Twilight stared at the human boy before her, who’s hand was clasping a huge battle axe. Had she and her friends been sucked into the mirror? No. This place looked nothing like Canterlot High. This place had a more rustic look, and the boy was definitely not dressed in the colourful attire of the high school. He was also holding an axe, which was definitely not used, or even allowed, in Canterlot High.
The big question was: where was she? It was a world like Canterlot High, but… Twilight gasped and looked down. She had kept her pony form! Hooves! Wonderful, marvellous hooves! She hadn’t been transformed into a human again. She had her horn, her magic, her wings.
Without thinking, she jumped into the air and gave a cry of joy. She even danced a little bit on the bed, having completely forgotten about the human, who was watching her with a very amused look.
Once Twilight had calmed down, she turned to the human boy and asked, “Where am I?” She was a little breathless and the faintest of smiles still lingered on her face, but she was beginning to realize that she wasn’t in Equestria anymore.
The human blinked and said something in a language completely incomprehensible to Twilight. She opened her mouth, ready to speak, then shut it and furrowed her brow. Did she know any language spells? She began to shift through her magical inventory, searching desperately for something that could help her understand the human. Her worry on how to get home was increasing by the moment.
Ah ha!
A spell that could permit her to speak and understand any language. Thank Celestia she had this in her arsenal. Twilight closed her eyes and poured her magic into her horn. She felt the familiar tingle and the magenta light pulsed through her eyelids. She felt the magic trickle through her and the strangest feeling of someone cleaning her ears with a metal rod before it all stopped.
Opening her eyes, Twilight asked the human, “Can you understand me now?”
The boy’s mouth fell open. It was a full thirty seconds before he managed to get out a weak, “Yes,” before sinking back against the wall, trying to get a grip on himself. Twilight frowned, wondering why he was acting in such a peculiar manner. Surely he’d seen a pony before.
“Well, I’m Twilight Sparkle. From Equestria,” she said, hoping to strike up a friendly conversation. Twilight even hopped off the bed to approach the boy. He shuffled back nervously, hand tightening on his axe. Twilight stopped, realizing she was probably scaring him.
But the look on his face was anything but fear.
It was suspicion.
“You’re from another planet,” he blurted out. It wasn’t a question. His eyes narrowed and he slowly began to rise to his feet. Twilight shrank back, now realizing just how tall this guy was. She was hardly even up to his chest.
Lifting his ask, the human whispered in a dangerous ton, emphasizing every word, “The last time we had visitors from another planet, it took a lot of magical power to stop them from destroying our entire world. I have never heard of you, Twilight Sparkle, nor of Equestria, but you had best leave before I kill you. We cannot afford to take any chances.”
“No, you don’t understand! My friends and I were discussing what to do with our portal when another one opened up and sucked us in! We come from a peaceful planet! I’ve never heard of this place before either! I don’t know where my friends are or where I am or… or if I’m ever getting back home,” Twilight said in a high-pitched voice, which ended in a dry sob. She looked at her hooves, shivering.
Clunk!
Twilight looked up to see the human had dropped his axe and the ground and covered the distance between the two. He placed a hand on Twilight’s head and murmured, “Look. This isn’t a peaceful place, Twilight Sparkle. Here, there is war and chaos. Here, there are enemies. Here, death is around every corner. I pulled you from the Lake Everstill. You fell out of the sky. I suppose if you had wanted to invade, you would have brought more forces.”
He stepped back and added, “My name is Lysandre Collin of Theramore.” Lysandre inclined himself into a bow and shot Twilight a quick half-smile. Twilight reluctantly grinned back.
Twilight’s mind was buzzing. Theramore? Lake Everstill?These are definitely new places. How I wish I could go to a library! The books of this place would hold so many answers! Maybe she could learn about this world and, as Lysandre had said, about the chaos. Twilight knew that she and her friends could definitely save this place. Even without the Elements, they knew enough about harmony to put an end to it.
Her friends…
Twilight gasped and turned to Lysandre, “My friends! I have to find them! Did you see them? They look like me, but without the horn…” Twilight stopped talking. Rarity hadn’t been sucked in by the portal. Neither had Applejack or Pinkie Pie. It seemed it was just her, Rainbow and Fluttershy. The Mane Six separated… Twilight slumped back onto the ground, realizing it was hopeless. Without all of the Elements, could they really save this world?
Lysandre flopped down next to Twilight and stared at the wall opposite them. “I haven’t seen them, but I think I know where we can start looking. Stormwind isn’t that far from here. We could ride on over. I’ll just have to tell Magistrate Solomon where I’m going. I’m not necessarily supposed to leave my post.” He grimaced.
Throwing her hooves around his neck, Twilight cried, “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” She laughed and stepped back, letting Lysandre rub his neck. The hug had definitely thrown him off guard.
Lysandre patted her on the head and said, “I’ll grab my gear and we’ll be off. We’ll find your friends before you know it, you’ll see.”
. . . . .
Once Lysandre had garbed himself in shining, silver armour and a royal blue cape, he and Twilight headed down to Lakeshire Town Hall to speak with the leader of Lakeshire, and Redridge Mountains in general, Magistrate Solomon.
The walk was short, but it was the line that stretched outside that caused a real issue. Many citizens of Redridge seemed to be here to complain about something. Twilight listened with interest as people yelled about disappearances amongst the community. Lysandre managed to bypass the line with ease, since many civilians stepped aside in awe at the sight of a paladin.
Twilight attracted attention, too, but not as much as Lysandre. Twilight wondered why. Surely none had seen the likes of her. She continued to wonder until someone said, “Nice pet, sir.”
In shock, Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but a hand on her head stopped her. “Thank you.” Lysandre shot Twilight a warning glance before he headed up towards the Magistrate, who was muttering under his breath and staring at a book.
He was most certainly not helping the people who had lined up to see him.
What kind of world is this? Celestia would never leave her ponies without an answer, Twilight thought, shocked by just how different this world could be. She desperately wanted to find a library in hopes of getting as many information as possible. Hopefully Stormwind could provide something like that.
“Ah, m’boy. How can I help you?” Solomon said, looking up from his book as Lysandre approached.
Lysandre gave a short bow before he said, “I need to return to Stormwind. I have received an urgent message that requires me to go back.” He glanced at Twilight as he spoke.
Solomon arched an eyebrow, “I see… What sort of… urgent message are we talking about?” He, too, eyed Twilight.
With a nod from Lysandre, Twilight stepped forward and said, “Greetings, Magistrate. I’m Twilight Sparkle and I’m looking for my friends. Lysandre said that Stormwind is a good place to start looking for them. We were separated from one another.”
Solomon removed his monocle, cleaned it in his shirt, put it back where it belongs, before he said softly, “Of course, of course. It would be a shame to lose you, Lysandre, but for this… pony, I understand. You have my permission.”
Lysandre bowed again, “Thank you, Magistrate.”
Twilight and Lysandre swept out of Town Hall. Once outside, Twilight felt relieved, “He was acting very weird.”
“He usually does. I think all the complaining is driving him mad,” Lysandre said as he began to head towards the bridge across the narrowest part of Lake Everstill.
“How are we getting to Stormwind?” Twilight asked curiously. If they planned on walking… Twilight couldn’t see any form of castle spires around them. Only mountains and the vast lake that stretched out everywhere.
Lysandre grinned, “Gryphon ride. Fastest way to Stormwind, since I don’t have a mount, yet.” The two crossed the huge stone bridge and made their way to a woman wearing square goggles and a strange outfit. Twilight couldn’t help but stare at her as Lysandre passed her a couple pieces of silver into the woman’s hand before he made his way to one of the great beasts behind her.
Twilight gasped, “Griffins?” She approached one in excitement, but it snapped its beak at her, golden eyes glinting. Lysandre laughed.
“Careful! They could probably eat ponies like you.” Lysandre scooped Twilight up into his arms, much to her protest, and eased himself into the saddle. He then set Twilight down so her front hooves were draped over one side and her back ones over the other side.
“I could fly, you know,” Twilight said indignantly as the woman Lysandre had payed walked up to them and slapped the griffin on the hindquarters. The griffin reared onto its hind legs, wings flapping angrily.
“I’d like to see you try and keep up with a griffin!” Lysandre yelled as they shot up into the air as quick as a Wonderbolt. Twilight gave a shriek of surprise and nearly fell off the beast, but Lysandre kept one hand on her, preventing her from falling.
Twilight managed to choke out as they sped out across the Redridge Mountains, “Ok… You have a point.” She narrowed her eyes against the wind, watching for any sign of a castle. Stormwind must have a castle if it was the first place Lysandre thought of. Perhaps it was like Canterlot, though Twilight was pretty sure it wouldn’t be able to match Canterlot. She had never seen any place, in Canterlot High or Equestria, that could match its majesty.
Rolling his eyes, Lysandre didn’t respond as the griffin passed the last few mountains and began to fly over an emerald-green forest. Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden change of scenery. A blue roof peeked out over one of the trees, but the griffin swept past it.
In fact, it was beginning to angle itself into the forest. Twilight’s lilac eyes took in everything, amazed by the beauty of this place. Lysandre looked around, too, but only because he was making sure nothing would try and attack the griffin, as rare of an event as that was.
“Is that it?” Twilight suddenly said, pointing to a small cluster of buildings in between the trees. She was very convinced that Stormwind was pathetic compared to Canterlot, especially with Lakeshire being the apparent capital of the mountain range. Besides, Twilight also didn’t want anywhere to be better than where her mentor lived.
Lysandre burst out laughing, “Ha HA! Goldshire? That place is for the Alliance members who don’t mind sleeping in a tavern filled with very… vulgar events.” He coughed hastily into his fist as the griffin sped by.
A couple minutes later, white bricks could be seen through the trees. Twilight narrowed her eyes and asked, “Is that Stormwind? It looks like a single castle.”
With a smile on his face, Lysandre whispered, “Wait for it…”
The griffin flapped its wings and soared up above the trees. It kept going higher and higher, giving Twilight a view of Stormwind.
It took her breath away.
It was nothing like Canterlot. Heck, Canterlot could learn from this place. A huge entryway with a white stone path flanked with different statues leading up to another wall, and beyond that was the most organized and beautiful place Twilight had ever laid eyes on here in this new place so far.
Different-coloured roofs were separated by crystal-clear canals. A tower with a purple roof spiralled up from the left and Twilight could make out paths made of grass weaving between the buildings. To the right, a rather rustic, slightly beaten-down community could be seen. To the front were blue roofs where Twilight could see various humanoid forms milling around.
Away from that was a huge, white church who’s spires towered above the city. If Twilight could guess, it could probably be seen from everywhere within Stormwind’s walls. Beyond that, Twilight could make out the shimmering sea and a lighthouse as well as a ship sailing into a dock.
Then, to the right, was the palace. It was massive and looked extremely fortified with walls and a couple thick towers. Everything here was built in white stones.
But even with all its beauty, Twilight could see that war griped this place, or some form of chaos anyway.
Not far from the dock was a huge, charred piece of land that seemed to have shattered and cracked. Some of it seemed to have fallen into the sea and a couple paths ended abruptly due to it. Twilight wondered what had once been there.
“Welcome to Stormwind!” Lysandre exclaimed, spreading his arms towards the city as the griffin dipped down to a small place within the second wall where a bunch of griffins were resting in nests. Before the stood a man dressed like the woman from Lakeshire, with a red beard and a warm smile.
“Enjoy your stay here,” he said cheerfully as Lysandre and Twilight disembarked from the griffin. It seemed happy to be able to rest despite the short flight.
As pony and paladin made their way down the stairs into the Trade District, as Lysandre called it, Twilight asked, “How will we know someone’s seen my friends? There must be tons of people here!”
Lysandre smiled grimly, “Oh, don’t worry. We aren’t going to interview everyone in sight. No, we’re going straight to King Varian Wrynn himself.” His smile faded and he added gravely, “Be on your best behaviour.”
Twilight gulped, wondering just why Lysandre looked so sombre.
. . . . .
As Twilight soon learned, King Varian wasn’t a terrible ruler. Lysandre’s sombre look had been because he had never met the king before, or any of the higher ranking people either. He was incredibly nervous. Twilight was grateful she was a princess and had had some experienced with this sort of thing.
The two crossed the drawbridge and found themselves in front of an immense statue of a man dressed in armour, holding an odd-looking sword in front of him. He had a scarred face, a long pony tail, and shoulder armour in the shape of the head of an eagle and a lion.
“That’s King Varian,” Lysandre muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He looked at the ground sheepishly and added, “This is the closest to the keep I’ve ever been. I’ve never even looked inside before.”
Twilight touched her wing to Lysandre’s side. “It’s ok. I can do the talking if you want.”
Lysandre nodded, “Alright, but watch your tongue. King Varian isn’t someone to disrespect. He’s a war hero.”
Twilight shuddered at the word “war.” This place seemed to be extremely violent. How could someone be a hero for fighting in a war and probably killing other people. Twilight wondered if she could ever do such a thing.
With a small sigh, Twilight began to head up the stairway to the left. There was one to the right, too, but she felt that either one lead to her destination. Lysandre trailed behind rather reluctantly, his eyes darting back and forth. It looked as if he was expecting to be attacked at any given moment.
Soon, Twilight and Lysandre were making their way down a hallway with stone walls and a blue carpet leading up a small incline. Guards lined the edge, immobile. Twilight was a little frightened. She couldn’t see their faces. For all she knew, they could be empty suits of armour.
“Who do we have here?” A voice boomed out as Twilight and Lysandre entered the throne room. Twilight looked up to see a grizzled man with grey hair and beard. His eyes were sharp and weary. Lysandre stiffened beside Twilight. Was this Varian?
“Um, well, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my friend Lysandre. I was hoping you could help me,” Twilight stuttered. If this man was King Varian, Twilight could understand why Lysandre was afraid of him.
The man grunted. “I can’t help you, whatever you are. I’m King Greymane. From the way you talked to me, I assume you thought I was Varian, but you’re wrong, girl.” He stroked his beard before continuing, “I suppose I could consider your request until he returns. Pass on the message.”
Twilight was a little confused now. If Greymane was a king, than where was his kingdom? It couldn’t be Stormwind, like Lysandre said.
Stepping forward, Twilight decided she ought to learn something about this place. Plus, she’d rather wait to give her message directly to King Varian. She wasn’t sure she trusted this man. “You see, I’m not from around here. I was just wondering… If you’re a king, then where’s your kingdom? Why are you here? Stormwind can’t be yours because it belongs to King Varian.”
King Greymane arched an eyebrow at Twilight, and then grinned. His eyes flickered to Lysandre and he said, “Paladin, you have a very interesting companion. Is she a pet or a friend?”
Twilight was taken aback. The king had ignored her question! How rude!
Ruffling his hair, Lysandre said, “She’s a friend. She fell out of the sky into Lake Everstill.”
King Greymane laughed. “Interesting story, Twilight Sparkle. Even with wings, you still fell. Much like my own kingdom.” His happy attitude faded and was replaced with a sombre expression. “No, my kingdom was lost to the Forsaken and that wretched banshee, Sylvanas.”
Lysandre gritted his teeth, while Twilight stepped forward and asked rather cautiously, “Who are the Forsaken? Who’s Sylvanas?”
King Greymane’s eyes flared and suddenly, a feral presence filled the room. Twilight felt afraid as the king started to growl. “You’ve never hear of the Forsaken? Where have you been, hiding under a rock? Or… are you a spy… for the Burning Legion?”
“Please, Your Majesty! She came from a different world entirely. She has no idea what’s going on. Her knowledge about Azeroth is limited to what she’s picked up around her,” Lysandre exclaimed, stepping forward. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that his hand was hovering not far from the handle of his battle axe. Would a simple meeting really start a battle?
King Greymane relaxed, though his face was still hard. The strange presence faded and Twilight shuddered. Who was this man? No, what was this man?
“The Forsaken are a group of undead who managed to break from the will of the Lich King a while back. They fight for the Horde, our sworn enemy,” Greymane explained, the hint of a growl evident in his tone. “Sylvanas is their queen.”
“So, they’re a bunch of zombies?” Twilight gasped and immediately pictured a bunch of shambling bodies with lolling tongues and blank expressions.
Lysandre laughed, then turned serious again, “They look like zombies, but their minds are intact. They are ruthless and cunning. Gilneas fell because they used a plague of death upon the capital.”
“And Gilneas was your home,” Twilight murmured, looking at King Greymane with sympathetic eyes. How could any creature, living or undead, do such a terrible thing to innocents? This world needed to learn a serious lesson in harmony and friendship.
“What’s more, Sylvanas herself killed my son, Liam,” Greymane snarled, teeth barred. “I couldn’t stop her, and she will pay with her own life. Or what ever the hell you call living, when you should be rotting six feet under.”
Twilight huffed angrily, “Why is this world filled with war and death? It isn’t right! How can you talk about killing someone!”
King Greymane reared his head and gave another wolfish growl. He opened his mouth to speak, but a new voice cut in, deep and powerful. It resonated with authority Twilight had never heard, not even from Celestia.
“Death is a part of life. It is inevitable. We’ve always had to fight for our survival, especially when the Horde invaded our lands.”
Twilight spun around to see a smaller, coloured version of the statue outside coming up the hall from which she and Lysandre had come. The man lion and eagle shoulder pads. The scarred face. The long, brown hair tied into a ponytail.
There was no mistaking him.
King Varian Wrynn had arrived.