It took the Forsaken three days of flying with a few landings in between to get their 'guests' to Undercity. Twilight, Arcus and Jonathan tried their best to recover from their escape from Silvermoon although flying in the cold wind did not help much with that.
They entered Undercity through the same sewer hole that Jonathan had shown the ponies at the beginning of their journey. Twilight felt constricted as they rushed through the pipes. When you were flying instead of walking, the tunnel felt much smaller than it actually was. They passed the abominations and exited into the Outer Ring. Turning left, the bats followed the canal for a while, then landed in front of a heavy-looking gate.
The Death Guards made everyone dismount. Two Forsaken from the city led the bats and griffin away, disappearing in the small crowd that had gathered before the gate. Darren muttered something rude under his breath when Bane was taken away.
"At least I can easily summon him", he whispered to Jonathan, who nodded, trying to hide a grin.
Mr Carpenter urged Twilight to follow him as he pushed through the crowd. He got a few half-hearted complaints but they let the strangers pass without much of a hassle. Twilight thought she heard a familiar voice for a moment but she did not recognize anybody among the gathered Forsaken.
The gate opened without noise, revealing a torchlit hallway. It wound downwards in a wide circle. The ceiling was decorated with stone skulls and bones. After every few yards, an archway appeared, flanked by Death Guards. They were in similar armor as Mr Carpenter, except they had a much more menacing and official air to them. Each archway was decorated with another huge stone skull that glowered at anyone who dared enter these halls.
Twilight gulped, realizing that they approached the Royal Quarter. She was about to face the Queen of the Undead. As the thought began to sink in, the walls of the long, narrow hallway seemed to close in on her. Her hoofsteps reverberated through the corridor, creating echoes that hurt her ears. What should she say? How did a foreign Princess behave in presence of a Queen? This was not the same situation as with Chrysalis. Twilight could usually divide her acquaintances into stranger, friend or foe. Lady Sylvanas was neither.
Levinia floated next to Twilight as a blue wisp, bouncing up and down to encourage her. Twilight took a deep breath, looking back at her friends. Arcus looked fairly intimidated and sort of twitchy but Jonathan and Darren seemed mainly unfazed by the menacing atmosphere. Two Death Guards walked next to Mr Carpenter, the other three followed behind Darren.
Jonathan smiled at her. Twilight tried to smile back but it probably looked more like a grimace.
•°
Jonathan watched Twilight as they descended into the deepest part of Undercity. The alicorn looked nervous and jumpy, looking back at him for reassurance. He flashed her a smile. Inside, he was not half as calm as he tried to appear.
It seemed that his fear was about to come true. He still felt some loyalty towards Sylvanas even though he was technically not a Forsaken anymore. Despite his initial sadness, he did not hold any grudge against her. He could not even blame her for his sister's fate. If she really had been ressurected as a Forsaken she must have kept her free will. Not that he could do anything about it anyway. Sylvanas might not like the living but she took care of her people once they were undead. The problem was that she tended to be unpredictable sometimes. Who knew how she would react to the chance of a cure? She might see it as an escape from Undeath - or she might feel offended by the very thought of it. Jonathan was not sure if he could get out alive in either situation.
He tugged at his dark blue turtleneck sweater, then ran a hand through his shaggy white hair, trying to straighten it. Man, the hasty way back to Lordaeron had left everyone filthy and stinking. When one of the Death Guards grinned at him, Jonathan stopped trying to look better and blushed.
He frowned, trying to collect his thoughts. Best to be polite and honest with the Queen. She probably knew when someone was lying at her. He already felt cold sweat running down his back.
•°
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the hallway was at an end. Mr Carpenter halted in front of the two male Death Guards that flanked the last door. One of them straightened up, apparently recognizing the newcomers.
"The Dark Lady is not ready to see you", he rasped. "Wait."
Mr Carpenter nodded. He turned left and led the party through a small door that Twilight had not noticed before. It was as dark as the grimy stone walls. Jonathan had to bow his head a little to avoid bumping it on the frame.
The tiny chamber could not hold all of them so four guards waited outside. A single torch shed an absolute minimum of light on the dark walls.
Mr Carpenter used the time to hold a little speech.
"Everyone, listen up. First, the ghost must stay outside for reasons of confidentiality. Now, when you approach the Queen, you will address her with 'your Majesty', 'Mylady' or 'Madam'. You will not speak unless spoken to. Be precise when you talk, she does not have time for banter. Your weapons must stay here. You may pick them up when you leave the Royal Quarter, given that she allows it, of course." He nodded at Twilight and Arcus. "The ponies will enter first."
Twilight's ears splayed back. She and Arcus stared at Jonathan, their eyes wide, silently hoping for him to object.
"Can't we go together?", asked Jonathan, frowning.
Mr Carpenter shook his head, scratching his chin. "Orders of the Dark Lady. You must wait... Sorry", he added after some consideration.
Jonathan crossed his arms, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He was really glad that Twilight had renewed the anti-smell spell at their last stop before Undercity. At least he would not pass out because of nausea.
Twilight's ears flicked nervously. Jonathan reached down to touch her shoulder. She thankfully nuzzled his hand, something she had never done before.
Somebody rapped at the door, making everyone alive in the chamber jump. Arcus reluctantly gave one of the Death Guards his bladed hoofguards. Mr Carpenter quietly led the ponies outside. He surprised Jonathan by giving him a guilty frown before closing the door behind them.
•°
Now Jonathan and Darren were alone in the chamber, along with two Death Guards and the wisp Levinia.
Darren eyed Jonathan curiously. The Priest stared at the wall, quietly muttering something to himself.
"Don't make them screw up, don't make them screw up..."
Darren cleared his throat.
"Why did you not bless them to calm them down?", he asked.
Jonathan sighed. "Might have been an insult to the Dark Lady. She's not much into Light magic as you can probably guess."
"Hmm." Darren nodded, taking his sheathed sword off his back. He handed the large belt over to a guard, giving him a stern glance. Jonathan had to separate from his knife but could keep his armguards.
They waited for at least half an hour in the cold chamber until there was another knock at the door. Jonathan could catch a glimpse of Twilight and Arcus, looking slightly rattled but otherwise unharmed. They had no chance to exchange any words; Jonathan was pushed outside while Darren had to stay. The guard that had Arcus's hoofguards shoved them into his open hooves, urging him to put them on again. As Jonathan stood before the gate, trying to collect himself, the ponies were led away, flanked by four of the previous Death Guards.
"Enter", another guard told Jonathan. He nodded, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
The Royal Quarter was just as he had imagined it. It was a cavernous, round hall, supported by large colums. Dark curtains hung from the ceiling, indicating a hint of comfort. Skull-decorated doors lined the curved wall, each guarded by a heavily armed Forsaken. A small flight of stairs led up to the center of the hall which was an elevated stone platform, also decorated in the distinctive style of Undercity. In the middle of it, on top of four massive circular steps, stood the Banshee Queen.
There was no throne and there never would be. Jonathan thought of the old throne room high above in the ruins of Lordaeron. Lady Sylvanas would never sit on a humongous chair, looking down on her subjects like an orcish warchief, mused Jonathan. Probably because a 'king' had stolen her life and her hope for a bearable afterlife by turning her into a Banshee.
There was nobody else present except for the guards. Jonathan had always assumed that a few dignitaries would be found here but the upcoming conversation was probably not something for them to overhear.
As Jonathan was still standing frozen on the doorstep, taking in the view, a little shove from one of the guards made him jump. He raised his hand, indicating that he was going to move, and approached the platform. He felt a bit wobbly on his knees but tried his best not to stall any further. Jonathan climbed the stairs, clearing his throat nervously. Two guards followed him, watching each and every one of his moves.
Lady Sylvanas was flanked by two more elite guards. She looked at the approaching Jonathan with her red glowing eyes, her face neutral. Pale elven ears poked through slits in her dark hood. Her armor, consisting mostly of leather and elven steel, accentuated her slim figure. Her dark purple cape was ragged and bleached from age. She was wearing the trademark bow and quiver on her back and was also armed with two elvish swords. Jonathan knew that the guards were mostly for show. Sylvanas was a renowned expert in both melee and ranged combat. Not that he would have tried anything stupid anyway.
Jonathan wondered what she had discussed with the ponies. He took it as a good sign that they had still been alive when they had left the hall.
He stopped five feet away from his Queen and bowed respectfully. The guards stood next to him, their armor clinking when they moved. Jonathan straightened his back and stood as still as he could, waiting for her to adress him.
Finally, the Queen spoke up.
"Leave us", she told the guards.
"My Queen, are you -?" One of them tried to object.
"Leave! Now!" Her voice grew impatient, making Jonathan cringe inside. He sent a quick prayer to the Light.
The guards hurried outside, leaving Jonathan alone with the Banshee Queen.
Sylvanas shifted her weight, taxing Jonathan. She began to pace around him, eyeing him from every angle like a fragile exhibit.
"So you are the human that claims to have been a Forsaken", she said coolly.
He did not dare to move, not even to look at her. Like a soldier at attention, Jonathan kept his hands at his sides, his eyes fixed on an imaginary point in the distance. As much as he was afraid, he couldn't help but feel awe. To be so close to the Queen and still remain alive! There were few who could say that of themselves. He prayed that it would stay that way. He could feel raw power emanating from her, a dark force that pushed against the mind, making him feel tiny and helpless. Sylvanas spoke again.
"I had imagined you taller." She stopped right in front of him. "Look at me, human", she hissed.
His yellow eyes met a hostile red glow. Sylvanas' gaze was fierce and hollow, like her voice. It still had an elvish beauty to it but it was distant, cold. There was a dangerous echo in her voice, like two voices speaking slightly out of sync. "What possessed you to think that anybody would fall for such a childish game?"
Jonathan cleared his throat. It felt so dry that it reminded him of his time as an undead. "I know it's hard to believe, Ma'am", he rasped, "but I didn't intend for anyone to find out about this whole situation."
She chuckled humorlessly. "Of course not... it would be hard to stop so many from resisting the temptation... ah, it doesn't matter. It matters not if you are lying or if you truly have been undead before. Either way, I must admit you brought me something rather precious." Her voice was almost a whisper now. Jonathan shivered.
Twilight and Arcus! He bit his lower lip, unable to suppress the trembling in his legs.
"You fear for those creatures", observed Sylvanas, content that she had hit a nerve. "Yet I can hardly sense any fear for yourself. Do you not dread losing your life again?"
"As much as I would prefer s-staying alive, I know there's worse things than dying, Ma'am", stammered Jonathan.
"Indeed", she muttered.
"Why did you come here?", demanded Sylvanas. "Why did you return to Azeroth? Do not think I have not heard of the portal, human", she spat. "Nothing happens in my kingdom unnoticed. Was it to gloat? To drag more of my people over to that other dimension? To -", she snorted with contempt, "visit relatives?"
Jonathan exhaled shakily, trying to keep his knees from giving way. The hostility was almost tangible; Sylvanas was like a tigress stalking her prey. The Queen closed up on him once again.
"I just wanted a wand", he blurted out. "Though I - I have to admit I didn't think the whole thing through. And my family: Well, they're dead. Just like I used to be."
She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "You are wasting my time. If you do not answer truthfully, I will have the guards extract the information from you."
"Your Highness, I swear I'm telling the truth!", pleaded Jonathan desperately, instinctively switching language from Orcish to Gutterspeak. Getting questioned by Forsaken jailers was one of those things worse than dying.
"The magic threshold in Equestria is higher than that on Azeroth. So I couldn't perform any active magic 'cept healing", he explained, spilling information as quickly as possible. "The ponies volunteered to help me on my quest to get the wand materials. That's all there is to it. Well, we met Vol'Shalai on the way. He's an old friend I know from Northrend. And I hired Darren Houndslayer as our guide. Going to the Sin'dorei capital wasn't part of the plan. They captured us, but their arguments were very conv-"
"Silence."
Jonathan closed his mouth obediently, swallowing hardly.
"You admit that you were helping the Blood Elves to find a... cure for Undeath?" She hissed the word with all the contempt she could muster. Which was a lot.
"Well, we tried our best. They would have killed us otherwise but I pretty much doubt the research would have been successful. So, uh, thanks for saving us from the... elves,... Ma'am." He could not help but feel amusement as he remembered whom he was talking to. Sylvanas was an elf after all, Banshee or not. So he had just thanked an elf for saving him from elves. Idiot, he thought, mentally slapping himself.
"Was that a joke?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Uh, er, I -", he stuttered.
"You are smiling", said Sylvanas, her tone incredulous. "The corners of your mouth, they just twitched."
"Your Highness?" Jonathan was positively sweating now.
"I'm very well aware of the irony. But it is not that humorous", sighed Sylvanas, and to his surprise she appeared to relax a little. "Some people cannot be saved. You should not take this matter lightly."
Jonathan rubbed his bandaged elbow. "Sorry, Ma'am. Coping mechanism. I have that since Northrend, I guess."
"Fighting the Scourge, I presume."
"Yes, Ma'am. I knew I couldn't go for the big fish so I focused on the small fry in Zul'Drak. Felt good to have revenge though I'm not... doing that anymore, now that I'm..." His voice died down.
"Go on." Sylvanas crossed her arms, leaning forward.
Was she actually interested in hearing his side of the story? Jonathan couldn't believe his luck.
"After Zul'Drak, I went to Orgrimmar and Undercity, doing smaller jobs like finding people, killing monsters, that kind of thing. When I travelled to Northrend once again I met Twilight... uh, the purple pony. She appeared in the Barrens after a portal accident", he continued quickly. "I helped her to return home, got sucked into her second portal and lost connection to the curse of Undeath. Apparently, Equestria's magic is way different than Azeroth's or Draenor's so the curse sorta... dissipated. The Light, it healed me. I turned human again and... that's pretty much it." He shrugged helplessly. "I don't have a cure as such, Ma'am, I don't really know how exactly I got healed. There is no cure in Azeroth, that's for sure."
Sylvanas smirked with satisfaction.
"Excellent. It means that the Blood Elves have nothing. You are more lucky than you realize... and I may yet let you live."
"Really? Oh wow, thank you, Mylady, that's -"
"Not so fast, boy." Sylvanas grabbed Jonathan's cloak, pulling his face close to hers. Their noses almost touched when she hissed at him, "I am only going to let you live if you take your pretty ponies, leave this world immediately and never return. On no account must you ever set foot on my soil again. Banishment eternal. Is that clear?"
"Crystal", pressed Jonathan out. Her cold breath was paralyzing. And his feet did not touch the ground. He knew he was not the smallest but Lady Sylvanas was significantly taller.
She released him, baring her teeth. Jonathan caught a glimpse of her impressive canines. "Also, you must speak to no one about this... Equestria. I will not allow anybody to follow you there and deny you ever were in Undercity."
"Yes'M." Jonathan grimaced as he remembered something. "We promised Darren... Houndslayer he could come with us", he admitted nervously.
"He is not a Forsaken, I cannot forbid him to follow you. And good riddance if he is gone. One less leak to fret about. I will have enough cleaning up to do with that Sarithra character."
"Darren is an honorable man, I'm sure he wouldn't tell anybody", vouched Jonathan for the knight. He chose not to think about the plans Sylvanas might have for the Blood Elf warrior.
"Maybe under normal circumstances", said Sylvanas, "but even those so-called honorable men have a breaking point at which they will tell all of their best kept secrets."
Jonathan nodded sadly. "I know", he muttered. "Sorry... Ma'am", he added quickly.
"You have gotten a second chance. I... do not have that luxury. My contract with the Val'kyr is binding for all eternity. I must ensure that our people will not diminish - and I will. You, however, are not a part of this anymore." Sylvanas sighed, stepping back.
"You are the most respectful human I have seen in years", she mused. "They usually wail or grovel, pathetic vermin that they are. And the other races are even worse. Only the Undead seem to understand what I am trying to accomplish."
Jonathan smirked shakily. "Th-thank you, your Majesty."
"Your hair is white as well... But that aside, you are nothing like him. A pity you are breathing. I could fix that quite easily, though."
He relaxed a tiny bit as he realized that Sylvanas had made a joke. Sort of.
"Your Highness, I swear to you, by the Light and by the Void, that I won't tell anyone about all this", said Jonathan, noticing that his voice was finally firm. He crossed his arms before his chest, his hands closed into fists: the salute of the Forsaken. "Until I die - and, uh, just in case, not after that, either."
"I will hold you to your word. Very well, human. You may go. Live your short life, die, and enjoy the afterlife."
Jonathan nodded gravely. "Thank you. But please, Mylady, my name is Jonathan Baker. And I'm a Forsaken."
"No, you are not." She gave him a sad smile. "But I will not forget that you used to be one of us."
Sylvanas straightened up. The soft expression trickled from her face, replaced by a cold façade once again.
"Farewell, Mr Baker. May we never meet again. Guards!" Sylvanas shouted the last word, her voice suddenly as impatient and hostile as ever.
The doors opened and the guards quickly returned to her side, saluting.
"Release him and the others. Make absolutely sure that they set up their portal and leave within the hour", commanded Sylvanas. "They must take all of their belongings with them. Scan them for scrying artefacts before you let them go."
"Thank you, your -", began Jonathan.
"Silence! Just leave."
He bowed, giving the Queen the hint of a smile, then spun around and hurried outside, along with the two guards who eyed him suspiciously.
•°
Jonathan did not remember leaving the Royal Quarter. His brain had simply shut off after the stressful experience of meeting the Banshee Queen. He knew he must have gotten his knife back and returned to the upper level somehow. As he stepped through the gate, facing the crowd that was still waiting in front of it, he slowly came to his senses again. Clearing his throat, Jonathan stood on his toes to look for the ponies.
He could catch snippets of conversation from the Forsaken around him, mostly about issues they meant to adress in front of the Queen. They also seemed a little irritated that he and the ponies had taken so long with their audiences.
Aha, there they were. Twilight and Arcus were on the other side of the canal, waving at him. Darren sat next to them, on the stairs of a small bridge that led across the green slimy water. He had gotten his sword back and was for once not reading in his little book. It seemed they just wanted to keep their distance from the crowd. A familiar blue light floated next to Darren's head.
Jonathan waved back at the ponies and crossed the bridge in a little sprint.
"You okay, Princess? Everybody?", he asked, hugging Twilight.
"Yeah, we're good", said Arcus happily. "The... the Dark Lady had that spooky vibe about her and her voice was like... like two ponies talking at once. So creepy. But she was still kind of polite when she saw that we didn't have bad intentions. Doesn't seem used to friendly conversations. Maybe she tried to be nice because Twilight's a princess or whatever. Though that doesn't really seem to be her style." He gave Jonathan a pat on the back, grinning. "So what did you tell her to impress her so much she let us go?"
Jonathan released Twilight from the hug and shrugged. "I... I dunno. I think she liked me being honest and not trying to grovel. Apparently, she believed that the Blood Elves didn't get any important new information. But she made it very clear that we have to leave right away and never ever return. Which makes sense. Once the ponies are gone, nobody will be able to get to Equestria anymore."
"Lady Sylvanas is a really impressive person", added Twilight. "When we were done telling her everything, she told us to wait. I think she wanted to compare our story with yours and that's why she didn't want to see all of us at once. She seems to be very headstrong but I have the feeling we got through to her... somehow."
"Oh, thank the Light", sighed Jonathan. He frowned at Darren. "You didn't see her, did you?"
Darren shook his head, standing up. "The guards informed me of our situation. I thought it unnecessary to bother the Dark Lady any further and she did not insist on an audience, either."
"Same here", said Levinia.
Then the Death Knight did something he had never done before: He smiled widely. "She allowed you to go home, I gather?"
Jonathan grinned back. "Yeah. Finally. I still don't really get what came over her but like hell I'm gonna question it."
"I can't wait to see my wife again", sighed Arcus happily.
"And our friends", added Twilight, jumping on the spot.
"I can't wait to eat one of Pinkie's cupcakes", said Jonathan. He readjusted his backpack and put up his hood.
"Then let's get out of here."
"Yes, let's", said Arcus. "After a trip to the bathroom."
"What bathroom? Here, in Undercity?" Jonathan giggled, the relief still making him feel giddy. "No such luck, mate, you need to wait with the washing until Canterlot."
Arcus facehoofed. "I just want to take a leak, okay?"
"...Oh."
•°
Mr Garrett had to jump back a few steps as an orange dragonhawk five times his size landed in front of him. At first the flightmaster felt tempted to defend himself with a broom but then he saw that the rider was of the Horde.
The troll grinned at him, then jumped off the mount. As soon as it was rid of the rider, the dragonhawk took off again, disappearing into the pipe up high in the hall that led to the surface.
"Sorry fo' dat, mon", said the troll. "Ya seen any ponies lately?"
Mr Garrett slowly shook his head. "No", he said. "Why, you supposed to meet'em?"
"Sorta", said the troll. "Well, if dey come along, please tell'em dat Vol'Shalai been here, eh?"
Mr Garrett nodded. "Sure", he rasped.
"As if I'd tell on them", he muttered as the troll left for the bank island. He picked his broom up and resumed cleaning away the batshit.
•°
Vol'Shalai snorted, then scratched his long nose. Where else could the ponies be? Bookstore? Twilight loved books, didn't she? Or maybe the inn? It was still possible he was wrong and they did not even plan to go to Undercity.
As he took a peek into his bank account, he found that there was enough gold to buy a decent meal and even get a ride to Brill.
"Hmmm..." Or he could try to get another vision first.
No, he was too tired for that. Vol'Shalai had been flying for days in a row without any rest. A pity he was too late after all. Or was he too early? Anyway, it was probably best to catch some Zs before starting anything else.
He withdrew a pillow from his bank account. As he let go of the banker's crystal, the pillow materialized in midair and Vol'Shalai caught it before it could fall to the filthy ground. He smiled when his eyes fell on the tribal patterns on the cloth. Miwemba had made sure to sew together a particularly tough pillow. Vol'Shalai had already used it for sleeping on several battlefields. There was a weak enchantment weaved into the threads, keeping the cloth from ripping.
After getting a blanket, Vol'Shalai said his thanks to the bank clerk. He climbed the stairs that led to the upper gallery and found the innkeeper. Vol'Shalai booked a coffin for the night and made himself as comfortable as he could.
•°
"I still hate these stairs", ranted Arcus. "They must have built them with giants in mind. I mean, come on, even you guys have to make those huge steps to climb'em."
Jonathan looked back to face the pony.
Arcus closed his mouth, rolling his eyes. "Sorry. It's not that bad."
"Are you sure?" Twilight flapped her wings to take two steps at once.
"Don't look so concerned", huffed Arcus. "Seriously, I'm fine." He smiled, slightly confused. "Huh... Weird."
"What is?", asked Darren.
"Now that I think about it: Since we escaped from Silvermoon, I don't feel so angry anymore", said Arcus.
"Maybe it was the tracking spell that put you on edge and you just didn't know it", assumed Jonathan.
They had arrived at the end of the stairway and entered a cave. Arcus recognized it; he had almost entered the wrong sewer pipe before. As they walked through the green slime that covered the ground of the tunnel, trying their best not to slip, Arcus caught up with Jonathan.
"You know what, I think you're right", he said over the splashing of his hooves on the tunnel floor. "But there's something else. I was really, really homesick."
"Hm", hummed Jonathan. "Makes sense. I'm just glad we didn't die before we found the wand parts", he sighed.
"About that", said Twilight. "Can I ask a favor of you?"
"Sure."
"Can we not return to Azeroth ever again?"
"Okay." Jonathan grinned.
"I am glad we are agreeing on this", said Mr Carpenter, making Arcus jump.
"Luna's saltlick, you're still behind us?!", he squeaked.
"Of course", rasped the Death Guard. He smirked, revealing a set of rotten yellow teeth. "Why, did you forget?"
Arcus nodded frantically. "Actually, yes", he admitted, wondering how the heavily armed Forsaken could be this quiet wading through a pool of water. On the other hoof, there were so many echoes that it was hard to tell how many people walked here.
Mr Carpenter chuckled. It sounded like a saw cutting a piece of mouldy wood. When they reached the abominations that guarded the entrance of the pipe, both raised their enormous right hands in a sloppy salute. The Death Guard just nodded and kept following the Equestrians.
As they finally exited the sewer tunnel, Twilight heaved a deep sigh. She threw her head back and stretched her wings, smiling at the gloomy green sky.
Jonathan grinned as he saw how happy she was to be outside again.
"So", he said, "where we gonna open the portal?"
"I think it will be the easiest if we return to the spot where we arrived", said Twilight. "I can use the magical residue to find the connection to Equestria."
"Okay", nodded Jonathan. "But this time, let's avoid the watchtower."