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// Rest Experience 7: Campers Aren't Welcome 
// Story: Equestria Was Merely a Setback! 
// by Thunderscourge 
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A/N: My many apologies for my many month absence. I must admit there are a variety of things that fed into it, but I think now I am past most of them.

To start, there are the basics of having multiple jobs, schoolwork, and facing illness constantly that have kept me from writing much at all, but that honestly is not all of it.

If I am to be honest, this site killed its charm for me over the past year, a major aspect of why it has been difficult to write. To explain what I mean, picture this: seconds after you upload a chapter you have two new dislikes. Nobody could have read your story in that time, and someone saw fit to downvote it and forever mark it in a way people will take notice to. In and of itself this may not be bad, but when every week, every chapter you upload this happens, seeing your dislikes increase due to people who aren't even reading your story and are either prejudging it or just doing it for some other trollish reason, it is hard to get excited about updating a new chapter since in doing so you actually will be harming your story.

Case and point, over a few weeks and chapters I doubled the amount of dislikes on this story in this manner. I updated, got near instantaneous hate while I was on the front page (featured and all), and now when I update I don't get on the front page anymore. My ratio has been damaged so much that something I once took pride in no longer happens. Seeing myself on the front page really helped motivate myself since it made me feel validated, especially since it allowed me to bring in new readers. Now, I don't get on the front page due to the actions of these people, and there is nothing I can do about it. Publish more chapters? Get punished by people who seek to just downvote for the seeming hell of it. Publish a new story? Have a brigade of people downvote it who even admit to having not read it. Try to publish another new story? Have a moderator not like the speaking quirk of a character who is robotic and not allow it to be published.

I thought we Bronies were all about Love and Tolerance, but all of my recent experiences have been with our more vile members who basically drive me away from the community. Not helping is that I have not been a fan of this most recent season, meaning instead of being inspired each Saturday I don't even tune in anymore.

The only reason I've tried at all to do anything these past few months, albeit failing until now, is because I care about you all though. You readers and commenters help a lot, and are the reason my writing muse hasn't been killed off entirely. I have felt so guilty about not updating for you that I have continually tried to put something together, but part of the problem is one of the upcoming chapters (which I have pushed back to being after this chapter or the next) is gigantic. As in, dialogue alone is about 4,000 words meaning the final product will likely be around 10,000-15,000. Hard when already barely hanging in there to finish something like that.

So instead I am giving us all this smaller chapter to ease myself back in. I am so sorry about the wait, but I felt the need to inform you all about why this has been the case. I have honestly been trying, it just has been difficult for me and I am sorry to have not been able to create more content for you. I am back now, though only time will tell if I once again face the slow week to week drain of being punished by people who don't even read my stories.





Sunset seemed to come early the first day of Trixie's travel after they left the Monastery, their destination being to the East in a territory known as the Western Plaguelands (to differentiate it from other Plaguelands, of course). There were Scourge, Scarlet Crusaders, and many other things they could deal with there according to Reuenthal, though Trixie's mind was set on going to a place known as Scholomance in a ruins located there known as Caer Darrow. Inside she heard there were Necromancers, mages, and other magic users who she intended to steal from after defeating their Scourge army. A rumor that they were currently experimenting on extracting power from dead dragons to fuel their Undead army also caught her interest, as Trixie liked the idea of harnessing said power for herself...or saving the dragons, if they happened to be alive.

Preferably the first though, if she was being honest to herself. After all, the dragons were probably already dead, right?

She was feeling arrogant and powerful after settling into the memories she recovered during the siege on the Monastery, for with them came techniques and magical arts she had not previously even known could be done. She kept this hidden to the others, however, as she had yet to put the "new"  magic to the test. She did not wish to boast this time before knowing she could pull off the arcane techniques in her mind.

While not naturally possessing the power to use these techniques liberally, she was aware now of the power hidden within her that was separate to her own. If she could  tap into it, she could harness techniques that she was sure could match even those of that Grand Crusader Dathrohan they defeated. A man whose weapon happened to have been looted by their group's new Priest healer...who kept making sure everyone knew he wasn't specialized in healing. But still, being able to mend some wounds was better than having no-one capable of doing so, right?

"So, you're not really a healer, right?"

Sitting around a campfire set up to keep them warm in the cold night's air, the group of two Elves, their Stormwind Knight Lavitz, former criminal Vanessa VanCleef, hired muscle Karl, and most recent joiner Priest Dirge wound down as they prepared to sleep for the night. They agreed to watch the night in shifts to keep those with ill intent away, though all were awake for the moment. Their bodies still ached from the intense battles and did not seem to improve any more with pure healing, so taking time to rest was necessary.

The Human man with some Elvish features shook his head to Trixie's question, "No, not truly. It is not where my talents lay, but I can do basics and patch up certain wounds."

"What are you good for then?" Vanessa snorted. She did not trust having a former Scarlet Crusader among them, for unlike her he had betrayed his allies while she had come to join them after losing her own comrades and to repay a debt she felt she owed her former enemies. Still, he had been nothing but polite so she could not previously voice much of her discontent, so now she opened up with a way of demeaning him.

Dirge took it in stride and formed what appeared to be a ball of swirling shadows in his hand, "Some might call it dark or shadow magic," with the flick of his wrist it disappeared completely, "One does not have to be evil or bad to use it, but it is an...inhumane way of doing battle. The Scarlet Crusade uses Shadow Priests and their ilk to torture their captives, almost always to death and only sometimes for an actual  reason."

Trixie frowned, beginning to feel validated in her defeat of this most recent enemy beyond what she already knew, "How did the Crusade come to be such a horrible organization?"

"It had noble beginnings, being a brotherhood of Paladins, Priests, and other servants of the Light who would fight against the tide of Undead rising in our land thanks to the actions of the traitor Prince Arthas. With time however our nobler members have died off or left us, leaving us with fanatics who draw no boundary between types of Undead," Dirge explained knowledgeably. It made sense he would know the history of the group after all, given that until a day ago he was one of them.

"That man we defeated, Dathrohan, he was the Grand Crusader, correct?"

Dirge nodded, being wholly familiar with the Grand Crusader, "He and Br-Lady Abbendis are the leaders of our organization. Following the death of her father, Abbendis has become a radical element who would see every Undead being slain, be they Scourge or the more sapient ones led by Sylvanas Windrunner after she broke free of the Scourge's hold on her."

Trixie continued to piece together the situation based off what she had heard elsewhere by then, "She died fighting against the Scourge I think."

"Yes, and to torment her Arthas, now known as the Lich King, brought her back as one of the beings she had died to protect her people from. Unlike some who enjoy this new lease on life, she appears to resent the cursed existence she now lives, though she also seems fearful of returning to whatever Hell existed for her after death."

Trixie averted her eyes, a memory of a place many would call Hel dancing through her head, "I would not want to either."

Beside her, Kael shrugged in indifference, "If my time comes, I suppose there will not be much I can do, but I do not intend to go before my time."

"You're not allowed to die. I won't allow that," Trixie replied with a small punch to his shoulder, which she followed up by pulling herself in close to him. Lavitz smirked and Karl gave a positive grunt as the man in red was wearing his cheeks like his clothing.

Unlike the two adults who were in-on the betting pool concerning the Elves, Vanessa was actually ignorant of what Kael and Trixie were at this point. She had seen just how close the two were, doing things and acting like she remembered married couples doing, so she thought to clear up the ambiguity presented before her, "So, are you two..." she looked down away, embarrassed by her own question, "You know...involved?"

Trixie rose her brow in confusion as she continued to hold Kael's arm and kept her position up against him, "Kael is my partner. We wake up together, spend our days together, and go to bed with one another. If that classifies as 'involved', then yes we are."

Kael closed his eyes as he fought to keep exasperation from his voice. Just how sheltered was his partner that she had this little experience with normal relationships? "I think she meant if we were dating."

"Oh," Trixie thought for a moment. Would she mind being Kael's girlfriend? She had a feeling the answer would be no, but at the same time she didn't exactly want to deal with relationship drama and the like. Things were fine right now, right? No need to deal with kissing and holding hands and jealousy and babies right now, "No, though I doubt much would be different if we were now that I think of it. I haven't had a boyfriend before. Haven't had too many friends either..."

Spiriting her thoughts away, Trixie noticed Vanessa still appeared bashful and nervous, so she decided to tease her slightly with a wink.

"Why, do we appear to be a couple?"

Kael found himself fortunate to have noticed that their fire was dying, and that the forest clearing they were in did not have much in the way of keeping it going. As a result he stood up and drew attention to it so he could be done with the conversation that was making his face run red.

"Great. The fire is dying, and this clearing does not have much to use to kindle it," he looked to Lavitz and Karl, who were the other two largest members of the group, "Mind helping me?"

The two men wordlessly accepted, though it was obvious to every single person except Trixie that Kael was subverting the discussion at hand. Instead, she looked at the fire and thought about how nice it looked...especially compared to the literally chilling flood of thoughts she now had mixed in with her new ones.





"Vhen vill you date girl?"

As they gathered wood a few hundred feet away from the camp, Kael turned to face Karl who was not even bothering picking up any wood. The man understood why they actually broke away from the main group, but had no desire to pretend to go along with Kael's disguised reason for doing so now that they were out of sight.

Kael picked up some branches that would be usable as he looked to Karl, "Trixie?" he began to break off extraneous pieces that would make carrying them difficult, "When she is ready to admit our relationship is anything but platonic."

Lavitz, who was being helpful and also picking up fuel for the fire despite knowing Kael's reason for doing this was only half-true, chimed in as a stick in his arms slipped and poked his armor, "We'll be dead before that happens at this rate. Anything we can do to expedite things?"

Kael could not believe the metaphorical mutiny he was facing. When would he be left alone to do as he pleased? Wasn't he technically the one in charge, yet here he had his partners all trying to get him to get in a relationship with someone against his own will, "I doubt many other princes are harangued by their soldiers about who they should and should not become romantically involved with and when to do so."

"Should try direct approach. Kiss girl," Karl suggested.

The terse man with an attitude did not strike Kael as a ladykiller, though that may have had to do with the fact that the man looked like a clone of himself if he were a Human being. Kael did not imagine himself as successful with women if he just was a bit rougher around the edges, "What do you know of wooing women?"

"Former secret agent. Honey trap viable solution to big problem."

So the former spy slept with people...and then killed them or otherwise dealt with them as a threat. Wonderful. At least back then Karl was allegedly a good guy who he ought ton have been dealing with bad people.

"Oh, right. Why did you leave SI-7 anyways?"

Lavitz turned around to face Karl as Kael asked the other Human this, being quite curious himself. After all, Karl was a former citizen of Stormwind just like him...though he had no idea where that accent came from.

"Brother was on zheir hit list for supplying Defias with Stormwind resources and technology taken from corrupt Noble. Left Nobleman's head as resignation letter."

Simple, yet brutal. Kael had a feeling that a lot of what he could ask Karl would have similar results. Staying on the man's good side would be important, especially as Karl had proven himself the toughest physically on their team during the siege despite being a ranged combatant. He had after all faced Mograine by himself and nearly won through sheer endurance, so it made sense to Kael that this indeed was a former spy/assassin.

Lavitz shook his head and sighed, "I remember hearing about some kind of commotion like that. Fortunately we are allies now or I would have to bring you in to face justice for your crimes."

Having seemingly not cared that Lavitz was speaking, Karl had turned his attention off to one side where he would soon point a finger.

"Enemies."

Kael reached for his sword only to realize he had not remembered to grab it in his frustration. Karl, who had been the one who would be first on guard duty with Lavitz, had his crossbow with him, and Lavitz had brought his own spear leaving Kael as the only one without a weapon. They had a large bag of stolen weapons and loot from their invasion of the base, having taken what would assist them in leaving this dangerous territory and nothing more, but that was useless at this moment for Kael which irritated him.

Observing the half dozen figures in the distance, Lavitz drew his spear and sighed, "Undead. If they leave and report us to their superiors, we may have an army bearing down on us before the night is through."

"What is dead can die again," Karl noted as he pulled the trigger on his weapon. A moment later, one of the Undead lost an arm as its shoulder was pinned to a tree by the bolt.

The others drew their weapons and rushed forth, their rotting flesh barely covering decrepit bones that only held together with the aid of twisted magic.

"For Sylvanas!"

Realizing he would have to wield magic in this encounter, Kael prepared himself to launch the largest fireball he could: he had no idea just what level of strength these enemies were, and he would rather ask forgiveness later if he happened to slay what were technically allies to the Blood Elves instead of dying at their hands. He would indeed not go out before his time, for he had a good few thousand years he intended to live...with a certain clueless silver-blue haired Elf if possible.

As Lavitz moved forward to block and intercept the Undead beings with their rotting flesh, yet a glow to their eyes that belied intelligent thought unlike those at the Monastery, Kael saw that one of the ones charging at them stopped as they saw and recognized him.

"Kael'thas?"

Kael blasted away the closest Undead soldier, his attack charring their armor and knocking them down without really cutting into their flesh. This first volley completed, he prepared another attack but held it at bay to answer this particular enemy's question with one of his own.

"Do I know you?"

The former Human growled as he hurled himself at Kael, "You killed me when resisting Garithos's forces! Now I will make you pay for-"

At the mention of Garithos, the man who caused the death of his father, Lavitz twisted in place from his encounter with the other Undead and speared this one through the torso, piercing armor and flesh both. As he did this he landed a kick against the gut of another, then spun on his one planted foot to swing the impaled former soldier of Garithos into the other Undead. 

Kael blasted away the last standing enemy as Karl instantly set upon those on the ground and began to bind and tie them up to remove them as threats. While brutal, he had come to accept that his leaders did not wish to slay others when possible, something he would abide until it at all threatened to cause their own deaths.

The former Garithos soldier tried to remove himself from where he lay on the ground, howling in pain as he thrashed about. Kael watched him with some pity, but kept himself from caring too much given that this man still appeared to be the bigot he had been in life. How ironic that now he was cursed with living as a member of the Undead...if only Garithos himself could be so cursed.

"You are alive, in a manner of speaking, so I will spare you this time."

Kael sighed as he realized that, in order to get away from an awkward conversation he had just had a minor battle. Why were these Undead even here though? This was their territory, but didn't they have anything better to do?





At the camp, Dirge noticed something of his own as he sat on the log they had moved to be by the fire, "I see a few fleeing Scarlet Crusaders. I should take care of them, lest they draw attention to us. This is still the territory of the Forsaken, and I do not believe our varied party will be very welcomed by them."

Trixie called after the man as he stood to deal with the problem. She trusted that he would win the encounter but was less trusting in their newest member's ability to not kill people, "Remember, no killing!"

Now alone with just their youngest member, Trixie decided to get up and sit down next to Vanessa, who spent most her time sharpening her blades or curling up in a ball and avoiding all socialization.

In an attempt to get her attention, Trixie prodded the girl's shoulder gently, "Vanessa."

Vanessa did not say anything, but she did glance up at Trixie. When she realized she was being smiled at Vanessa looked away, once again bashful. Despite this Trixie kept talking to her, letting the girl know once more that she was appreciated.

"Thank you. If you hadn't helped us, I don't think we could have made it through the Monastery."

Vanessa kept her own eyes away from Trixie's, still uncomfortable with being around someone who had forgiven her of so much, "I owed you, and now I've repaid you. That's all there is to it."

Trixie sighed, understanding what it must have been like for her own mentor to deal with her once upon a time: a young girl with little in the way of normal social skills who had a lot of emotional baggage with her. It was obvious to Trixie though that despite Vanessa's claimed indifference that she cared about the people she now found herself with.

"I was lonely and standoffish once too, you know. I grew up alone after all," alone was a nice way of putting 'grew up on the streets', but Trixie didn't want to depress the teenager. She looked ahead at the fire and sighed, "Back then I thought it would keep me from the pain, but I realized later that it had been killing me day by day. That I may have given up hope without the people who gave me a family."

A family she still had trouble remembering given the brevity of her time with it in her memories...but a family all the same. Perhaps when more of her mind returned to her there would be more for her to rejoice over. She hoped there was more than she remembered of Luna...of the foreign man from another world they had taken in who could do so much...and who went through Hel with her.

Come to think of it, Trixie wondered, she was not of this land herself...perhaps her memories of a displaced God had something to do with her current location?

"I have no hope," Vanessa stated with complete sincerity, having lost everyone and everything she had cared about prior to now save a single pet. Hearing this, Trixie put her arm around the girl and brought her into a hug that Vanessa did not resist, "Not anymore."

"As befitting of a low class cutthroat whose only aspirations are to thieve and kill."

Trixie and Vanessa both jumped to their feet at the sound of a third, new voice not belonging to any of their companions: only to come face to face with an arrow drawn and ready to fire.






"Master Engineer Telonicus, report."

"I apologize my Lord, but our agents have failed to defeat the Pretender."

"After all the technology and aid you granted those fools, you would think they could have accomplished their simple task. What of the Sunwell?"

"She continues to travel with the Pretender, my Lord. They have just brought the Scarlet Monastery to heel under a rogue force of Blood Elves."

"Master Engineer, I gave you what I believed to be a simple task: kill a man pretending to be me, and capture his weak little friend. Easy group to find. Man who looks just like me. Woman who makes a spectacle of herself wherever she goes. And yet now they have risen from barely handling bandits to defeating Scarlet Crusaders. One must wonder, what use do I have for someone who fails so miserably at confronting and defeating them that they come from it stronger than before and now wield an army."

"They have had help, my Lord!...And they remain isolated. The army marches on Outland!"

"Very well, Telonicus. We will deal with the coming fools. You had best bring me that man's head, Master Engineer. Don't let them slip from our grip again, or there will be consequences. I had better not hear that they manage to escape you once more, lest I believe you are being distracted by that woman's bosom and hips. Thrice now is it you have lost them? Now begone. I have matters to attend, but remember: I want those Elves."