Darren had not been aware of the small backyard behind the inn. It was surrounded by houses all around, a refuge hidden from the streets. A single chestnut tree stood there, at least fifty years old, and a few rickety wooden benches around two tables of the same material. The rain had washed away any finish that might have covered the surfaces long ago. The yard was partly paved with uneven stone tiles, probably as old as the tree itself. A blue wisp circled the tree.
Allison had set the plates right there, along with glass cups and a gigantic water jug. Lemon slices bobbed around in the water. The air was still crisp even though it was already midday.
Darren watched as Vol'Shalai calmly stepped outside, in clean trollish clothes, followed by Nylene in a flowing red dress. His hand immediately wandered to the chair on his right, pulling it back for her. She accepted, elegantly sitting down with a smile.
Levinia assumed her pegasus form and stopped circling the tree. She sat down in the spot without a plate. "There you are," she said with a wide smile. "We're finally together again! Except for Tarik, I guess, but he said something about not staying too long, right?"
"Yes." Eclipse smiled back at her. "He went to Dalaran. But anyway, I'm glad we found you!"
"Thank you, everyone," said Levinia. "I was in real danger down there. They would have destroyed me rather sooner than later."
Darren leaned forward, resting his crossed arms on the table. "How?"
"By draining my soul. They call it anima but it's essentially the same thing, I think." Levinia pressed her lips together, thinking. "They wanted to gain knowledge about Death."
"It seems this is becoming a common occurence," said Nylene. Her wings twitched as she sighed in annoyance.
"What do you mean?" Levinia asked.
Vol'Shalai answered for her. "Ya see, we ain't the only people worried about the Other Side. There must be humans, too, and as we seen, also dwarves and elves. Well. Basically everybody."
"That makes sense." Levinia fondled with a strand of her mane, wrapping it around her hoof. "Mark said that the Veil has been broken. By Sylvanas." She turned to Darren. "Isn't she the queen of the Forsaken? Why the hay would she do that?"
"Not anymore she's not," Nylene muttered. Raising her voice to normal, she said, "Sylvanas left the Horde recently. In disgrace, I should add."
"Oh," said Levinia glumly. "I see. Well, this bunch of lunatics called themselves the 'Circle of Approaching Death'."
"Lovely," Darren commented. "Reminds me of 'Cult of the Damned'."
"There be cult for everyting, ain't there?" Vol'Shalai muttered to himself.
"In their defense, I think they're acting like that because they're scared out of their minds," Levinia said.
"Ya be talking awfully nice about ya captors," Vol'Shalai remarked. He leaned back to let Allison put a large bowl of rice onto the table. Her son Frank followed her outside with another bowl that smelled like peppers, carrots and tomatoes. Vol'Shalai reached for the dipper and for Nylene's plate to give her the first portion of rice.
"Yeah..." Levinia sighed. "It's not okay that they're hurting others, of course, and I am grateful you saved me. Even at that high cost. I just... Mark told me why they are so scared. They suspect there's something wrong in the Shadowlands."
Darren's eyes widened in alarm. He exchanged a look with Vol'Shalai.
"The Shadowlands? Is that the home of the Void Lords?" Eclipse asked.
"No, it's where you go when you die," Nylene explained.
"Oof, that's creepy," Eclipse said, his ears folding down.
"If it's true what you're saying, then there's nothing we can do about it," Darren said, rubbing his chin. "Though... we better ask Khadgar to send someone to the cathedral. We trapped them in the catacombs, we might have cut them off from fresh air. Let the authorities decide what to do about the cultists. It's not our job."
"And we should leave this world as soon as we can," Levinia said. "I, for one, have seen enough." She raised her hooves, pushing an imaginary plate away.
Eclipse grimaced awkwardly. "I haven't," he said. "I want to learn more about the Light. Miindra taught me two good spells already. And my meditation has become much better."
"Jonathan can teach you about the Light," said Darren.
"Well, he said himself that he's not actually a teacher," Eclipse countered. "Can't we make a permanent portal? Trust me, I really wanna go home. Especially after... all of that. But I also kinda want to keep visiting Karazhan and learn more magic."
Darren hummed. He remembered that Khadgar had made that suggestion, too. There was a time difference between Azeroth and Equestria, making it difficult, maybe even impossible, to establish a stable portal. But if anyone could pull it off, it was Twilight Sparkle, the Element Bearer of Magic, and Khadgar the Guardian.
"We'll talk about it," he said. "The Princesses and the... whoever's in charge here will need to agree. This is bigger than just us."
Eclipse nodded. "I understand," he said.
Darren relaxed. Good thing the boy was reasonable despite his curiousity.
Levinia fiddled with her mane again. Then she blurted out, "Look, guys, I'm really sorry I left you down there. I guess I panicked. And - and I was angry because you didn't trust Mark. Which, looking back at it, I probably would have done in your place, too."
"You're safe, that's what counts," said Darren, keeping silent about the fact they could have used her abilities in the fight.
"I didn't think it was weird you left," Eclipse added.
Vol'Shalai just shrugged. "We made it out. No hard feelings."
Levinia looked relieved. Her ears slowly rose again.
They kept eating, except for Levinia who watched them, probably trying to imagine the taste. The sauce was very good. The seasoning reminded Darren of food from Stranglethorn Valley. There was something hot in it, probably chilis. Did Vol'Shalai have a hand in this? One way or another, Darren took a second helping.
"Ow!" Eclipse cried suddenly. He held his muzzle, slightly cross-eyed. "Ngh..."
"What's wrong? Bit your tongue?" Nylene asked sympathetically.
Eclipse nodded, tears forming in his eyes. He swallowed and grimaced. "Felt like I pierced it. Ew."
"Let's see it." Darren leaned over to peer into Eclipse's open mouth. He frowned when he saw that Eclipse had really pricked his tongue - luckily, not too deeply. "Must have hurt," he agreed. "Don't worry, it's going to heal fast. Try to chew on the other side. And I'll give you a potion later."
"That a fang?" Vol'Shalai asked, raising a brow.
"Looks like it," Darren said. "I wondered if you'd get them eventually," he muttered.
"F-fansh?" Eclipse repeated, holding his muzzle again. His eyes met Darren's. "Why would I get fangs?"
"Because you're a Shadow pony," Darren said calmly. "Sombra has fangs, too, remember?"
"Oh. Right. I guess I forgot." Eclipse heaved an annoyed sigh. "But why now?"
"You're growing up, my boy!" Vol'Shalai said with a wide grin. He ruffled Eclipse's mane. The colt pushed his hand aside.
"As long as I don't get weird wings or something," he muttered, poking his food with his spoon. "But my friends at school are gonna think I'm some kind of monster." His shoulders slumped forward at the thought.
"Ya really tink so?" Vol'Shalai tilted his head.
"Well, yeah."
"Your family will understand," Levinia said softly. "And about your friends - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?"
"Mh." Eclipse nodded slowly, unconvinced.
A few days later, Darren read in the news that the city guard had searched the catacombs. Apparently, a slight tremor had alarmed the priests and paladins of the Cathedral of Light, encouraging them to check every room in the complex. They had found a cave-in at the foot of the stairs.
The guards had freed a few dozen of traumatized cultists, along with about as many of them recently injured or killed. The cause of death had been easy to identify: They had been cut with various blades, including swords and axes. They claimed that someone from outside had disturbed them and slaughtered their people but they could not give enough of a description. The only one who had been with the outsiders for a longer period of time could - or would - not make a statement. He was being cared for in a hospital due to frostbite in his hands.
As Darren read the last part aloud, his voice trailed off. Eclipse frowned and looked away, his ears down.
"No regrets," Nylene told Darren, putting her hand on the newspaper to push it down. The noise of the crowd almost drowned out her voice.
"Right." Darren cleared his throat. He straightened the printed sheets and went on. "It says that they got an anonymous tip to check for stashed anima. The Circle of Approaching Death is now officially disbanded."
"What a coincidence," Nylene remarked with a toothy grin.
"Isn't it?" Darren smirked back at her. "At least that's taken care of."
"Anonymous tips aside, what's the status in Karazhan? How goes the portal research?" asked Nylene.
"They're making progress," said Darren. "Levinia and Vol'Shalai are helping."
"Yeah, so I can train more!" Eclipse added happily. As he grinned, Darren noticed that the colt's fangs had grown a little in the last few days.
"One thing we haven't figured out yet... is how to coordinate our efforts with Equestria," Darren said slowly. He folded the newspaper and stuffed it into his bag.
They left the market and strolled towards the harbour.
"I made some calculations," Darren went on. "If they're correct, then Princess Luna can contact us once or twice a night. That means she can try again in about a week."
"I dislike this means of conversation," said Nylene. "It seems unreliable to me. We cannot even make sure we remember our dreams."
They passed the monument that overlooked the harbour. Darren greeted the guard that stood there. The man nodded back at him, smiling faintly. It was the same one that always guarded the memorial to the fallen.
Darren remembered the day of the scrying ritual.
"Vol'Shalai," he said. "He knows a lot about dreams, with his wife being a Loa priestess. Maybe he's got some voodoo up his sleeve."
"Damn it, Vol'Shalai, you bastard," Darren muttered angrily. He sat up in his bed and threw away the much too warm blanket. Then he stood up and staggered to the basin to wash off the cold sweat.
The moon shone through the window like a cool, silent lamp.
Eclipse was asleep, turning under his sheets. He appeared to be dreaming. Small traces of smoke were gathered above his head and chest.
Darren had definitely been dreaming. As he blinked, he tried not to focus on the gruesome imagery that kept replaying in his head.
He had been in Andorhal again, in Northrend, and in the catacombs. So much struggle and pain. Grace had been there, too, and Sombra. And there had been some thing or another about anima being drained from Eclipse and Nylene. It had made no sense, at least not in a rational way. But that was not what it had been about anyway.
Darren was still caught in the fear, regret and unbridled rage he had felt in his dream. It made his hands shake, feeding an urge to run or to smash something into pieces. There was nothing to dull the sensation so he tried to at least cool it with water.
The liquid was much colder than room temperature. Not a surprise, really, with his state of mind. Darren dried himself with a towel. He pressed the cloth against his face.
Better to meditate a little before he went to sleep again. At least half an hour of peace, was that too much to ask?
Darren was well aware that he had nightmares almost every night, jolting him awake now and then, but at least he usually forgot most of them until the following morning. Thanks to that dreadful concoction, he remembered every single detail of this night's terrors.
And he had agreed to take the potion each night until Luna contacted him. Which might be for a week or even more, as Darren himself had said yesterday.
"Light damn it," Darren groaned.
Luna's visit could not come soon enough.
"Wow, you look positively dreadful."
"Thanks, Levinia," Darren muttered, casting a sideways glance at her.
"Good morning," the pegasus added, looking guilty.
"Sure hope so."
"Maybe you should take a nap after lunch," Levinia suggested as she floated downstairs alongside Darren. His steps were heavier than usual.
"I probably will." Darren went over to their usual table, trying not to drag his feet.
Vol'Shalai sat there, rested and relaxed, the exact opposite of how Darren felt. His eyes widened when he saw Darren's face.
"Oof, that bad?" he said, sounding slightly worried.
"Not much different from other nights," Darren said, "except the potion made me remember everything."
"So it worked!" Vol'Shalai cheered. "But why are ya so..." He waved his hand around, meaning all of Darren.
"Well." Darren sat down and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "I was Scourge," he said with a sideways glance at Vol'Shalai, "for four years and a death knight for more than twice that long. I'd estimate I killed... one person or creature per day, on average. Many of them innocents. Some of them children. The subconscious, it mixes all of that up with events of previous days. How would you sleep?"
"Then why in da name of sanity did ya agree to use my potion, mon?!" Vol'Shalai asked, looking appalled.
"It's the best chance for all of us. Eclipse and I are the ones Luna is most likely going to contact. And Eclipse is not drinking that infernal stuff if I have to say anything about it." Darren huffed and looked at the kitchen. "Allison been here yet?"
"Makin' breakfast," said Vol'Shalai. He spread his arms, apologizing, "Darren, my man, I wasn't aware."
"I was aware, though. I agreed to do it." Darren shrugged in resignation. "So I've got to deal with it."
Vol'Shalai did not seem convinced of Darren's sanity. He raised his brows and shook his head.
Eclipse came downstairs, skipping the last steps with a big leap supported by his wings.
"Hey, guys!" he said happily. He cantered over to the table. His face fell a little when he looked at Darren. "Whoa. You okay? Did the potion work?"
Darren nodded. "Mh," he said. "Test round one has been successful."
"Er. I see." Eclipse grimaced. "You don't look very happy. You had nightmares, too, didn't you?"
Another nod. There was no point to lie.
Eclipse made a face. He seemed to be thinking fast. His face lit up as he got an idea. "Well, Nylene and I want to go to the park today. You wanna come?"
Darren had been jogging in the park every day since Tarik had left. But Eclipse looked at him with wide, pleading eyes and Darren felt the urge to make him stop. Pony children seemed to have an evolutionary advantage when it came to begging adults for something.
"Alright," he relented, smiling a little despite himself. "Sunshine will do us good."
"Yes!" Eclipse punched the air with a hoof. When he saw the amused smirk from Vol'Shalai, he cleared his throat and lowered his hoof again. "I mean, cool," he corrected evenly.
Now Levinia grinned, too.
To Eclipse's relief, Darren seemed to feel better after drinking a large pot of coffee and eating several bowls of cereals. When they walked through the city, Eclipse in front and Nylene and Darren trailing behind, he hoped that his message had arrived on time. Thankfully, the weather was fine.
His ear twitched when Darren said something. Nylene gave a short amused snort.
Eclipse shot a quick look back. Darren smirked, Nylene grinned, too; the dark rings under Darren's eyes had almost completely disappeared. Good.
They arrived at the park. As always, seeing the grass and the trees calmed Eclipse down immediately. He looked around - there was a path that led around the lake in a wide arc. If they followed it, there would be a large building he wanted to avoid. But turning left before that, there was that big beech tree. A tree with a broad crown and many leaves, perfect to have a picnic under. Eclipse grinned to himself and adjusted his saddlebag.
He waved his hoof at the people under the tree. One of them, a human grown-up, stood up, looking alarmed. His daughter jumped up, too, taking his hand and talking to him urgently. There was also a boy a few years older than Eclipse. Was it them?
The girl stopped talking and waved enthusiastically back at Eclipse and his friends, inviting them over. Yes, it was Vera and her family.
"If they're asking us so nicely," said Nylene, sounding amused.
"Eclipse," said Darren slowly as suspicion rose, "what did you do?"
Eclipse halted. Heat rose to his cheeks. He tried to sound casual as he said, "Well, Vera and Carl and I wanted to meet. To play Hearthstone. And have a picnic. We all brought snacks!" He patted his saddlebags.
"Did you know about this?" Darren asked Nylene incredulously.
Nylene nodded and shrugged. "We postponed it because of Levinia's situation. But Eclipse insisted. Humour us, please?"
Darren grunted, apparently a bit angry. Or maybe he was nervous. He made a face.
"Walking away now would look silly," he stated.
"Well, then!" Nylene smiled encouragingly. She picked up the pace, gently touching Eclipse's mane as she passed him.
Vera walked towards them until they were in earshot. She smiled at Eclipse, mostly, and spread her arms a little.
"Hello," she said. "We got your message. Really good idea with the Hearthstone game."
Eclipse gave her a short hug and smirked, suddenly a little shy. "Actually, it was Carl's idea," he admitted. "So what did you bring?"
"Oh, we've got sandwiches and fried beef and a big salad -" Vera stopped when she saw Eclipse's slightly stiff smile. "What?"
"Beef," Eclipse noted. "Guess cows aren't sapient on Azeroth?"
"Of course not!" Vera giggled.
"Good. But I think," said Eclipse, "I'll stick to the salad and the sandwiches. Oh, I brought the cookies! And my cards, of course."
"Cookies?" That was Carl. "At least someone remembered to bring real snacks." Vera's elbow hit his ribcage. He winced but he was still grinning. "Hi," he said to Darren and to Nylene, "I'm Carl."
Nylene tilted her head. "The one who plays Hearthstone?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Oh, please, no 'ma'am'. I am Nylene." She turned to Stephen. "You are their father, I presume?" she asked, her voice even kinder than usual.
Stephen had said nothing during Eclipse's reunion with his children. Cautiously, he said, "Stephen Fletcher," and stretched out a hand. Eclipse wondered if anyone else noticed it was shaking. Stephen did not quite manage to smile at them.
Nylene took his hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she declared.
Eclipse decided to join Carl on the large blanket. Carl had already unpacked the sandwiches and offered him one.
"Thanks!" Taking the food into his hooves, Eclipse opened his mouth widely to bite into it.
Carl's eyes widened as he saw the fangs.
"I'm a Shadow pony, that's normal," Eclipse muttered, his mouth full.
Carl shrugged and nodded, taking the news in stride. He motioned at Eclipse's saddlebag so Eclipse opened it to get the cookie box and Hearthstone cards.
Meanwhile, Darren and Stephen awkwardly stood in front of each other, none of them sure what to say.
Darren cleared his throat. "Looks like the kids met behind our backs," he said, vaguely gesturing at Eclipse who tried not to listen in.
"I didn't know," Stephen admitted. "There were just very insistent to have a picnic in the park today. So much so that something had to be up."
Darren smirked, raising a brow. "Subtlety is not Eclipse's strong suit, either."
"What the hay do you mean?" Eclipse cut in. "I was way subtle!"
"You stared at me with puppy eyes so wide as if your graduation depended on it," Darren said flatly.
"Okay, point..." Eclipse relented immediately. He offered a cookie to Carl. "But it worked, didn't it?" he asked hopefully.
Stephen sighed. He sat down on the blanket, inviting Darren with a jerk of his head to join them.
Darren had to admit that it had been smart of Eclipse to ask Stephen's children for help. Stephen obviously cared about them deeply. Seeing the children interacting with each other so casually made it hard to remain guarded. Eclipse was probably more nervous than he let on and trying to hide it for Darren's sake.
Vera sat down right next to her father, leaning onto him as she looked at Nylene. "Did you find your friend?" she asked.
Nylene nodded. "Yes, we did. And just in time, too. She was not well."
"Yeah, and Vol'Shalai's back, too!" Eclipse said happily. "By the way, he made the cookies."
Carl, his mouth filled with cookie crumbs, swallowed hard. He pointed at the paper box. "There ain't gnomes in 'em, are there?" he asked.
Eclipse stuck out his tongue. "Ew. Of course not. It's chocolate! And a bit of 'kafa' in the dark ones. He said those are for the grown-ups. I still tried one, it was kinda bitter."
"Just checking. I don't actually know anything about troll cuisine," Carl admitted. "They're good, though."
"Vol'Shalai is the best cook I know," said Eclipse proudly. Then, he looked at Darren, adding, "No offense. Your food really isn't bad, either!"
Darren snorted. "No, I agree. He's better," he said generously. "I'm still out of practice."
"You can save quite a bit of money if you prepare your meals yourself," Nylene said thoughtfully.
Stephen looked at her, trying in vain not to stare at her wings or clawed hands, then he returned his attention to Darren.
"I'm trying," said Darren, shrugging. "Sometimes I get freebies at the store, that's useful."
"What do you do for a living?" Stephen asked, getting curious.
"Working at a food market," Darren said. "Probably not going to be a permanent job but right now it pays fine. I actually managed to save enough for a house recently."
Stephen seemed both surprised and impressed. "I see," he said. "Here in Stormwind? No, wait, you said you wanted to go someplace else."
Darren fell silent. How much could he tell Stephen about Equestria? Would he even believe him? A world full of magical ponies, taking in a death knight, that sounded like a bit of a stretch. Maybe leave out the details, then, for the sake of their own safety.
"Outside Alliance territory," he said. "Where Eclipse comes from. It's a bit like Northrend - the more pleasant areas, mind you," Darren added quickly as he saw Stephen's brows rising. "Lots of snow and ice. Large meadows. A few forests, too, mostly pine and fir. The city is protected by a force field."
"You're not talking about Dalaran, are you?" Stephen said, narrowing an eye.
"No. It's called the Crystal Empire. You wouldn't find it on a regular map," Darren said cryptically.
Stephen frowned sceptically.
"I can't wait to go home," Eclipse said, looking up. He and Carl had already set up a game. Carl gave Eclipse a cloth to wipe his hooves before he touched the cards again. "I'm glad it's not so long any more."
"Hopefully." Darren took a sandwich. "We need a mage to set up the portal," he explained to Stephen, "but he's on it."
"Good luck, then," said Stephen earnestly.
"Thanks!" Eclipse smiled.
"How's Emily?" Darren asked, biting into his sandwich.
Stephen froze, then he sighed. "Excited. She still remembers your visit."
"I will respect your wish, Stephen. I only joined you just now because of them." Darren eyed Eclipse.
"Right." Stephen looked away, his eyes wandering to the lake. He seemed embarrassed.
"Vera talked to me," he said eventually. Vera nodded at that, smiling shyly.
Darren swallowed his mouthful. He waited for Stephen to go on but he was not sure if he wanted to hear it.
"She said that you just wanted to say Hello. Is that really true?" Stephen asked. "There's nothing else you want?"
Darren shrugged helplessly. "That's how it is," he confirmed. "I'm glad some of us made it out of Andorhal. That's all I wanted to know."
Stephen nodded, looking sad. "Only us, though. I always thought you died in Northrend. We mourned you, Darren," he added somewhat aggressively.
Darren felt heat creeping up his neck. His hands became sweaty and cold. The exhaustion from the previous night increased his unease even more. The ground under the blanket froze - unseen by the others, thank goodness.
"I mourned you, too," he said. "Actually thought there hadn't been any more survivors. Everything was burned to the ground. Hardly anybody got away, the ghouls made sure of that."
"How'd you know - oh. You were there," Stephen realized. "On - on whose side?" he asked slowly.
"The wrong one," Darren sighed, "unfortunately." His vision blurred. He realized he could not look at his cousin right now, with that shame burning inside of him like melted iron, twisting his stomach.
"We fled town a few days before the attack of the Scourge," Stephen said. "That's why we got away. Your kids?"
Darren curtly shook his head.
They both fell silent, still avoiding each other's eyes. The silence stretched out, only interrupted by mutters from Eclipse and Carl playing their card game. Eclipse groaned; Carl had just defeated his hero. Nylene sighed and laid down on the grass, resting her head on her hands.
"Salad?" Vera offered suddenly, bending forward to get to the bowls. "And here, we also have some orange juice for everyone, help yourselves. Cups are in the basket."
"Thanks, sweetheart," said Stephen, snapping out of his stupor. He accepted a small bowl from his daughter and briefly smiled at her.
Nylene got another bowl from Vera and so did Darren. They ate and it was quiet again.
That was a good salad. Just the right amount of dressing and seasoning, and the ingredients were fresh. Darren nodded in appreciation.
Eclipse stood up and trotted over to Darren. He took a cup, filled it with orange juice and held it close to him.
"Can you ice it, please? Like you did the other morning?" he asked.
"Ah. Sure." Darren took the cup, very aware that Stephen was watching his every move. He closed his eyes to hide the glow as he focused on the juice to freeze some parts of it. He returned the cup to Eclipse with a wink. "There you go, kid."
"Thanks!" Eclipse beamed at him and trotted back to Carl to start another game.
Stephen gaped at Darren, then at the juice in Eclipse's cup. Ice cubes bounced merrily up and down in the drink as the colt drank from it.
Darren smiled sheepishly. "Frost magic," he said quietly. "Found a constructive use for it after all."
They spent the rest of the picnic talking about all sorts of things, leaving out anything to do with the scourge, Darren's death knight abilities or lost family.