//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 // Story: Beyond the Portal // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// “Sister?” Luna did not move. She simply continued to stand there, rooted in place upon the balcony overlooking Dun Morogh. The slopes of Ironforge Mountain were thick with snow, which crunched loudly beneath Celestia’s hooves as she approached. “Sister, you seem troubled. What is it?” Luna blinked and shook her head before turning it to look at Celestia. “I’m sorry, Tia,” she replied. “I…  have a feeling that something has happened to Scootaloo and Mr. Slater. I have been trying to dreamwalk, but I cannot. Not here.” “We are far from home, Lulu,” Celestia murmured, nuzzling her sister. “There are many differences between Equestria and this world.” “Such as those.” Luna motioned with one wing towards the sky. Though dawn was fast approaching, the twin moons of Azeroth still shone brightly against the sky. “Two moons, Tia. Two. And I can neither feel nor control either of them.” “It is a very strange place,” Celestia agreed. “I attempted to lower the sun last night. It would not respond to my commands either.” “I feel so helpless,” Luna murmured. “Like a part of me is no longer there.” “I feel it too.” Celetia nuzzled her sister again. “But you must try to get some rest, Luna. It would not do well for us to be exhausted for the summit.” “When are they going to hold it?” Luna asked, frustration creeping into her voice. “Two nights now we have spent under this foreign sky while our Ponies are under threat. What is taking so long?” “King Varian says that two leaders still have not yet arrived,” Celestia replied. There was a tiny hint of frustration in her voice as well, though she did not let her face betray it. “Tyrande Whisperwind, High Priestess of Elune and leader of the Night Elves; and Lady Jaina Proudmoore, Grand Magus of the Kirin Tor.” “Lady Proudmoore is a Human, is she not?” Luna asked. “Why does King Varian not speak for her?” “Her city, Dalaran, is under her leadership, not his. The Kirin Tor speak for themselves.” Celestia let out a small sigh. “You would know this, had you been paying attention to me last night.” Luna did not reply, choosing instead to stare up at the night sky. The White Lady and the Blue Child both rested high in the sky, coating the snowy mountainside in a pale glow. Luna closed her eyes and reached out towards the bright spheres as she had countless times before in Equestria. Yet, though she knew they were there, they refused to bow to her will. “Come, Luna.” Celestia’s voice pierced through Luna’s efforts, forcing her eyes open. “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow we must prepare further for the summit.” “Very well,” Luna sighed. With one last glance at the twin moons, she turned and followed her sister. “Though I still cannot shake the feeling that Mr. Slater and Scootaloo are in trouble.” “Mr. Slater has said it himself,” Celestia replied. “Scootaloo is far more capable than she is given credit for. And he knows this world and its dangers better than either of us, and is equipped to handle them. They will be fine.” “For their sakes, I hope you’re right.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A fresh wave of heat washed over Kyle, jerking him awake. On instinct, he bolted upright, flinging the sheet off of him. He whipped his head towards the heat source as he tried to see past the blurriness that still clouded his vision. As his vision cleared, Kyle saw the source of the heat. The fire had been rekindled and ignited again, bathing the cave in a warm glow. Scootaloo was also stirring, and she curled up next to the flames, looking at Kyle. On the other side of the fire was a large shape, one that Kyle quickly recognized. “You are awake,” the Tauren commented. He remained seated next to the fire, though his posture became much more sharp and aware. “I had begun to think my efforts were for naught.” “Takes more than a couple of kittens to keep me down,” Kyle replied with a meaningful glance at the Druid. If he got the implied meaning, the Tauren did not show it. Instead, he reached into his own pack and pulled out a loaf of bread and a bottle of water. “Give me your name and profession, Human,” he said as he took a drink from the bottle, “and I shall give you mine.” “Kyle Slater,” he replied. “Monk of the Grand Army of the Alliance. And this is Scootaloo, my apprentice,” he added with a gesture. “Apprentice?” The Tauren snorted. “Has your Alliance really grown so desperate as to train horses to fight?” “Hey now, I take offense to that,” Scootaloo spoke up with a yawn. The Tauren jumped and stared at her as she stood up and stretched her wings. “Plus, I’m a Pony. Sweet Celestia, how many times am I gonna have to explain that?” she asked with a sideways glance at Kyle. Kyle merely shrugged in reply. The Tauren, meanwhile, returned its gaze to Kyle, its expression now filled with curiosity. “Where did you find her?” it asked. “You’ve yet to uphold your end of the bargain, Tauren,” Kyle shot back. “Of course. I am Tulstag Sharpclaw, Druid of the Cenarion Circle.” Kyle gave a small nod. He had guessed that the Druid had been affiliated with the Cenarion Circle - after all, they were the worlds largest and most well-respected Druidic society, with none others coming even close. Kyle held a great deal of respect for the Circle - mostly for the Night Elf and Worgen members, but the Tauren’s contributions to the order could not be denied. “Now, I ask again - where did you find a talking, winged pony?” Tulstag said. “Really long story,” Kyle replied curtly. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, anyway.” Tulstag frowned, but Kyle paid it no mind. “Next question,” Kyle continued. “Why did you not kill me last night?” “Hm?” “We were tired, weak, injured, and cornered by those Prowlers. You helped drive them away, fixed where I hit my head, and then didn’t kill us in our sleep. Why?” Tulstag glared across the flames. “Do you really think we Tauren would resort to such underhanded tactics?” he snarled. “After Theramore?” Kyle spat back. “I wouldn’t put anything past you Horde dogs!” Tulstag jumped to his hooves, a motion echoed not a second later by Kyle. The two glared daggers at each other across the flames. Kyle slowly moved his hand towards his dagger, and he could see Tulstag begin to silently mouth a few words under his breath. “Enough!” Both heads whipped towards the source of the loud yell, which left a soft ringing in their ears. Scootaloo was now hovering in the air, looking angrily back and forth between them. Her eyes met Kyle’s and she flew over to him, hovering at eye level. “Kyle, you’ve always told me to keep my emotions in check, because that is what a Monk does,” she began. Kyle could feel her own anger begin to cool as she spoke again. “Fear, Anger, Despair. And yet here I see you filled with hatred for a creature you’ve never met before!” Kyle recoiled slightly at her words. He wanted to say a million things - how he didn’t need to meet a Tauren to know that the Horde was despicable. That his anger was perfectly justified. But he knew that none of that would matter. She wouldn’t understand. As Kyle thought, Scootaloo soared over the flames and looked the Tauren in the eyes. “And you!” she continued. “I don’t know what your deal is, but calm down or things will get ugly. Got it?” Despite the massive size difference between the two, Tulstag didn’t retaliate. Instead, he simply took a deep breath and nodded. “Very well,” he murmured, sitting down once more. Scootaloo looked over her shoulder at Kyle, who hesitated a moment longer before taking a seat as well. With her rant over, Scootaloo flew back over to her blanket and curled up on it again. “But still, I wish to know,” Kyle began calmly. Scootaloo shot him a glare, but he held up a hand. “Why not take the opportunity to eliminate a potential threat?” Tulstag picked up his bottle of water and took another drink. He let out a sigh as he removed the bottle and placed it back down. “When we met yesterday morning, in the washroom,” he explained, “I said that I would not strike this day if you would do the same. You could have ended me when the Prowler pounced me, or even just let it kill me, and yet you didn’t. You honored your end of the deal, and so I honored mine.” “I thought I recognized you,” Scootaloo murmured under her breath. The other two paid her no mind as they both reached for their food. Kyle pulled out a strip of cured pork and took a bite as the Tauren tore a chunk out of his bread. For a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the crackle of the flames and the howl of the wind outside. “This storm may last another day or two,” Tulstag said suddenly. “Until it does, we are stuck here with each other. Let’s try not to kill each other before then. Agreed?” Kyle swallowed his bite and nodded. “Fine with me.” With the threat of a fight gone for the moment, Scootaloo also dug into her bags and pulled out a sack of oats, munching on them. Silence fell once again, and before long all three of them were staring into the fire, each lost in their own thoughts. “So, Kyle,” Tulstag began, breaking the long silence. “What brings you out here to the peaks of Kun-Lai?” “This one,” Kyle motioned towards Scootaloo. “I’ve been… away for quite some time, and in the process been training her. I’m taking her to the Peak of Serenity to formally request her to be my apprentice. And yourself?” “This.” Tulstag reached into his bag and rummaged through it for a moment. Finally, he pulled out several pouches. He opened one and pulled a few thick, earth-colored roots out. “An associate of mine has need of some herbs in the Zouchin Province. No doubt you have heard of the Zandalari attacks there.” “I’ve been a bit out of the loop,” Kyle admitted. “Last time I heard about Troll activity there was from the first adventurers who came to Pandaria. They mentioned the Zandalari had made an attack there, but that was over two years ago.” “The attacks never really stopped,” Tulstag explained. “They’re more sporadic now, but the Zandalari are still holding the Isle of Giants far to the north, and make occasional pushes into Kun-Lai from there. Some of my colleagues are helping the locals defend their village, and also providing healing to those injured in battles. These herbs are to be used to make healing elixirs.” Kyle frowned. “Horde colleagues, or other Druids?” “Does it matter?” Tulstag asked, raising an eyebrow. “We are helping the people of Pandaria. That should be good enough for you.” “I think I’ve seen enough of the Horde’s so-called ‘help’ to -” Kyle was cut off with a grunt as a slight jolt ran through his body. He looked over at Scootaloo, who was tucking her hoof back under herself and glaring at Kyle. “If you must know,” Tulstag continued, “the Circle has approved my aid, but has not sent others. This is a Horde-sponsored effort ordered by Warchief Vol’Jin.” Kyle rubbed his arm where the shock had entered his body. “So what else have I missed besides Troll attacks and the Dark Portal going nuts?” “Ah, you heard about that, did you?” Tulstag smirked. “Nasty bit of business, that was. I wasn’t there when the Iron Horde opened their portal to ours, but my brother was.” Tulstag’s smirk faded. “He said a Human charged into the portal while it was still going haywire. I didn’t believe it, honestly. Do you know anything about that?” Kyle glanced over at Scootaloo, who was already looking at him. He grimaced, but nodded. “Yeah, I know a bit. I was there.” “So it’s true then?” Tulstag asked, leaning forward. “A Human went through?” “Yeah. He did.” Tulstag sighed and shook his head. “Poor fool. Wonder what happened to him.” Kyle and Scootaloo shared another glance. By now, Scootaloo was chuckling silently under her breath, and he couldn’t help but smirk as he looked back at Tulstag. “Well, let’s see… right now he’s sitting in a cave in Kun-Lai in the middle of a snowstorm, sitting around a fire with a Tauren and a talking Pony.” Kyle heard Tulstag’s neck groan in protest at the speed with which he moved his head to stare at Kyle. “Wha… You?” “Me.” Tulstag’s jaw fell open as he stared wide-eyed at Kyle across the flames. For a long moment, silence fell upon the trio again. Finally, Tulstag shook his head and glared over the flames. “What in the hell were you thinking?” he growled. “I wasn’t.” Kyle admitted. “Clearly.” “It paid off in the end,” Kyle shrugged, gesturing at Scootaloo. “Found her on the other side.” “So that’s where you found her,” Tulstag murmured, rubbing his chin. “Interesting… I’m sure you’ve plenty of tales from there.” Kyle paused for a moment, reflecting on his adventures in Equestria. “It's been a long, strange trip,” he agreed. “Would make for a good story, I think. If a long one.” “Well, I don’t think we’re going anywhere anytime soon,” Tulstag countered, gesturing towards the snowstorm still raging outside. “I’ll get some more wood from that fence for the fire, and you tell your tale.” The Tauren pushed himself to his hooves and trotted over towards the fence. Kyle glanced over as Tulstag smashed through the wood with his bare hands, his sheer strength allowing him to rip the wooden posts up and hurl them halfway back to the fire pit. Kyle also took the opportunity to examine the statue behind the now partially-destroyed fence. It depicted a tall creature with a long, thin mustache and a clean-shaven head, save for the ponytail jutting out of the back. A Mogu, wielding a wicked-looking fist weapon in each hand. Kyle instantly recognized the statue from his own travels years ago. “The Shrine of the Merciless One…” “So,” Tulstag interrupted Kyle’s thoughts as he hurled two new fence posts into the fire. “What happened to you on the other side?” And so Kyle began to recount his journeys through Equestria, recalling his injury and recovery, and his revelation to the rest of the world. Tulstag smiled warmly at Scootaloo as Kyle told of her training, and hissed as Kyle told of the return of the Sha and the tale of Scootaloo’s possession by the Sha of Deceit. As the story continued and the hours dragged on, the mood in the room began to lighten. Tulstag’s posture became more relaxed and at ease, and Kyle laughed more loudly and freely. No longer was it clearly Alliance and Horde. No more were they clearly on opposites sides. Instead, the line between friend and foe began to blur, much to Scootaloo’s pleasure. As Kyle began to tell of his sparring match with Rainbow Dash, Kyle felt his stomach rumble. Tulstag raised a hand to stop him. “I believe now is a good time for a pause,” he said. “Let us break for lunch, and then continue the story. And perhaps I can share a tale or two of my own afterwards, though I doubt it holds a candle to this epic.” The three each reached back into their bags and pulled out some food. Kyle glanced into his pouch of cured pork and frowned. His supply was running low. He’d have to take care to not to eat it all before the storm ended. He pulled out two small strips and ate slowly, trying to savor the flavor of meat after months of scarcity. Even so, he finished well before Tulstag, who had clearly brought far more food than Kyle. The small amount of food he had consumed was not enough to stave off his hunger, and as he stored his food away again, his stomach let out another rumble. Tulstag glanced up from his own meal. “Why do you not eat?” he asked. “Running a bit low on food,” Kyle admitted. “I anticipated a few problems along the way, but I didn’t plan on a blizzard.” Tulstag did not hesitate as he tore a large chunk from the loaf of bread in his hands and tossed it over the flames. It landed with a soft thud in Kyle’s lap. “Here, I have plenty,” he said. Kyle looked down at the bread, then up at Tulstag, and then down again. Slowly, tentatively, he picked the bread up and brought it to his nose. He took a small sniff. It smelled alright. And it had come from the loaf Tulstag was currently eating, so it probably wasn’t poisoned. He shrugged and took a bite. It was moist and refreshing, and a few bites left Kyle feeling satisfied. “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it.” “I have to say…” Kyle began slowly. “You seem… pretty at ease, considering we’re supposed to be enemies and all…” “As do you,” Tulstag replied, not looking up from his bread. “Why is that?” Tulstag swallowed his bite, wiped his mouth with his arm, and looked up. “My quarrel is with your Alliance, Kyle,” he replied. “Not with you. As Scootaloo has said, we have never met each other before yesterday morning in the washroom, and likely never will again after the storm abates. Although given multiple opportunities, you have done nothing to harm me, except attempt to place the blame of the transgressions of others upon my shoulders. You are not my enemy. We have sat by the fire, swapped information, begun to share stories. Enemies do not do that.” Kyle could not reply to that. He set the rest of the bread aside, his hunger suddenly vanishing. His stomach clenched up, and though he knew the reason, he tried to ignore the sudden feeling of guilt that ran through him. He shook his head, trying to shove his guilt aside. Did it really matter? Tulstag was still a Tauren, a member of the Horde. The Alliance leaders would never approve of Kyle forming a relationship anymore meaningful than grudging acceptance with the Tauren. And that was exactly where Kyle intended to leave it. Tulstag set his own food aside as well. “So, Kyle,” he began. “I believe when you last left off, you had just challenged this Rainbow Dash to strike you, as Scootaloo had.” Kyle nodded, once again forcing aside his doubts. He continued his tale of his fight with Rainbow Dash, and his encounter with Bon Bon. Tulstag listened intently as Kyle recounted his fight with the Sha-possessed Lyra, the destruction of the Sha of Misery, his meeting with the Unicorn a few days later, and the creation of the portal to Azeroth. “And you decided not to go back to Stormwind?” Tulstag asked. “Yes,” Kyle nodded. “I elected to remain in Equestria.” “Why?” Tulstag raised an eyebrow. “Throughout your tale, you have always mentioned wanting to return home. So why, when given the opportunity, did you not take it?” “A few reasons,” Kyle explained. “The first being that the portal could be re-opened at any time. It wasn’t like it was a one-time thing. Plus, I had some unfinished business in Equestria. There were still three Sha running about, and Scootaloo was - and is - still in the process of training. I couldn’t just leave her alone.” Tulstag nodded. “A very selfless decision, to put the needs of others before your own desires.” Kyle did not reply, but instead decided to continue with his tale.The light of the sun behind the clouds began to grow darker as he described his journey to the Crystal Empire; the capture, interrogation, and death of the Changeling; the return to Stormwind to request aid; the Battle of the Crystal Empire; and the defeat of the Sha of Greed. “And that battle happened… what, three days ago now?” he said, looking at Scootaloo. She nodded. “So after we destroyed the Sha of Greed, Scootaloo got her cutie mark. It’s a kind of coming-of-age thing, where this symbol appears on their flanks that shows what their special talent is. Scootaloo got her cutie mark in being a Monk after we took down the Sha of Greed. The Monks at the Peak of Serenity had heard of my continued survival after they assumed I was dead, and have requested my presence. I decided to bring Scootaloo along as well in order to request permission to continue her training. The rest you already know. And thus, we find ourselves here.” Tulstag let out a soft whistle. “Incredible. If even half of the adventures you’ve mentioned are true, then I’ve no doubt your name will become the thing of legend in both worlds.” “I guess.” Tulstag glanced out of the cave opening. By now, it was pitch black outside. The howling of the wind had lessened slightly, but snow still whipped by the entrance. “We will likely be able to leave tomorrow,” he said. “After which, we will go our separate ways.” “Indeed.” “Would you mind taking first watch tonight?” Tulstag asked. “I’m afraid I did not sleep last night.” “Sure.” Kyle watched as Tulstag laid out his sleeping roll and climbed inside, quickly falling asleep. He glanced over at Scootaloo, who also appeared to be sleeping. He sighed and reached into his bag, pulling out the loaf of bread again. He tore a small chunk off and ate it, glancing at Scootaloo again. Finally, he could stand it no more. “Hey, Scoots,” he whispered. “You awake?” Though her eyes remained closed, she nodded. “Yeah. What’s up?” Kyle sighed, suddenly feeling reluctant to talk. “Nothing much.” “You wouldn’t have tried to awaken me if it hadn’t been something much,” Scootaloo replied. She opened her eyes and pushed herself into a sitting position. “Now what’s going on?” He closed his eyes. “I should hate him,” he finally said. “I should hate Tulstag.” “But you find it hard.” Slowly, he nodded. “I keep telling myself he’s evil. That he’s part of the Horde. And yet I can't help but see that he’s… not. He’s part of the Cenarion Circle. He’s going to deliver herbs for healing potions. He is willing to share food with one who has little.” “And you find it hard to hate,” Scootaloo said, raising an eyebrow. “I fail to see why this is a problem.” “Because I should hate him, dammit!” Kyle exclaimed, a bit louder than he intended. He glanced over at the Tauren, making sure his outburst hadn’t wakened him. “I should,” he continued, more softly this time. “It’s what I’ve been taught ever since I was old enough to understand. Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and Alliance and Horde hate each other. For twenty-five years now I’ve held this as an absolute, a fundamental truth of the universe.” “And now it’s been called into question.” Kyle did not reply. Scootaloo smiled softly. “You always told me to let go of fear, anger, and hate,” she murmured. “They distract you, they cloud your judgement. They make you weak. Maybe it’s time for you to let go of your hate." Kyle sighed and looked down, his mind divided. On one side, the Horde could not be trusted. After what they had done to this world, they could never be forgiven. Not after Theramore. Not after the Vale. And yet, he knew. He knew that Tulstag had been responsible for neither of these atrocities. They could both be placed squarely on the head of the Horde’s ruthless ex-warchief, Garrosh Hellscream. Even if the Horde had done other terrible things that could be blamed on individual members, or on the group as a whole, hatred would not undo them. And while the Horde had no doubt committed terrible acts against the world, if he was perfectly honest, Azeroth’s greatest successes had come when the Alliance and Horde had banded together. At the summit of Mount Hyjal, where Horde and Alliance forces had bought enough time for Malfurion Stormrage to summon the wisps that would destroy Archimonde. In Icecrown, when both sides had worked in tandem with the Ashen Verdict to overthrow Arthas. On the Isle of Quel’Danas, working with the Shattered Sun Offensive to stop Kil’Jaeden’s entry into Azeroth through the Sunwell. In Orgrimmar, where there had been no unifying faction, but both sides had banded together against a common enemy. Every single time, both sides had set aside their differences and joined together, and every single time they had overcome impossible odds and emerged victorious. Because, even if for just a little while, they let go of their hatred. Slowly, he nodded. “Maybe you’re right,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “I think you know I’m right.” Kyle glanced over at Scootaloo once more. A small smirk formed on his lips, a smirk that quickly evolved into a laugh. “When did you get so wise, squirt?” he asked, rubbing her mane. She smiled again. “All I did was tell you what you’ve told me,” she replied. “You already knew all of this. You just needed to be reminded. I’m not saying that you should let go of your hate for the Horde as a whole. Not yet, anyway. I can tell that they have hurt you deeply, and that will be hard to let go of. But for a single individual who’s done nothing to you? Can you let go of your hate for him?” Kyle smiled and leaned back, resting on his hands. “I think I could do that,” he replied softly. He looked over towards Scootaloo. “You should get some rest, Scoots,” he added. “We’ve got a big hike ahead of us tomorrow.” Scootaloo nodded and laid down, turning her back towards Kyle as she settled in. A few minutes later, Kyle heard her breathing slow down as she fell asleep. Kyle’s only company now was the howling of the wind outside and the flames that still danced in front of him. But he didn’t mind. Alone with his thoughts, he finally had time to think. And think he did, for several hours, until Tulstag woke once more. The two exchanged no words, but Tulstag took the second watch, and Kyle was allowed to rest. It came easily to him, and soon he lost consciousness and fell into a dreamless sleep.