his wound treated.

"Hmm...you are extremely lucky, one more inch and you would've been half blind." The doctor said while applying some medicine to the cut.

"Actually doc. One more inch and my skull would've been split in two-OW!" Pendragon flinched for a moment as the sting from the medicine began to set in while Twilight was thinking of the orc who almost killed her friend.

"Now I advise taking a few days off until that wound heals." The doctor advised while giving him some cream to stop any future bleeding.

"I'm curious, what happened with that orc? Why did he go berserk all of the sudden?" She asked after they left the his office.

"That's what happens when you drink a demons blood."

"Say what?!?" Spike became startled by this revelation as did Twilight before their friend explained how the orcs were tricked by one of their own into servitude for the demonic army know as The Burning Legion. A name Twilight had not heard for a while after the war ended.

"So the orcs are still slaves to the demons?"

"Not anymore. One of their leaders slayed the demon that they were bound to but most still hold onto that evil power."

"Like the ones we encountered at the bog?" Asked Spike.

"Bingo."

"So what should we do now?"

"For now, we do nothing; We let our enemies make the first move and pray we are ready when it comes." The knights words seemed foreboding and with good reason for Pendragon the orcs would attack now that they had been revealed and they would come in force but that was not what worried him.

"Something wrong Pen?" Twilight asked after noticing the troubled look on his face.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would their leader do this? This isn't like him."

"You mean you've met?" Twilight asked sounding a bit surprised before Pendragon told her of Thrall; the leader of The Horde who was a great warrior and a powerful shaman but unlike most orcs he was a wise and caring leader who looked after his people and had struggled for years trying to make peace with The Alliance and often tried to stop any further conflict from erupting between the two factions. For him to suddenly declare war on another world just didn't seem to fit his character.

"Maybe it's best not to think about it too much." Twilight advised before noticing a poster on the hospital billboard.

"Hey! The town faire is tomorrow. Why don't we go there? I mean I have to attend of course I am a princess."

"Hmm sounds fun. Haven't been to a faire in a long time."

To hear Pendragon agreeing made Twilight feel relieved since she figured they could use a little rest and relaxation after their ordeal yesterday.

Later at Sweet Apple Acres

Applejack had just finished her daily chores when she noticed a familiar face of Pendragon coming down the road and decided to meet him halfway but when she got closer she noticed the horrendous scar now decorating his left eye.

"Sugarcube your eye!" She gasped while gently placing a hoof on his left cheek looking worried.

"What happened?"

"Tree branch." He lied not wanting her to worry any more than she already was while telling her that the doctor told him to take a few days off while it healed making her feel a bit relieved, then he remembered the faire and figured this would be the perfect chance to ask her out. Problem was that he had butterflies in his stomach and could feel himself sweating.

"Hey um Applejack?"

"Yes?"

"Th-the Ponyville Faire is tomorrow and I was wondering if..." He began to hesitate when Applejack gave him a smug grin asking.

"Pen, are you asking me out on a date?" While her face was smirking, Applejack felt excited in the back of her mind but decided to play it cool after seeing how nervous the stallion was.

"Y-yes." Pendragon gave a huge gulp as he awaited her answer.

"Mmm...sure. A faire sounds fun plus our friends will be there."

"Great! So when should I pick you up?" He asked making her giggle.

"How about we meet at the faire grounds instead?"

"Deal!"

The two ponies shook hooves and parted ways until they were out of earshot of each other. Pendragon leaped into the air shouting YES! while doing a little victory dance before galloping back into town while Applejack quietly squealed to herself before running back to the farm when Rainbow Dash came onto the scene.

"Sup cowgirl? You look extra happy today." Rainbow stated after noticing the happy expression on her friends face.

"Oh nothin~." Applejack said with a smirk catching Rainbows attention.

"Alright spill it. I know your hiding something!" Rainbow demanded sharing her friends grin.

"Alright well...Pendragon just asked me out to the Faire tomorrow!" The farm mare giggled to herself while Rainbow just stood there wide eyed and shocked before asking a few questions.

"You serious?!?"

"Eeyup." AJ responded sounding a bit like her brother.

"Did you say yes?"

"Eeyup!" She replied again with a bit more enthusiasm before getting a pat on the back from Rainbow.

"I'm still a bit nervous though."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well Pendragons a great guy but...." Applejack paused for a moment, afraid to tell her friend what was bothering her.

"But what?"

"Well...he's a big war hero and a knight in Twilights court, I just don't think I'm the right gal for him."

"Whoa back up a minute cowgirl!" Rainbow stopped her friend from bringing herself down any further before looking her in the eye.

"Let's not forget that we are also war heroes AND we saved Equestria hundreds of times before he showed up so I should say that Pendragon isn't right for you but I wont. You two are made for each other and uh between you and me..." The pegasus darted her head around before whispering into her friends ear.

"I've seen him staring at your flank a couple of times." Rainbow giggled to herself as Applejacks face turned a dark red.

"And you never said anything?!?" Applejack was completely furious and embarassed at the same time while Rainbow continued to laugh to her hearts content.

"Oh chill AJ this is a good thing." She said after taking a few breaths.

"How in tarnation is a stallion checkin' out my backside a good thing?!?"

"Cause it means that he likes you. Think about it Applejack, it was you that took care of him after he became a pony and gave him a place to work plus everytime you're near him he gets nervous!"

The more Applejack thought about it the more she realized Rainbow was right, every time when she and Pendragon were working the fields he'd end up tripping over a rock or garden tools and end up falling flat on his face like he was distracted by something and there was that incident at the barn where he stood frozen like a statue after she hugged him for giving her a bag of gems.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right and if it helps, me and the rest of our friends will make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Thanks Dash." Applejack hugged her friend out of gratitude and looked forward to attending the faire the next day.

Ponyville Faire

Like all other villages, Ponyville held a small faire once a year as a way of giving the townsfolk a day off from their daily routines and celebrate living in their home town. All kinds of shops were set up on every street from food and drink to games and crafts and all around there was the sound of music and the laughter of foals running through the streets while at the center of the faire stood Pendragon feeling anxious about his date with Applejack who had yet to show up.

"I have faced demons, battled the undead, surely I can handle one date." The stallion said to himself, tapping his hoof impatiently while he looked around for his date then he spotted her coming through the crowd.

"Sorry I'm late sugarcube, I had to help finish the chores back home."

"It's fine Applejack. Ready?"

"You bet!" Applejack lead the way to their first destination while a certain pink pony who was hiding on a nearby rooftop watched the couple through a pair of binoculars before grabbing her walky talky saying.

"Operation Lovey Dovey is a go!"

The ponies started their day off with some games that were surprisingly easy to win at before heading to a few snack stands to watch a puppet show for the foals while in the shadows were the other five ponies and Spike keeping close watch to make sure their friends date went off without a hitch. Things were going well until the hour grew late. Applejack had gone off to use the nearest restroom when she ran into two suspicious stallions that had been lurking around the faire grounds.

"Hey there gorgeous." An earth pony stallion chewing on a toothpick was the first to approach the mare while his friend who was a tad bigger moved in from behind.

"Uh...evening y'all..." Applejack said politely while being cautious.

"See? I told you she's a country mare!" The second stallion said to his friend while chuckling and eyeballing Applejacks figure.

"You're cute. Why don't ya ditch that gray loser and come hang out with us?" The first one asked while wrapping a hoof around her.

"Uh thanks but I'll pass." Applejack politely declined when she bumped into the second one who was looking rather annoyed.

"My friend is trying to be nice!"

"Simmer down partner. I'm flattered that he asked me out but I'm already on a date. Now if you'll excuse me?" Applejack turned away from both stallions and walked away when the larger of the two suddenly pounced on top of her.

"HEY!!"

"We tried being nice so now we're gonna do this the hard way!"

Applejack struggled to get her assailant of her when she felt something being tied around the base of her tail.

"Hey! What're you doing back there?!?" She asked still struggling when a firm smack to her rump caused her to yelp.

"Mmm~. That's a sweet piece!" The first stallion said while licking his hoof and rubbing it between the mares legs. When Applejack realized what they were planning to do she tried calling for help until the stallion on top of her held a small knife to her neck.

"Scream or struggle and you're as good as dead. Now brace yourself cause this is gonna hurt!" The rapist said in a sadistic manner while mounting her. Applejack could only cry silently as she prepared for the worst when the sound of galloping hooves and a furious battle cry caught her attention.

"GYAAAAGH!!!"

"What the?!?" The stallion holding down Applejack turned around to see a grey hoof coming at him full speed and sending him crashing into a nearby tree before the first was tackled away from the mare. Pendragon had come!

The knight took a few breaths before turning his attention back to Applejack and when he saw what they had tried to do to her, his rage erupted and he began giving the first stallion a merciless beating.

"How dare you!! HOW DARE YOU!!!" Pendragon yelled furiously as he began thrashing Applejacks attacker into the ground creating a small puddle of blood and making his face swell with bruises. While he was busy dispensing punishment, Twilight and the others rushed onto the scene along with a few guards who separated the two stallions before the attacker was killed.

"My lord stop!!" A guard urged him to calm down while they arrested the two assailants. Twilight who was also furious at this situation ordered the guards to take them away but not before Pendragon gave a very clear threat to both of them.

"If you ever touch my mare again, I'll finish what I started..."

At first the culprits thought his threats to be empty words until they looked into his eyes and saw an intent to kill before being hauled off by the guards while he went to comfort his friend.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine..." The mare said with a few tears in her eyes before being wrapped in a group hug by her friends. This made Applejack feel safe once more but what relieved her the most was that the stallion in front of her came to her rescue.

"Thanks for bringing the guards Twilight." Pendragon thanked the princess for stepping in when she did.

"You better escort Applejack home darling, it's been a long night." Rarity advised knowing that the rest of the night had been ruined by the two ruffians who dared to attack her friend. Pendragon agreed and took Applejack home for the rest of the night.

Later

It was near midnight when the two ponies had returned to Sweet Apple Acres but instead of heading towards the house, Applejack brought Pendragon to the barn to sleep for the night since she didn't like the idea of him heading back to Twilights castle at such a late hour.

"I'll be over here if you need me." He told her while moving to a seperate stall when she suddenly grabbed his hoof looking afraid.

"Will you...sleep with me tonight?" She asked with pleading eyes and after the ordeal she went through, Pendragon said yes and laid next to her. The stallion did not feel anxious in any way but felt relief instead, knowing she was kept safe from harm but neither he nor Applejack could bring themselves to sleep.

"Pen, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"When you said I was your mare...did you mean it?"

Pendragons cheeks flushed pink when he remembered saying those words to her attacker but when he looked into Applejacks eyes all that embarassment faded away instantly.

"Every word...Applejack I...I love you." His confession made her heart skip a few beats as he poured his feelings out to her.

"I've loved you for some time but I was afraid you would reject me, especially given my past." Pendragon then waited for her to say something when the mare slowly pulled him towards her. Both their hearts were racing as they drew closer to each other and before he knew it, Pendragon was finally kissing the mare of his dreams.

"I love you too sugarcube." She whispered lovingly before resuming the kiss and as if by Luna's blessing, the moon shined brightly on the two lovers as they fell asleep in each others arms.

Meanwhile

The orcs who had been sent to Equestria returned to Azeroth to deliver their report to their leader; Warchief Garrosh Hellscream who sat on his throne while looking at a map of the world to prepare his next attack on The Alliance.

"Warchief. We bring news from the new land."

"Speak." He growled impatiently.

"We encountered a few enemy soldiers trying to spy on our operations. One of them had this." The orc presented Pendragons damaged helmet to his chieftan who instantly recognized its design.

"And where is the soldier who possessed this?" Garrosh inquired while looking at the helmet.

"He and his comrades fled from us like the cowards they are."

"And you simply allowed them to escape?!? FOOLS!!" The warchief then furiously punched his soldier straight in the face knocking out whatever teeth he had left while the others backed away in fear.

"Now the enemy knows we are here! We have no choice but to accelerate our plans for this land called...Equestria. Summon the War Song Raiders and paint the fields red with blood!!"

End.

Meeting The Family

It was a cloudy day in Equestria when the first rays of the morning sun began to shine through the barn window. Applejack began to stir from the bright light piercing her eyelids when she felt the gentle embrace of her stallion pulling her closer as if he was still trying to protect her from harm.

"Hmm." She sighed with a smile before placing a kiss on his lips to wake him up and it didn't take long for Pendragon to return the favor as he gently wrapped both his arms around her.

"Morning beautiful." The stallion complimented his mare while brushing her mane out of the way to gaze into her emerald eyes.

"We should probably get going." Said Applejack sounding a bit disappointed now that she and Pendragon were all alone.

"Mm probably but I'm not sure that kiss woke me up." The stallion replied with a toothy grin that seemed to get her attention as they stared at each other muzzle to muzzle.

"Oh yeah~?" Taking the dominant role, Applejack piled herself onto him with the look of a predator on her face and gave a more passionate kiss before saying.

"I love you Pendragon."

But while the lovers were enjoying each others company they were unaware that a couple from the city of Manehattan were paying Sweet Apple Acres a visit.

"Dear, are you sure we should be arriving at such an early hour?" The mare asked her husband who began to knock on the front door.

"It will be fine, we just want to make sure our niece is okay." The husband replied when Granny Smith answered the door.

"Well bust my buttons! Mosely Orange, is that you?" Granny recognized the two ponies as her distant relatives from Manehattan; Mosely Orange and his wife Orange Slice.

"Indeed." The stallion replied with a smile before receiving a firm hug from the elderly mare.

"Ohh it's been ages! What brings y'all here?"

"Just checking up on the family. Have you seen Applejack?" Mosely asked while looking around but his niece was nowhere to be seen.

"She must've got home late last night and slept in the barn." Granny assumed when the couple gasped in shock. The thought of their niece sleeping in a barn did not sit well with them and without hesitation they rushed over with Granny following as fast as possible.

"The poor dear, she must've been too traumatized to face her own family!" Said Orange Slice trying to imagine the way Applejack was feeling.

"What in the hay seed are you talking about?" Granny asked Mosely Orange.

"You didn't hear Granny? Applejack was almost raped last night!"

"SAY WHAT?!?" The old mares nostrils flared with anger and she suddenly got a burst of speed that left the two other ponies in the dust before coming to a stop in front of the barn door, as she prepared to buck the door open she heard the distinct sound of two ponies fooling around in they hay and easily recognized the voices as Applejacks and a certain gray stallion who had taken her out on a date last night.

"Ahh to be young." Granny said to herself before the barn doors creaked open startling Applejack and Pendragon.

"Oh uh G-Granny! I didn't know you were up!" Applejack was the first to jump out of the stall with a ruffled mane covered in hay while Pendragon did his best to try and hide himself but it seemed that it was already too late for that as the rest of the family began barging in, including Applebloom and Big Macintosh.

"I trust you two had a pleasant evening?" Granny asked with a wink making her granddaughter blush. Orange Slice suddenly embraced her niece in a hug before looking at her to see how much she had grown.

"Ohh Applejack you're as beautiful as ever!"

"Uh thanks Aunt Orange but what are you and Uncle Mosely doing here?" Applejack inquired when a growl from her stomach broke the conversation.

"I think we should discuss this over breakfast." Granny suggested while leading the way back to the house. Pendragon and Big Mac were the last two to leave the barn while having a quick conversation.

"So...I guess you know huh?"

"Eeyup." Big Mac answered while keeping pace with his friend.

"And you're okay with this?" Pendragon cringed back, expecting a hoof to the face while Big Mac scratched his chin for a moment.

"Mm...eeyup. Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Don't do anything to hurt her."

The gray stallion looked Big Mac in the eye and nodded giving a sort of secret promise before receiving a firm smack to the back of his neck that left him a bit sore. The family had gathered for breakfast when Applejacks aunt told them of how the incident at the faire made front page news all over Equestria and revealed that the two culprits who attacked her niece were also wanted criminals who had commited similar crimes in Las Pegasus as well as Canterlot and had a bounty of three thousand bits placed on them for their arrest. That's when their attention turned to Pendragon who was gorging himself on some of Granny's pancakes.

"So I take it you must be the one who helped catch those ruffians?" Aunt orange asked while analyzing Pendragon, he seemed decent enough and from his cutie mark she could tell he was also a farm worker but what seemed to bother her was the scar on the stallions left eye.

"That's me ma'am." Pendragon replied politely while wiping his face with a napkin.

"Tell me, what is your relationship with my niece?" Asked Mosely who was sipping some apple juice.

"Ahem! well as you can guess we are now dating." Pendragon answerd honestly while feeling slightly embarrassed from earlier.

"And what is it that you do for a living?" Aunt Orange inquired still giving the stallion a suspicious look.

"Well-!!"

"He's got a job at Princess Twilights castle as her new captain of the guard!" Applebloom blurted out excitedly catching her aunt and uncle by surprise as their mood towards their nieces new coltfriend began to change.

"Really now? I'm impressed you found such a suitable stallion for yourself Applejack. He'll make a fine husband." Said Aunt Orange when her niece suddenly jerked up from her seat.

"HUSBAND?!?"

"And I'm sure the children will be lovely."

"CHILDREN?!?" Pendragon responded in the same manner as Applejack while Granny and Applebloom just giggled to themselves. Big Mac just sat quietly and observed the events unfolding like a soap opera on television.

"Now hold on Auntie! We only just started dating!"

"Oh dear it doesn't hurt to get a jump start on things plus you said you wanted to get married to a knight."

"I was just a filly back then!"

"Simmer down Applejack." Granny advised while patting her granddaughter on the head. Applejack simply hid her face under her hat and asked Pendragon to join her outside in fear of her relatives telling him more embarrassing stories from her childhood.

"Well that was...awkward." He said sheepishly while getting close to Applejack.

"I can't believe she said that!" Applejack whined still feeling embarrassed as she snuggled next to her coltfriend for comfort.

"They're just looking out for you Applejack."

"I know but you must still think I'm pretty silly now."

"Far from it. In fact I think it's cute." Pendragon said making her ears perk up as she looked at him.

"C-cute?"

"Well sure. Every little girl wants to marry a knight or prince, it's common."

Their conversation quickly ended as both lovers just stood next to each other enjoying the view until Pendragon said something very unexpected.

"You know. When the time is right, I will ask you to marry me." His statement made Applejacks head turn in surprise before he kissed her hoof saying.

"But for now we take things slow."

Applejack responded by giving a kiss of her own to her stallions cheek while snuggling next to him. She had never been so happy before in her life now that she finally found somepony who not only loved her but would protect her as well and was glad that her family was so accepting of him despite his human origins and dark past.

"Sugarcube, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How'd you really get that scar?" Being the element of honesty, Applejack had a knack for telling when some pony was lying especially with those closest to her.

"Hon, if we want this to work then we need to be honest with each other."

Knowing he could trust her, Pendragon took a deep breath to calm himself before telling her of what happened in the swamp the other day.

"So there you have it. I almost got my head cut off by an orc but thankfully he missed...well mostly." At that moment, Mosely Orange and his wife appeard behind the young couple and asked if their niece could show them around town along with her coltfriend.

"I would love to join but I must decline." Said Pendragon giving a polite bow of the head.

"It's almost time for combat practice."

"Oh that sounds interesting, how about we go watch?" Orange Slice suggested. Pendragon didn't seem to mind since the recruits often brought their families to come and watch as they trained plus it was a good opportunity for him to leave a good first impression with them.

Later

The family was brought to the back of Twilights castle where a small corral was built for soldiers to spar in along with a jousting field while others did numerous exercises around the training area.

"COME ON BOYS! SHOW SOME HUSTLE!!" Pendragon shouted like a regular drill seargent as his men began to pick up the pace while a short distance away were Applejack and her relatives watching intently.

"Well he certainly acts like a captain of the guard." Said Mosely who was watching the jousting arena when a guard was sent flying into a bale of hay. The victor of that match was none other than Flash Sentry who had already risen in the ranks as a ranger for scouting missions.

"Nice move Sentry!!"

"Thank you sir!"

The medics rushed Flashes opponent off to the infirmary to deal with any injuries that had been inflicted before the guards resumed their training and things were going pretty smoothly until the wind began to pick up followed by a gathering of storm clouds.

"Did the weather team schedule a storm today?" One of the guards asked as lighting and thunder began to crack in the sky violently.

"Seek shelter!" Another guard shouted while escorting the families into the castle. Amidst the commotion, Pendragon and Applejack noticed the clouds were gathering in one spot above the Everfree Forest and began to form a maelstrom when all of the sudden a green flash shot into the air with an earth shaking kaboom.

"What in thunderation was that?!?" Asked Applejack when she noticed the angred look on her stallions face as he gritted his teeth whispering.

"They've come..."

End.

The Burning of Ponyville

All of Ponyville was in a panic as the green flash from the forest quickly turned into a pillar of light while the animals who once dwelled their began to flee in terror. Fluttershy did her best to calm them down and managed to get some information from one of them.

"Oh my!" The yellow pegasus gasped when she noticed her friends galloping up the road. The first two were Rainbow Dash and Pendragon who brought a company of guards with him

"Fluttershy! What did the animals say?" He asked while scanning the horizon.

"The animals said they heard this strange voice echoing in the forest just before the storm happened." Fluttershy paused as a squirrel chattered something in her ear.

"Then they said they saw...giant wolves?" Fluttershy then asked the little critter who nodded in response before noticing the angered expression on her friend.

"Raiders..." The stallion growled before ordering everypony to head back into town where a huge crowd had gathered in front of Twilights castle.

"What's going on Twilight?" Asked Spike hoping the princess would have some answers.

"I'm not sure Spike but I know it can't be good." Twilight continued to look at the strange phenomenon when the clouds suddenly dispersed and the wind seemed to instantly die down. For a moment things were quiet until the town began to hear the sound of rattling metal and battle cries followed by the howling of giant armored wolves that slowly emerged from the forest with green skinned warriors mounted on their backs carrying torches.

"M-m-more orcs!" Spike stuttered once he saw how many they were up against and each one seemed more ferocious than the last with only Twilight and a handful of guards standing in their way.

"SLAY THEM ALL!! FOR THE WARCHIEF!!" A rider shouted as the orcs charged into town while the ponies ran for their lives. The orcs began setting the town on fire and destroying houses while capturing any townsfolk they could find and killing any who resisted.

"Everypony get in the castle! You'll be safe there!" Twilight shouted over the horrified screams and cries of battle when an orc snuck up from behind her with his axe raised in the air, it seemed like he had the princess cornered when a magic bolt struck him from behind.

"Twilight!"

"Starlight!"

Starlight Glimmer had seen the commotion from the castle and rushed outside to help protect the town but even with her magic combined with Twilights it seemed impossible to stop the orc raiders who were pouring out of the forest by the second.

"There's just no end to them!" Said Starlight after knocking down another wolf rider while Twilight freed the prisoners that were being towed.

"Just keep fighting, if we let up now-!" Twilights words were cut short when a fireball struck one of the houses as several more followed. The enemy was now using catapults against the town, things were getting darker by the minute and it seemed the enemy had already won until one of the orcs was suddenly impaled on a spear carried by a stallion in silver armor. For a moment the orcs were stunned by one of their own being killed by a single pony as he tossed his slain foe aside to survey the town now covered in flames.

"Lord Pendragon! Thank Celestia you made it." Said one of the soldiers returning from the battlefield.

"Let's not celebrate yet." The captain responded as his men prepared to charge the enemy.

"Exterminate all enemies of the crown! CHAAARGE!!" The knights charged forward, following their captain as a fierce battle broke out among the burning buildings. The townsfolk were relieved to see Pendragon and his knights storming onto the battlefield without fear as they began to push back the enemy.

"Clear a path to the castle!" Their captain shouted when he noticed the enemies forces were starting to weaken.

Amidst the battle, Pendragon spotted several riders with torches heading straight for Applejacks farm and left his men to help Twilight with the evacuation.

"Alright men, you know what to do!"

"Yes sir!"

The unicorns in Pendragons unit began to form a small barrier around Twilights castle while a few others began concentrating their magic on one spot to form a portal leading straight to Canterlot. Twilight instantly recognized this technique as Azerothian magic no doubt taught by the mage Khadgar.

"Please Princess, you go first." Said a guard preparing to escort Twilight who refused to leave after seeing the frightened faces of Ponyville.

"No! The townsfolk come first plus there could still be others trapped by the fire. Have your best men search the town as quickly as possible and bring back as many as you can find!"

"Understood your grace!"

The soldiers did as commanded and rushed into the burning town to rescue more survivors while she and the rest of her friends helped the townsfolk escape through the portal.

"Where's Applejack?" Asked Rainbow Dash who had just flown in with a few foals from the schoolhouse.

"Pendragon went to get her and her family, she'll be fine!"

Meanwhile

The Apple family was gathering provisions when they saw the orcs attacking the town and knew it wouldn't be long before they would set their sights on the farm. Applejack was busy packing for her and Applebloom while Big Macintosh helped Granny Smith down the stairs.

"What's going on sis?" Applebloom asked as they finished packing.

"I don't know Applebloom but we gotta get as far away from her as possible!"

"Oh dagnabit! I'm too old for this!" Granny Smith complained as she finally got downstairs when a flaming torch suddenly smashed through the window setting the curtains on fire. Applebloom screamed from the sound of the glass shattering as her big brother shielded her from harm while Applejack worked quickly to try and put out the fire before several flaming arrows whizzed past her head.

"Everypony out the back!!" The mare shouted after ducking from another barrage. The family ran out back in hopes of using the smoke from the house as cover when an arrow struck Big Mac in the side.

"MACINTOSH!!" Applejack caught her brother moments before he hit the ground as the raiders came out of the smoke. The orcs chuckled evily amongst themselves as they looked at the helpless ponies while their wolves seemed to stare at them with hunger.

"Feed the other three to the wolves. The orange one we take alive."

When Applejack heard what they said, she and Big Mac held their little sister close along with Granny Smith.

"Keep your filthy mits off my sister!" She spat at the orcs who just laughed as the first one dismounted and brought out his axe.

"Been a while since I had horse meat." The brute said while readying his weapon. The family huddled together as they prepared for the end when the orc was suddenly struck by a metal plated hoof straight in the face with a loud crunch as he fell dead to the ground.

"What the hell?!?" The other raiders were stunned to see one of their own slain so easily when they got a good look at his attacker.

"Hey...that's him!" Said another one of the raiders who Pendragon recognized as the orc from the swamp thanks to his missing teeth and the damaged helmet he kept strapped to his saddle.

"Applejck take your family and go."

"What about you?" She asked feeling worried for her coltfriend.

"I'll be fine, I just need to get something first." Pendragon prepared to do battle with the two raiders while the family escaped but not before getting some information.

"What is The Horde doing in these lands? Why has Thrall sent you?" The orcs suddenly burst into laughter at his second question, catching the knight off guard.

"Thrall? He was a pathetic excuse for a warchief!"

"These lands are now under the rule of our true leader; Garrosh Hellscream!"

Pendragon was shocked to the core for he heard that name a long time ago. Garrosh was the son of the orc warlord who freed the orcs from their blood pact with the demons and also had a deep hatred for The Alliance especially their king but for him to become the orcs new leader was something Pendragon did not expect.

"Now die!" Both raides charged at the stallion full speed on their wolves and began riding circles around the lone knight and began a series of hit and run attacks but were not able to get a single hit. Despite the situation, Pendragon was able to keep a cool head and dodged each attack as fast as possible when he noticed the discarded axe of the orc he slew earlier.

"It's now or never!!" He shouted before grabbing the weapon in his mouth and because of it's large size, Pendragon was barely able to get it off the ground and to make matters worse, the rider holding his helmet turned around and lined up his weapon for a killing blow.

"Now I'll finish what I began with your eye!"

"OH yeah?-HRRAAH!!" Using all his strength, the stallion was able to hurl the axe straight at his enemy and sent him flying off his mount while the other rider just stood there completely stunned. Pendragon then turned his attention to the wolf who seemed ready to kill him until he remembered a trick Fluttershy taught him.

"Easy boy..." He said gently raising his hoof when the wolf snapped at him.

"Easy!" He said in a more stern voice while looking the beast in the eye and for a moment the wolf calmed down allowing Pendragon to retrieve his helmet before taking off the saddle, the wolf seemed grateful and even began to wag his tail happily before running off along with the last raider. For a moment the two stared each other down and prepared for another bout when a horn call was sounded.

"Hmph. You're lucky today boy!" The orc said before riding back to the forest while Pendragon rushed back to Ponyville to join the others when he saw the invasion force now pouring out of the forest.

"By the light..."

Later at Canterlot

The portal that the townsfolk used to escape lead straight to Canterlot Castle where a medical team was on standby. The guards and medics wasted no time in helping the wounded while laying out provisions, among the refugees were Twilight and her friends who were relieved to see each other safe and sound but this was hardly the time for celebration as they all ran towards the highest point in the castle to see their hometown burning.

"Our home..." Said Pinkie in a saddened tone as her mane deflated.

"Those creeps are gonna pay for this!" Rainbow shouted angrily while wrapping a hoof around Fluttershy who was sobbing.

"I hope the animals got out okay..." She said with a sniffle while holding her pet rabbit; Angel.

"I'm sure they're fine dear. By the way, has anypony seen Pendragon?" Asked Rarity.

"I did. He went to see the council and well...let's just say he's not happy." Twilight answered while looking rather unpleased herself. While the friends were busy helping the refugees, Pendragon was in the council room giving the nobles a well deserved piece of his mind.

"I told you they were here already, I gave you solid proof and yet still you did-NOTHING!!"

"Sir Pendragon please, I know you're upset-!!"

"Upset would be a slight improvement! I'M! BUCKING! FURIOUS!!" The stallion demonstrated his anger by smashing the large table in half with his front hooves.

"Thanks to you fools, my hometown is burning and dozens of civilians are either dead or captured!!" It seemed that he was on the verge of lashing out at every noble in the room until Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder and calmed him down.

"Sir Pendragon is right, the time for half measures is over and these...orcs have made it very clear why they have come to our world." The sun princess said with a serious tone before turning to her sister.

"Luna. Summon the night guards and have them double the watch on the city."

"Yes sister." Luna then left the council to prepare the cities defenses while her sister turned to the council to give a royal command.

"Summon our allies! Make ready for war! Equestria needs its heroes...all of them."

End.

A Threat From Within

After witnessing the burning of Ponyville, the citizens of Canterlot were struck with fear.

War had once again come to their peaceful kingdom thanks to the sudden invasion of The Orcish Horde; an invasion that could have been prevented had the nobles heeded Sir Pendragons word but instead they chose to remain blind and allowed the green skinned barbarians to ravage the lands just beyond the walls of Canterlot while they tried to think of a plan to push back the enemy.

Pendragon had gathered his best men to discuss on how to deal with this new threat while the princesses began sending recruiters to the neighboring kingdoms and they believed it was best that the elements of harmony performed this task.

"The orcs have already plundered Ponyville but they'll use its ruins to make a base like we did in our war against the scourge." The stallion pointed to the marked area on the map.

"What's the situation with Princess Twilights castle and the school?"

"Sir. We placed magical wards on both locations as well as portals for our troops to move freely without detection."

"Excellent, We can use both buildings for temporary command centers. What's the estimated force of our enemy?"

"At least a thousand with more flooding throught that portal." A scout answered looking rather worried.

"Then time is against us. Gentlemen, meeting adjourned."

With the battle plans out of the way, Pendragon finally took this moment to relax in the castle gardens where Miss Cherilee was teaching her students. The sight alone made the knight feel at ease as he watched the students smiling and asking their teacher questions until he felt a chill crawl up his spine, like someone was watching him and out of instinct he turned around and prepared to fight whoever was behind him only to see shadows and leaves blowing in the wind. That is when Discord poofed up behind him with his usual smug attitude.

"My some pony seems a little jumpy."

"GAH! Cheese and crackers! How many times do I have to tell you I hate that?!?" The stallion huffed while the draconequus laughed to himself.

"Well I'm sorry but you seemed tense for a second. What's got you so rattled?" Discord asked while Pendragon looked towards the trees again as if waiting for something to happen.

"Nothing. Just my imagination." Pendragon replied before heading back inside the castle for the next meeting while unknown to him, there was indeed something lurking in the shade of the trees or rather someone who stealthily snuck past the guards and into the castle undetected in the form of a living shadow. The shadow snuck into the council room where the elements of harmony had just returned from their mission.

"How goes the recruitment?" Celestia asked her former pupil who seemed pleased with herself.

"I managed to get a few. Some of the recruits are veterans from the previous war and they seemed eager to help."

"And I managed to get a few more from Griffonstone." Rainbow Dash answers second while the shadow crept closer to listen in on their conversation. The sun princess was pleased after seeing the number of recruits joining the oncoming war.

"You have done well my little ponies." Princess Celestia looked at all of them with a proud smile.

"Thank you princess." Fluttershy replied before a map was rolled onto the table.

"Now to the second order of buisness. We need to find out who let the orcs in." Pendragon said aloud while leaving the others a bit confused.

"What do you mean sugarcube?" Asked Applejack.

"When we first encountered the orcs at the swamp, Twilight said she heard a strange incantation just before the portal opened and that means The Horde has an ally here in Equestria."

This revelation caused the mane six and Spike to gasp in shock until Pendragon explained a similar event happening on Azeroth, when the guardian known as Medivh became corrupted by dark magic and opened a portal for the orcs to invade their world and now the same thing was happening in Equestria.

"But who in their right mind would help such savages?" Asked Rarity who was still a bit unconvinced.

"Whoever it is must be a powerful spell caster but until we find out who, this conversation does NOT leave this room."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie shouted giving her signature Pinkie Promise before they left the room to attend the daily training with the troops unaware that they were being watched by two emerald eyes hidden in the shadows.

The soldiers had gathered in the castle courtyard and were hard at work in their afternoon training as they did combat and exercise drills all while under the watch of a few nobles who had some buisness at the castle with others who had simply come to observe the troops in action.

"Move it men! Hup two! Hup two!" A drill seargent shouted before blowing his whistle loudly, making the men quicken their pace. In another part of the courtyard, a certain prince was placed under Pendragons tutelage by order of Celestia in hopes that the training might improve his abilities as a unicorn. The results were less than savory.

"AHHHH!!"

Blueblood shrieked in terror as the barrage of magic missiles came swirling at him yet by some miracle he was able to dodge each one by the skin of his teeth but what was most amusing about this situation was that this was only level one of basic combat training.

"Uh Princess. If I were to kill your nephew, would that be murder or charity?"

"Pendragon?!!" Celestia shot him a scolding look while he raised his hooves in defense as he chuckled.

"Just kidding! Alright boys, cease fire!" He shouted as the unicorns firing at Blueblood finally stopped much to the princes relief.

"This-this is madness! How can you expect a prince like me to survive such an ordeal?!?" Blueblood demanded an answer from the captain who was taking a swig of water from his flask.

"You'll have to survive that ordeal when in battle, the enemy won't care if you're a prince." Pendragon stated plainly while his men fixed up the training area with their magic.

"Why would I be in battle? Isn't that what you soldiers are for?" The prince asked not knowing he offended the guards while Celestia awaited for the right moment to jump in.

"Excuse me?" Pendragon replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Well it's true. Soldiers and guards are just expendable muscle that-!" Blueblood was suddenly silenced by Pendragons hoof pressing down on his throat after being slammed into the wall.

"You think we're expendable do you?" The stallion growled as he looked the frightened prince in they eye while slowly pressing his hoof harder.

"Tell me Blueblood, have you ever tasted battle? Have you ever had to bury your comrades in a markless grave or looking at the last expression their faces had just before they died?!?" Pendragon became more furious just from staring at the prince before finally releasing him.

"That Blueblood was your second lesson. Facing death at the hands of an enemy or...hooves in this case." He said with a smirk.

"How dare you! I am a prince of Canterlot!" The unicorn spat back as he regained his footing only to see Pendragon walking away with his men but not before giving him a warning.

"The enemy won't care about your status Blueblood, on the battlefield you're just another target."

Later

With the daily training and meetings out of the way, Pendragon could now focus on his most important task of the day; His date with Applejack this afternoon. The couple met at the gardens, in their casual attire (in other words, stark naked) and went out for an afternoon in the big city, it was no surprise that they were catching the attention of every pony in Canterlot while getting a few of their pictures taken for the local news.

"Darn reporters, they're like vultures! Always circlin' around ya." The farm mare whined while covering her face with her hat.

"Let it go Applejack." Her stallion said while staying close with a content smile on his face as they continued their date yet for some reason he felt that someone aside from the paparazzi was watching them and like any trained warrior he could sense a murderous intent which made him feel uneasy.

"Sugarcube?"

"Huh?" Pendragon snapped out of his trance when Applejack placed her hoof on his shoulder looking a bit concerned.

"Ya seemed distracted."

"I thought I saw something." He stated while still looking past the crowd but saw nothing and continued to enjoy his date until night fell upon the city and it was time to return to the castle. Applejacks room was just across Pendragons thanks to some clever sleeping arrangements by Twilight.

"Well guess it's time for bed."

"Eeyup."

The couple just stared at each other for a moment when the stallion finally planted a kiss on his loves cheek which she didn't seem to mind as she began to smile with a pink blush filling her cheeks.

"I love you." He whispered gently before his kiss was returned by Applejack.

"I love you too." On instinct, she nuzzled her stallion before both ponies went into their rooms for the rest of the night.

As the stallion slept, the mysterious shadow that had been following him crept into his room and hovered above him for a moment with the same eerie emerald eyes staring at him until the shadow finally took the form of an alicorn baring two black wings and a dark mane that seemed to appear like the sky on a starry night and finally a mout filled with razor sharp fangs; Nightmare Moon.

"Mmm...my love..." She whispered seductively while gazing at her sleeping victims neck.

After the floating citadel of Naxxramas was destroyed, Celestia ordered her men to search the ruins for the body of Nightmare Moon but they had found nothing and believed she was crushed under the rubble when in fact she had escaped the collapsing fortress at the las minute and went into hiding to recover her powers. The dark mare gently leaned towards the sleeping stallion and began to slowly inhale his scent, she wanted him more than ever now that he had been turned into a pony.

"One moment of pain and you'll be mine...forever." Nightmare was prepared to sink her fangs into his neck when Pendragons eyes suddenly sprang open, catching her by surprise.

"Evening." He greeted the intruder with a straight jab to her face before tackling her out the bedroom window making a loud crash as they tumbled onto the balcony.

"It was you..." he huffed while standing to his hooves.

"You let the orcs in!"

"Surprised? You know you should really thank your human allies for leaving their knowledge here, especially on how to cross dimensions." Nightmare then demonstrated her new skills by creating a portal right in front of her and summoning four heavily armed orc soldiers that Pendragon recognized and feared.

"Kor'kron bodyguards..."

"Have fun~." Nightmare blew a kiss to the stallion before escaping through the portal leaving Pendragon to face the orcs. Knowing he could not fight in such a confined space, he leaped off the balcony and onto the gardens just below with the orcs in pursuit.

"Fan out! That witch wants this one alive." One of the Kor'kron ordered as they sheathed their axes yet that even seemed worse since Pendragon knew these soldiers could literally crush his skull with one hand. The orcs surrounded the stallion and it seemed like it would be an easy catch until they were knocked off their feet by a spectrum that swooped down from the sky.

"You guys are making a racket ya know that?" Said a certain rainbow haired pegasus that made a smooth landing next to her friend.

"Who are these guys?"

"I'll explain later-WATCH OUT!!" Pendragon shouted while dodging the blade of a giant axe. The two ponies teamed up on the first guard and knocked him out quickly before turning their attention to the other three who had already unsheathed their weapons.

"And me without my armor..."

"We can take these guys!" Rainbow boasted while setting herself up for another charge when the orcs were suddenly shot in the back by three arrows capable of piercing their armor.

"What the?!?" Rainbow was awestruck at how fast the brutes were put down and saw each had an arrow lodged in the back of their necks where there was a gap in the armor. A strange being crept out of the shadows, was a female with long ears, glowing eyes, dark hair, purple skin and wore some rather revealing clothing.

"It's been too long, Sir Pendragon." The lady spoke with a distinguished voice meaning she was of nobility and after getting a good look, Pendragon bowed gracefully as he greeted her.

"Hail Lady Tyrande, Priestess of The Moon."

End.

Striking Back Part 1

Lady Tyrande Whisperwind, queen of the Night Elves, High Priestess of The Moon and master huntress was a long time supporter of The Alliance and an acquaintence of Pendragon.

"Hail Lady Tyrande; Priestess of The Moon." The knight greeted the queen with a bow as was customary when in the presence of royalty, Lady Tyrande returned the gesture before being introduced to the group before her.

"My friends, meet Tyrande Whisperwind. Queen of the Night Elves and High Priestess of The Moon."

Needless to say, the ponies were stunned by the person before them save for Pinkie who was always eager to make new friends. The queen found the pink mares personality quite amusing and even laughed before turning her attention to the orc Pendragon and Rainbow Dash knocked out during the fight.

"Ohhh..." The brute groaned feeling disoriented until he felt Tyrande's boot press down on his throat as she prepared to fire an arrow.

"We will take this one back for interrogation."

"We?" Twilight asked when several more night elves appeared from the shadows and the orc was taken prisoner shortly after with the ponies still baffled by their sudden appearance.

"Can someone please explain what just happened?" Spike inquired before they went into the castles guest room for a much needed explanation. By the time Pendragon finished his story, Tyrande had changed out of her armor and into a white silken dress with jewelry more beautiful than anything they had ever seen but the one who was stunned the most was Rarity who was already fawning over the gorgeous outfit before her.

"Oh my goodness! This fabric, those jewels! They're absolutely fabulous!!" The mare said in awe while her friends just looked on completely embarassed before she regained her composure.

"Oh dear. ahem! e-excuse me."

"It's quite alright. I admit, this dress is wonderful. It was a gift from my beloved back home along with this necklace." Tyrande looked at her necklace with a content smile before returning her attention to Pendragon who seemed curious about her unexpected arrival.

"I suppose you are all wondering how my people got here."

"I would like to know that, yes." The stallion admitted when Tyrande began telling him the state of things back on Azeroth. Equestria was not the first kingdom to be attacked by the horde after Garrosh came to power, all the kingdoms of The Alliance had come under siege along with a new land discovered by King Varians son; The mysterious island of Pandaria.

"Pandaria? I thought that place was a myth." Pendragon said unconvinced by her story.

"We believed so too until Prince Anduin and his crew were shipwrecked on the island. Thankfully, he and most of the crew survived but..." She paused for a moment, allowing the others to take a guess.

"The horde found the island as well?"

"Yes. Garrosh then ordered General Nazgrim and his best warriors to take the island for it's resources and i'm sad to say that some of the islands inhabitants sided with the horde as well."

"Well that's cheerful news." The knight responded in a sarcastic manner while she continued.

"My scouts have also reported horde emissary's recruiting other races here including Equestrians who have...unique talents in warfare."

"Mercenaries." Luna said in an angered tone for she detested mercenaries since they were thugs for hire who only loved killing for the highest bidder.

"Hm. And for those they can't recruit, they enslave. We've seen orc raiders take a city full of canine creatures we mistook for gnolls."

"Diamond Dogs?" Twilight asked as she started to grow worried.

"Yes I believe that's what they were called. Now the horde is forcing them to dig up gemstones to fund their campaign."

The priestess then showed images of diamond dogs being chained and whipped through her magic. The images alone were heartbreaking to the ponies save for Pendragon clenched his teeth in anger after remembering how brutal the orcs were towards prisoners or war, not even the younger dogs were spared their wrath as a pup was viciously whipped by a taskmaster.

"Barbarians!" Rarity shouted before the image vanished. It was very clear that the orcs had to be stopped but the question was how to do it since they had Nightmare Moon on their side. And for what seemed like forever, no one was able to throw any ideas onto the table until an idea struck Twilight.

"I got it!" She declared out loud.

"If we can close off the portal then we can stop the orcs from getting any reinforcements for a while."

All were impressed by her plan especially Celestia who smiled proudly at her student when Pendragon added an idea of his own to her strategy.

"Then our first target will be Ponyville. Once the orcs have been driven out we can use the town as a base like we did in the previous war but we can't just march on the town."

"Our mages have already finished stabalizing the portals to both Twilights castle and the school." Said Luna who began to add her part of the plan.

"We can send a small force to the town as a distraction while our main unit crosses through the portals and thanks to the barrier the orcs won't be able to see us coming until it's too late."

It was then decided that Twilight and her friends would lead a company of five hundred soldiers while Celestia and Luna prepared the main strike force, Tyrande and her troops would be waiting to ambush the enemy in the everfree forest and cut off any reinforcements they might send to the town. With their battle plan ready, the group set out to prepare their troops for battle as both high and low class citizens began taking up arms against the enemy with help from captains of the royal guard assigning them to different regiments on the battlefield.

"Listen up! All those who wish to be on the front lines go to the tent on my right, all those seeking non combatant duties make your way to the left." A guard shouted his instructions to the crowd that had gathered in the city square and one by one, new recruits came flooding in to help with the war effort while others simply looked on with mixed feelings about their fellow ponies going into battle. The nobles however had no choice but to join in the fight since it was their duty as supporters of the royal family, that didn't mean they enjoyed it knowing they would be fighting along side the common folk who they belittled on a daily basis.

"This is outragesous! Ponies of high class like us on a filthy battlefield with peasants?" A noble whined while his attendants secured his armor.

"Personally, I blame that upstart from Ponyville. That so called knight." The second noble scoffed as he was referring to Pendragon.

"That's enough gentlemen." Fancy pants who had been standing by had heard enough of their complaints and ordered them to their assigned regiments while he went to report to the princesses who had been going over their plans with the council. Princess Celestia would have Twilight and her friends lead the first wave of the assault with five hundred soldiers at their side making their attack seemed rushed and careless and therfore making them the perfect bait while Pendragon would be commanding the main unit along with Fancy Pants and Blueblood.

Like most members of royalty, Blueblood wore armor that was decorated with gold and jewels followed by a flowing cape which he seemed to admire while Fancy Pants sported an armor similar to that of a spanish conquistador and even had a masked helm to go with it. It was an heirloom passed down his family for generations.

"Good thing I took fencing classes." Fancy said while pulling out a sabre with his magic to see his reflection. Blueblood had been given a poleaxe that had a blade shaped like a unicorns head with its horn being the spear tip and its mane as the blade but this weapon seemed to be more of a fashion statement than a tool for war and as he began to admire his reflection in the blade it was suddenly snatched by Pendragon who had already been dressed in his signature silver armor.

"Unhand that at once!" The prince demanded before getting a piercing stare from the earth pony as he began twirling the weapon around to get a feel for its weight.

"Hm...a tad heavy on the front." He said before handing back the princes weapon. It was no secret that Blueblood didn't like the earth pony since he was a commoner but his aunts trusted him as did Princess Twilight and the other element bearers.

"Listen up!" Pendragon shouted to the soldiers as he gave the mission briefing.

"As you all know, Ponyville was recently taken by an invasion force only yesterday and as most of you know they have taken some civilians hostage. Our mission is to strike from behind enemy lines, retake the town and free any prisoners we find plus we get some much needed payback!" Some of the soldiers began cheering at the mention of avenging their hometown while the prince seemed disgusted by their behvior.

"Now. All units gear up and prepare to move out!!"

"SIR!!"

Day of The Battle

Ponyville had changed after the orcs destroyed it, the houses that survived the burning were now being used to hold prisoners and soldiers while the town hall housed the armies weapons and provisions and a wall of wooden stakes had been erected around the town with a large gate decorated by flags baring the mark of The Horde.

An orc commander was gorging himself on some meat and ale when he heard the sound of the lookouts horn call.

"What's going on out there?" He growled before seeing a small band of equestrian soldiers lead by Princess Twilight standing just outside the gate with flags of their own baring the emblem of Canterlot as well as Ponyville.

"Soldiers of The Horde!" The princess called out getting their attention.

"I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville, here to reclaim my kingdom! I demand that you surrender now and leave peacefully or we will be forced to attack."

Her threat was answered by the many laughs of the orcs and their commander before the gates slowly opened revealing five hundred orcs all heavily armed. The moment their commander gave the order to charge, Rarity shot up a magic flare high enough for Celestia to see.

"NOW!" The sun princess shouted as her mages began opening several portals leading to Twilights castle with Pendragon leading the first charge. Troops began pouring out of the castles portals and began taking firing positions on the balconies while the rest stormed the town to do battle with the orcs.

"Let's go! Move it up!!" Pendragon shouted while clearing the way for his men as orcs began swarming upon them from every side and because of their superior size and strength they were able to tear a hole through their front lines.

"MAGES!" The stallion signaled the first wave of magic missiles to bombard the enemy in order to push them back while the rest of the troops began to form barricades turning the castle into a makeshift fortress.

Equestria's counterattack had begun.

End.

Author's Note

Fair Warning. It may take a long time to do the next chapter since it gets pretty busy during these months.

Striking Back Part 2

Ponyville had now become a warzone for both the equestrian and horde forces that began clashing in the streets for control of the town. Twilights soldiers pushed hard through the enemies front gate thanks to some help from Rainbow Dash and a squad of pegasus soldiers who began storming the walls and taking out the archers.

"Let's move it ponies!!" Rainbow shouted while helping to keep the gate open. Royal guards rushed into the town with magic bolts and arrows whizzing through the air as both sides began to take heavy losses with the battle growing fiercer by the second.

"Push them back!" The orc commander shouted after slaying another equestrian when he spotted the princess all alone in the center of the battlefield and began rushing towards her while bashing aside any soldier unlucky enough to get in his way, he then raised his axe for a killing blow as Twilight gasped completely frozen by fear but before he could strike a pegasus in golden armor tackled him out of nowhere. It was Flash Sentry.

Twilight was relieved to see him on the battlefield as he stood between the commander and her. The orc rose to his feet slowly and looking rather annoyed that he was robbed of not only robbed of his kill but also loosing one of his tusks after hitting the ground.

"You'll pay for that boy..."

Back at Twilights castle

From atop the balcony, one of the guards saw that the gates to the town were wide open and shot up a flare to alert the troops that the second phase of their plan was to be put into motion. A squad of heavily armored royal guards formed behind the front lines and awaited the signal from Pendragon who had already taken down a great number of orcs with his bare hooves.

"Heavy Cavalry! Attack!"

At the signal of their captain, the guards charged through in perfect formation and began trampling the orcs with their fellow guardsmen following close behind. The only one left was a certain prince who was cowering behind a barricade while covering his ears from the sounds of battle and peeked out occassionally to see if it was over yet every time he looked up limbs were sent flying into the air or a stray magic bolt whizzed overhead.

"This is madness!" Blueblood shrieked as another squad of soldiers rushed past him to reinforce the front lines while scouts who were sent into the town rushed back with their reports.

"Sir! Princess Twilights unit has taken the front gate!"

"Send word to Canterlot. Tell them to launch the second wave!" The first scout dashed for the portal leading to Canterlot to deliver his message when another barrage of magic bolts were fired.

"We've spotted several groups of civilians being held prisoner on the opposite end of the town my lord!"

"Get our fastest runners and fliers over there now!" The second scout rounded up what volunteers he could find before circling around the battlefield and through the demolished buildings. Pendragon now had a firm hold on the area surrounding the castle and began ordering his troops to go on the offensive by reinforcing Twilights unit and creating skirmishes in parts of the town where his troops would have the advantage, the battle was now tipping in their favor.

"Fancy Pants. Find a place in the castle where we can patch our wounded."

"Will do old chap."

Fancy was just about to enter the castle when he heard a strange sound from overhead and looked up to see balls of fire raining down from the sky like meteors.

"CATAPULTS!! Take cover!" A sergeant shouted as the first wave of the bombardment struck the town killing ponies and orcs alike.

"They're firing on their own men, are they mad?!?" Fancy was in complete shock when he saw the devastation and the bodies littering the bloodsoaked ground. Amidst the chaos, Blueblood was about to sneak into the portal leading to Canterlot when Celestia and her personal guard appeard followed by Luna and her night guards. The prince quickly stood at attention as if he were a proper soldier and greeted his two aunts in hopes of saving face.

"Aunt Celestia! Welcome to Ponyville and to you as well Aunt Luna."

"Save the pleasantries nephew, we have a battle to win." Luna replied before blasting a fireball to pieces with her magic as Pendragon and Fancy Pants marched up to greet the sisters.

"Your majesties, we've secured the area around the castle and are working to push back the enemy." Celestia nodded in approval before surveying the battlefield and began giving orders.

"Fancy Pants, take your men and secure the town hall. We'll use it as a forward command base. Pendragon, head to the front lines with my sister and help Twilight secure the gate. I will be taking command from here."

"And I will stay here and guard Aunt Celestia!" The prince shouted when Pendragon grabbed his poleaxe saying he would need it on the battlefield, at first the prince objected but then realized that there was a good chance for his rival to be eliminated and figured he could just retrieve the weapon later.

Everfree Forest

The orcs who had been bombarding the town had set up a small camp in the everfree forest and were using the thick cover of the trees as cover to hide their machines from enemy eyes. Little did they know that a squad of night elf archers had found their campsite and surrounded them using the shade of the forest to their advantage, the first of the archers slowly pulled back her bowstring and waited for the right moment to fire as the orcs loaded another barrage of fireballs onto the catapults.

"Ready...aim..F-!!"

Before the order could be given, the first volley began showering upon the orcs as they began to run for cover. One orc carrying a torch was standing near a pile of barrels containing oil and was turned into a walking pin cushion by a shower of arrows directed at him, the torch then fell into an open barrel causing an explosion large enough to be seen from Ponyville. The catapults were instantly set ablaze by the flaming debris falling from the sky while the surviving orcs ran back to the swamp as Lady Tyrande and her soldiers began to emerge from the forest, taking what prisoners they could capture.

"Lady Tyrande, shall we give pursuit?" An archer asked as she turned her attention back to the burning siege engines.

"No. We will hold this position as planned and cut off any reinforcements that come this way, have our scouts set a watch on the surrounding area."

"As you command High Priestess."

Back at Ponyville

With the loss of their artillery, the orcs were soon routed towards the edge of town and taking heavy losses. The commander couldn't believe this was happening, a bunch of four legged talking beasts with horns and wings had bested his warriors and were now driving them back.

"Retreat!" An orc officer shouted before being struck by a magic bolt in the back.

The horde forces were now cornered and on the verge of being wiped out and the equestrians seemed more than willing to carry out the deed until something unexpected happened.

"HOLD!" A voice shouted as the soldiers made way for Pendragon. The stallion stood in the center of both armies and saw the frightened looks on the orcs faces and the countless bodies of their fallen now littering the streets, it was more than he could bare.

"Give the orders sir and we'll finish them off." A soldier whispered knowing they could win with just one more attack.

"No! Enough blood has been spilled. Who's in charge here?" He shouted to the orcs when their commander stepped forward.

"I heard of you soldier. You are the one they call Scourgebane." The commander said after recognizing the alliance symbol on Pendragons breastplate and the design of his helmet.

"Then you know why I called you out. Will you and your troops surrender peacefully?" The knight asked plainly while leaving many of his troops surprised. He was actually negotiating with the enemy.

"Captain are you mad?!?" One of the soldiers objected when Twilight and her friends stepped forward.

"No. Pendragon is right, there has been enough killing today!" Said Twilight who also began to plead with the orcs leader.

"There's no need for your troops to die, surrender and we'll let you go peacefully."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Orcs do not surrender so lightly." The orc commander stood proudly while gripping his axe and it seemed a fight was inevitable until Pendragon remembered one of the hordes oldest and most sacred customs.

"Then fight me!" The knight declared his challenge loud enough for all to hear.

"I challenge you to Mak'Gora!" Twilight and her friends had no idea what he was talking about the orcs however were astounded when they heard this and began talking amongst themselves before the commander openly accepted the challenge on the condition that his soldiers would be spared if he lost.

"Uh Pen? Can you fill us in here?" Rainbow whispered in her friends ear.

"Mak'Gora. It's one of the orcs most sacred traditions." He answered while a soldier handed him his poleaxe.

"Cool but what is it?"

"A duel...to the death."

The mane six gasped in fright once they realized their friend was putting his life on the line and even tried talking him out of it but the one who was worried the most was Applejack standing in front of her stallion and begging him to find somepony else to take his place but like her, he was stubborn and not one to back down from a challenge.

"Sugarcube..."

"I'll be fine Applejack, he won't beat me." He said with a confident smirk before giving a quick peck to her lips.

The two armies formed a large circle while both combatants stood apart from each other, tension was high and both sides were getting anxious for the duel to start. A single orc soldier was chosen as the referee since this was an orc custom and gestured for the fighters to stand in the center while he laid out the rules.

"This is a sacred duel gentlemen so there will be no use of magic. Either use your fists or your blades, the fight will be over when one of you surrenders or dies. Any last words?"

Neither the commander nor Pendragon said anything and both returned to their sides of the arena and prepared to do battle. The orcs began shouting wildly while taunting the equestrians champion and even began to say they would eat him once their commander claimed victory, the equestrian soldiers began shouting back and encouraging Pendragon while his friends stood silently as the ref prepared to start the match.

"BEGIN!"

"LOK'TAR OGAR!!"

"HONORR!!"

Both fighters came out swinging at the start of the match, Pendragon gripped his weapon tightly in his mouth and went for a wide swing in hopes of ending the fight quickly.

"Too eager boy!!" The orc commander roared before delivering an uppercut right into the stallions gut and wrenching his weapon away from him making the match tilt in his favor as he began a relentless assault with his axe. Pendragon was now struggling to stay alive in this fight as he weaved left and right trying his best to avoid his foes weapon until it managed to cleave him on his breastplate leaving a small cut that began to bleed before he was struck by a giant armor plated fist that knocked his helmet clean off.

The soldiers were shocked to see their captain so easily overpowered as the orc raised both arms in triumph. Applejack who was at the head of the crowd saw everything that was happening and began to grow fearful for her lovers safety as she watched him struggling to stand with blood dripping from his nose and lip.

"That's it! I'm putting a stop to this!" Rainbow Dash shouted when two night elves appeared in front of her with bows drawn.

"Hey!"

"You must not interfere." Said a voice from behind when the ponies turned to see Lady Tyrande with two more archers by her side.

"But he's getting killed!"

"I understand Rainbow Dash but this is a sacred duel; Any interference would dishonor both Pendragon and the orcs. Is that what you want?"

"Well no but-!"

"Do you know why the soldiers of The Alliance chose the lion as their nations symbol?" The priestess asked cutting off Rainbows reply.

"Uh...no."

"It is because they are the bravest and most daring soldiers the world has ever known. Even when faced with a powerful foe they feel no fear and fight with the strength and heart of a lion."

In that moment, Pendragon rose up to his hooves with blood dripping down from his muzzle. After the first hit, any other fighter would have backed down but Pendragon did not fear the orcs strength, in fact he was impressed by it.

"My turn!" he charged right into the orc commanders gut and shattering his breastplate. The crowd was stunned after witnessing the incredible feat of strength while the commander held his stomach with both arms and groaned in agony before feeling two hooves hitting him right in the face and was sent falling on his back.

"YEE HAW! That's my stallion!" Applejack shouted proudly before seeing Pendragon grab the commander by his right boot and began twirling him around as if he were light as a feather.

"Since when was Pendragon this strong?" Twilight asked completely astounded.

"Who cares? He's kicking some major butt!!" Rainbow replied just before seeing the orc get tossed into an abandoned food stand and before anyone knew it, the duel turned into an all out slug fest as both fighters began exchanging punches with neither one attempting to block the other. The fighting came to a standstill as Pendragon and the orc reached their physical limit yet neither side was willing to back down.

"Heh heh..." The orc laughed under his breath as he looked at the stallion. Never before had he met someone with such strength and honor, even among his fellow orcs. As he rose to his feet the commander placed a fist over his chest saluting him when everything slowly faded to black.

"Well done..." He said just before he collapsed from exhaustion and fell to the ground with a loud thud. All was quiet for a moment until the referee raised the stallions hoof and shouted.

"Pendragon Scourgebane has won the duel!!"

The equestrians and night elves let out a triumphant cheer while the orcs looked on with mixed feelings as they helped their commander to his feet.

"I will honor our agreement, take your commander and return to Azeroth." Pendragon watched as the orcs left the town with some even saluting him before his soldiers lifted him high into the air and cheered for their captain.

The battle for Ponyville was won.

End.

Grim Tidings From Home

With Ponyville reclaimed, the equestrian forces now had a firm hold on the front lines against the invading horde however one last obstacle remained in the form of the dark portal that lied just beyond the everfree forest.

The horde flags that had once decorated the front gates of the fortified town had been replaced by the Guardians of Harmony and the royal banner of Canterlot while the magical barrier surrounding Twilights castle was deactivated which made moving the wounded troops through the portals back to Canterlot easier. The other soldiers to scoured the battlefield for their dead comrades and any equipment that was still useful and it wasn't long before the first mournful cries of his men could be heard.

"Open your eyes...please!" One of them shouted angrily with tears in his eyes as he held his friend that had been run through by a spear while another began wailing uncontrollably after finding his friend skewered by arrows before he was covered up and carted him away with the others. This was one of the many horrors of war that Pendragon had witnessed countless times yet that still wasn't enough to shield him from the guilt he felt for losing so many and for the rest of that afternoon he would hear the cries of the families those soldiers belonged to. Fathers, sons, sisters, mothers and daughters were all lost after that first battle.

"Sir Pendragon?" A soldier from Luna's night guard entered his tent holding a report for the princesses.

"We've finished tallying the casualties."

"Losses?"

"At least 115 dead and several hundred more wounded."

Pendragon gave a short sigh of relief as he signed the report and stepped out to have lunch with his men who began praising him for helping them claim back the town. Unlike most military officers, Pendragon would eat and sleep just as his men did to keep them from feeling jealous and to show that he never thought he was better than them and would even give them a few pointers during training but this did not sit well with the military officers from Canterlot as they thought it was bad form to mingle with low ranking soldiers and dine with them.

"Sir Pendragon, you must reconsider." Urged one of the other officers as they neared the mess hall.

"There are more suitable areas for you to dine."

"I'm not changing my mind." The knight replied sternly with a slight glare from his eyes.

"These men fought hard today, they deserve to know their efforts are appreciated and besides....fancy dining isn't my thing."

Without a second thought, Pendragon stepped into the mess hall and was greeted by the sound of laughter and cheering along with the smell of ale and hot food in the air.

"Just like home." He sighed nostalgically while grabbing some grub.

"Captain! Over here!" Called one of his lieutenants who was sharing a drink with some of the men.

For a while the soldiers laughed and chatted with one another while others began playing music and games as the atmosphere became more cheerful but despite all this, the nobles of Canterlot could not take any more and marched up to the captain.

"Sir Pendragon! Cease this behavior at once!" One of them shouted but Pendragon seemed to ignore them as he continued to drink.

"You are an officer in the princesses army so act like one!" Another spat when the stallion finally had enough and slammed his mug down with a loud thump.

"I've been an officer a lot longer than you, you pompus buckhead! So back off!!" The paladin cursed making them gasp in shock.

"What did you nobles do when the scourge invaded your world? NOTHING!!" As Pendragons voice rose, all eyes were suddenly turned on him and the other officers.

"I even warned you of the hordes invasion but you brushed it off as some excuse for me to gain more glory and now look at what's happened! Hundreds of citizens dead or missing, families are now homeless and starving while you all sit in your fancy houses wasting your money when it could be put to better use!!"

The nobles stood there completely stunned by Pendragons rage and rushed out of the tent with the soldiers cheering and laughing as they ran.

After filling his belly, Pendragon returned to his tent for a much needed rest and relaxation but that was not going to be the case when he walked in on Applejack who looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Sugarcube!" The mare sighed with relief as she wraped herself around his neck before kissing him.

"Hey what's wrong?" He asked while looking at her.

"I was just worried when you didn't come back with us."

"Well I'm here now."

The couple spent the rest of the day snuggled up against each other before being called to Twilights castle for an urgent meeting after sunset. The ponies arrived at the designated time yet something seemed off; Twilight and the others had just returned from Canterlot saying they had received a similar invitation from Pendragon.

"I smell a setup." Said Rainbow Dash who began looking around for any suspicious characters when Lady Tyrande suddenly appeared with a hooded figure beside her.

"It is no trap young pegasus, our guest here called for this meeting." The priestess replied as the hooded stranger stepped forward and spoke in a strange accent that the paladin seemed to recognize.

"Ya all are wonderin' why I called ya here. it is because we have a common enemy."

"You mean Garrosh." Pendragon answered when the stranger revealed himself to be a creature with large tusks and ears followed by dark blue skin and a red mohawk with a skull painted on his face. Twilight and the others gasped in fright at the strange creature yet Pendragon seemed unphased by him, instead he offered a friendly handshake and a warm smile as he greeted the stranger.

"Vol'Jin of The Dark Spear Tribe. It's been too long old friend."

"De spirits told me you had changed ma friend but I didn't think it would be like dis." Vol'Jin said as he looked at the stallion standing before him but easily recognized the human he once was.

"Uh sugarcube? You wanna introduce us?" Asked Applejack who cautiously approached with her friends.

"Right. Everypony, meet Vol'jin. Chieftain of the Dark Spear Trolls."

"Spirits be wit ya." The troll said humbly with a bow before sitting down.

"And you are right old friend, it is about Hellscream."

"It's bad isn't it?"

Volj'jin nodded towards Pendragon while Applejack began to make a campfire and after a brief moment of silence, he began to tell the ponies of what was happening back on Azeroth.

"Garrosh has made enemies on all sides. After Thrall relinquished leadership of da Horde to him, he began making plans against de Alliance."

Using his magic, Vol'jin showed images of the hordes army marching on the forest of Ashenvale and other alliance territories as they plundered their resources while killing any who stood in their way. Not even innocent villagers were spared the hordes wrath.

"How horrible!" Fluttershy whimpered in fear as she continued to watch.

"Dis is nothing compared to what he has done!"

To show just how far Garrosh was willing to go, Vol'jin showed them a small city built near a swamp. Pendragon recognized it as the island of Theramore but something seemed to fill him with a sense of dread and that is when he saw it.

"What the...."

The paladins jaw dropped as a blimp carrying what looked like a massive bomb over the island came into view.

"What is that?!?" He stammered slightly.

"A bomb of dark magic. Garrosh had his smiths forge it for dis exact purpose." Volj'jin replied as they watched the bomb drop tpwards the unsuspecting citizens below and withing moments the entire island was suddenly engulfed in a giant explosion as the houses and walls surrounding the city were reduced to rubble. The sight of such devastation was enough to bring Twilight and her friends to tears but Pendragon felt nothing but rage.

"DAMN HIM!!" The stallion cursed as he smashed the fire with his bare hoof no longer wishing to see any more.

"How can Thrall leave such a monster in charge?!?"

"I've been wonderin' dat myself and I think it's because he had no choice."

"What do you mean?"

"In de war against da Lich King, Garrosh won many victories for da horde and in doing so he earned our peoples favor but dat pride has blinded him. I fear if he isn't stopped soon, both our worlds will suffer."

As the hour grew late, Vol'jin placed the hood of his cloak over him and was preparing to leave when he asked Pendragon one final question.

"When de time comes, will you stand with us?"

There was no need to think about his choice, the paladin simply nodded with a determined gaze towards the troll as he vanished into the shadows along with Lady Tyrande as his guide. All was quiet when the ponies returned home with troubling thoughts about what Garrosh would do to their world should he succeed in Azeroth especially Princess Twilight who was in the map room of her castle wondering what this war would do to all Equestria.

"Twilight?" A voice called to her when she turned to see Pendragon trotting through the door.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?"

"No." The princess admitted before returning her attention to the map.

"So what now?" She asked her friend who was fixated on Sweet Apple Acres.

"When we have pushed the horde out of our lands, I will return to Azeroth and join in the fight against Garrosh." Pendragon replied making sound easy but in truth it would be a far greater task than he could hope to accomplish. Thankfully he was not alone.

"Me and the rest of our friends will be there to help."

"And what if I said I wouldn't allow that?" The paladin jested with a smirk along with Twilight who gave off a slight giggle.

"Like you could stop us."

Pendragon let out a slight chuckle before looking towards the banner hanging above the doorway and remembered the victories he and his friends achieved against the scourge. With them by his side, he was sure victory against this new horde was certain.

"Thank you Twilight." He said humbly while placing a hoof on the princesses shoulder.

"For what?"

"For everything."

End.

Author's Note

Did it take long? Yes!

So sorry for the lack of updates bit things like this take time.

Unwelcomed Visitors

A day after the bog boar incident, Pendragon presented his evidence to the royal council in Canterlot and warned them of the army known as The Orcish Horde but of course many were skeptical about his findings and his story.

"Let me see if I understand this correctly Sir Pendragon. You believe that a race of beings from your world have found a way into Equestria and are now massing an invasion force all because you found a single arrow head?" A council member asked as with a smirk along with a few of the other members.

"Scoff if you must but I know what I saw and if your still not convinced then have your scientists examine the metal. I promise you won't find it here in Equestria."

"Your suggestion is noted but we can't afford to waste resources on some gut feeling." A second councilman stated while some were actually in agreement with the stallion, including Fancy Pants who was also a council member.

"Now gentlemen let us not be narrow minded. Need I remind you that just a year ago we did in fact face an invasion from another world? An invasion of the undead no less!" Fancies argument had begun winning some of the council members over as he continued until another member interjected.

"True Fancy pants but let us not forget that it was the very pony before us who brought that evil here." The council began talking amongst themselves as mebers began changing sides once again.

"Perhaps Sir Pendragon simply wishes us to race back to war! Perhaps this a chance for him to gain more glory to be heaped upon his name?" He chuckled to himself when Pendragon angrily slammed his hoof on the table startling everyone.

"I would never advise rushing blindly into war but if it means stopping history from repeating itself; From preventing the loss of more innocent lives then of course I'd fight! Unlike you who would cower in darkened corners to save your own worthless hide!"

"How dare you!"

Both sides of the council room began to argue and were ready to go into an all out brawl until Prince Blueblood intervened as he began slamming a gavel repeatedly.

"ORDER! ORDER! Gentlemen this is a council room not a street fight!" Both sides quieted down out of respect for the royal family when Luna took the stand.

"Tell me Sir Pendragon, what did you mean by preventing history from repeating itself?" She asked as the stallion took a deep breath to calm himself.

"When the orcs came to Azeroth, my people were unprepared. They raided many villages and took countless prisoners; At first we thought they were nothing more than dumb brutes so King Varians father lead a small army to deal with them however that ended up becoming his undoing." He fell silent for a moment while the council talked among themselves.

"Continue." Princess Luna requested after growing curious, even Celestia was interested in hearing the rest of the story.

"When the army arrived they discovered that the prisoners who were taken by the orcs were going to be used as sacrifices to open a gateway that would bring their entire race unto our world and when our king attempted to stop them he was slain and shortly after the city of Stormwind was burned to the ground." The room fell deafly silent for a moment until Celestia rose from her seat to make her decision.

"I am glad you brought this to our attention Pendragon however without more evidence I see no reason to put our kingdom in a state of panic." Her decision caused the knight to sulk his head in defeat until she surprised him by giving him a quest.

"Therefore I shall allow you to take a small company of soldiers with you to investigate the Everfree Forest. Report back when you have completed your mission."

"Yes your majesty!" Pendragon saluted with respect before Blueblood called the council meeting to a close. A while after the meeting was settled, Luna found her sister staring out the window with a troubled look in her eyes and was worried.

"You seem troubled sister, care to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Do you remember Shining Armor and Cadences wedding?"

"Of course. The Changelings invaded that day."

"Because I let it happen..." Celestia gave her sister a bit of shock when she said those words.

"Sister that's not true."

"But it is!! My own student saw right through their queens disguise and tried to warn us but instead of listening we turned our backs on her...that mistake nearly cost us our entire kingdom which is why I can't let such a thing happen again!" The princesses eyes swelled with tears after recalling how she and the other elements of harmony treated Twilight so bitterly. Luna could not help but embrace her sister in a hug while stroking her mane as if she were a child.

"Then I am at fault as well for I was not there to help." She admitted in hopes of lightening her sisters guilt and for a moment Celestia smiled knowing how much her little sister cared for her.

"Thank you Luna."

Meanwhile

As ordered by the princess, a small platoon of soldiers were dispatched from the castle and met up with Pendragon near the edge of the forest. Much to their surprise, Princess Twilight and Spike were joining in the search as well.

"Sir. Is it wise to bring the princess along?" A soldier questioned.

"I tried talking her out of it but she's stubborn as a mule."

"Hey!" Twilight frowned at her friends remark while the soldiers laughed along with Spike who received a scolding smack upside the head.

"Alright enough chit chat. Move out!"

Following Pendragons lead, the knights ventured into the Everfree Forest to where the bog boar attacked and followed the trail to the area known as Froggy Bottom Bog. Twilight had ventured to this place once with her friends and warned the knights of a hydra lurking in the area while they looked around yet all they seemed to find were rocks and mud along with a few trees that had been cut down which seemed to catch Pendragons attention.

"Interesting."

"What is it?" Asked Twilight while he examined the tree trunk.

"This was done with one cut. Probably done by a machine."

Twilight then noticed the piles of saw dust around the trees followed by some unusual footprints and a few pools of what looked like motor oil.

"So what are we looking for?"

"Hmm...Flash Sentry!"

Twilights cheeks turned a light pink when she heard that name and saw Flash land right between her and Pendragon.

"Yes sir?"

"Take Spike and scout the area from above."

"Understood. Let's go Spike."

"Right behind you!"

The moment they took off, Twilight grew curious as to how her assistant seemed to get along so well with Flash when Pendragon revealed that the two would often hang out around the castle whenever he wasn't on guard duty.

"He's a good soldier Twilight, you should get to know him."

"Uh s-sure! Maybe someday." She said nervously when Flash and Spike swooped down from the sky.

"Find anything boys?"

"There's a large smoke stack just east of here." Spike pointed to a black cloud rising above the tree lines when Pendragon picked up a familiar scent.

"Mmm. The smell of fresh meat roasting over a campfire." The fact that he found the aroma delicious was disturbing to Twilight and the rest of the guards as they headed towards the area the smoke was coming from but instead of finding a camp they discovered a small fortress surrounded by tree stumps and muddy soil. Pendragons eyes seemed focused on the structure while Twilight began scribbling something on a piece of paper.

"Douse your horn before you give us away!" He whispered as Twilight quickly deactivated her magic. At that moment, the group spotted two creatures that stood near ten feet tall on two legs with muscles strong enough to crush a skull in one grip and a face similar to that of a bulldog with two large tusks sticking out from their lower jaws.

"Are those what I think they are?" Spike asked feeling a bit nervous.

"Orcs, I knew it."

"That fortress doesn't look like it can hold a whole army." Flash said after getting a closer look at the structure.

"That's because this is just a warband. We need to get back to Canterlot."

"Wait! Something's happening." Twilight pointed to a bright glow coming from inside the fortress and for a moment a huge gathering of storm clouds hovered above the fort and began to violently crackle with lightning and thunder followed by a strange voice echoing upon the wind.

"That's sounds like an incantation." The princess whispered to herself when they were all suddenly knocked off their hooves by a large explosion that blew off most of the foliage covering the area.

"What in Equestria was that?!?" One of the soldiers shouted before hearing a horn call.

"We've been spotted! Run!" Pendragon lead the way back through the woods knowing that more orcs would soon be on their tails. The group ran through the murky swamp as quick as possible and seemed to have gotten away until two of the guards were ambushed and found themselves being choked to death.

"Ambush! Protect the princess!!" Flash yelled as they formed a circle around Twilight and Spike while watching two of his comrades die slowly in the orcs clutches.

"Funny. I didn't think this land had soldiers." The brute surprised the ponies by speaking perfect english before noticing one of them wearing silver armor.

"You there! How did you obtain that armor?" He asked before tossing aside the two guards.

"You will get nothing out of me orc!" Pendragon replied angrily after seeing the way his men were treated while the orc simply shrugged his shoulders and unsheathed a large double bladed axe.

"You men stay back, this scum is mine..." The knight walked forward at a slow pace with an intent to kill and that made Twilight and Spike worried. The orc just laughed to himself before charging head on to deliver a cleave to the stallions head before feeling two hooves strike him in the gut followed by another two kicking him in the face and sending some of his teeth flying out, the others were stunned by how quickly their captain dispatched the brute.

"Had enough?" Pendragon asked as the orc managed to stand on his feet yet something about him seemed different, his eyes were glowing a fiery red and his breathing became heavy like a wild animal.

"Oh boy..."

"LOK'TAR OGAR!!" The orc cried out while swinging his axe wildly in all directions and forcing Pendragon back. The stallion looked away for a short moment after avoiding a dead branch in the mud when the axe cleaved off his helmet leaving a bleeding cut on his left eye.

"AGH!!"

"Pendragon!" Twilight could not stand by any longer and fired a shot that stunned the orc while Flash and Spike dragged him to safety.

"We have to get out of here!" Spike said in a panic after seeing more orcs surrounding them.

"Hearthstone!" With quick thinking, Twilight pulled Pendragons hearthstone from his saddle bag and teleported them out just in the nick of time leaving only his helmet. The orc who the knight was battling became displeased at his foe retreating from battle and picked up the discarded helmet after recognizing its design.

"Mmm...we must report this to the warchief!"

End.