Beyond the Portal

by Firestar463

Chapter 15

Knock. Knock.

Kyle groaned and rolled over, burying his head under his pillow. He refused to open his eyes. “Go away…” he mumbled, trying to fall back asleep.

Knock. Knock.

Kyle sighed and pulled his head out from under the pillow. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before opening them. “What the hell is with these Ponies? The sun’s not even up yet.” he muttered under his breath, irritated at his sudden awakening. He had been having a nice dream about… Well, something. Kyle sighed once more. He couldn’t even remember what the dream had been about, but he knew it had been a good one.

“Mr. Slater, are you awake in there?” A voice asked, coming from the door.

Kyle pushed himself up and off of the bed, walking over to the door and opening it with an irritated look. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” he asked.

“Yes sir. It’s 9:30.” The guard replied, seemingly unfazed by Kyle’s irritation. Kyle's eyes flew open, and his head whipped over towards the window. “Package from Ponyville. I’d recommend getting changed, sir. You’re expected at 10.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Kyle said hurriedly, taking the package from the guard and slamming the door shut. Kyle ran over to the window and threw open the heavy satin curtains covering it. Sure enough, the sun was already up, and shining at just the right angle to fall directly onto Kyle’s overly-diluted pupils.

“My eyes!” Kyle cried, blinded by the harsh glare. He stumbled away from the window, his eyes clenched shut to prevent further pain. He cried out once more as his foot connected with something hard and solid, sending him falling to the ground. He landed on top of the stairs leading to the bed, having tripped over them in his blind state. Kyle groaned and rolled off of the stairs, curling up into a ball and waiting for his eyes to stop burning.

Finally, the pain receded, and Kyle slowly opened his eyes once more, allowing them to adjust to the light. “Hell of a way to start the morning.” he groaned, pushing himself back to his feet. He took another step, and his foot connected with another object, this one significantly softer than the marble steps. Kyle looked down and scooped up the package he had dropped, tearing it open.

Inside the package was a set of clothes. “Of course. The outfit for today’s meeting. That’ll be fun.” he sighed sarcastically as he pulled the shirt and pants out of the package. “Well at least Twilight got me the clothes to play the part.” he said, looking over what Rarity had made. It was a simple white button-up shirt and a pair of long, black pants. Kyle placed the clothes on the bed and tossed the remains of the package into the trash can next to the door. He then walked over to the desk under the window.

On the desk was the remnants of his dinner last night. The mere sight made his mouth water, and Kyle picked up the fork and knife again, quickly finishing off the venison. His hunger now sated, Kyle picked up his clothes from the bed again and walked into the bathroom.

Kyle emerged half an hour later, bathed and dressed. He growled and flattened the shirt collar for what felt like the thousandth time, only for it to pop back up again. “Stay down.” he snarled, pushing the collar back down and glaring at it. Satisfied that it was now properly folded down, Kyle glanced around the room once more, checking to see if he had forgotten anything. His eyes landed on the bed, and Kyle walked over to it, quickly re-making it.

As he finished, Kyle’s eyes landed on a book on the floor next to the bed. He picked it up and looked at the title. “The Elements of Harmony - A Reference Guide.” he read aloud. “Pff. Useless.” he scoffed, putting the book back on the shelf. He had read through the entire book the night before. One hundred and forty-two pages, and not a scrap of information that he didn’t already know. The book didn’t tell where the Elements or the Tree of Harmony came from. It had also been published before the Nightmare Moon incident, so there was no mention at all of the new bearers and their adventures with the Elements.

Satisfied that the room was now in the same state he had found it, Kyle walked over to the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. This presented Kyle with another problem - he had no idea where to go for this meeting. After a moments thought, Kyle turned to his right and walked off, hoping to find a guard or someone to point him in the right direction.

The castle was surprisingly empty as Kyle wandered through the labyrinth of hallways. Kyle had expected to see some nobles or servants, or at the very least a patrol of guards, but instead he found no one. Where the hell is everyone? he wondered, turning another corner.

Kyle found himself staring down a particularly large hallway towards a large double door, flanked by two Unicorn guards. Kyle smiled and walked towards the two Ponies. The guard on the left shifted slightly, while the one on the right looked about nervously as Kyle approached. “Excuse me, sirs. I’m a bit lost. Could you point me towards… wherever the meeting is being held?”

“Mr. Slater? The Human?” The guard on the left asked. Kyle nodded. “Well, you made it to the throne room. The meeting is being held in a conference room on the other end of the castle. Just head in as straight a line as you can to the south.” Kyle blinked. “That way.” The guard clarified, pointing in the direction Kyle had just come from.

“Right. Thanks.” Kyle said, walking away from the pair. He retraced his steps back around the corner, trying to continue in the direction the guard had pointed. After a few minutes, though, Kyle was hopelessly lost, praying to find someone else as he rounded yet another corner.

“Oof!” Kyle grunted as he collided with something hard and solid. He fell backwards, landing on his rear with a thud. A slightly heavier thud echoed his own, and Kyle looked at what he had bumped into. “Oh thank the Light, Princess Luna.” Kyle sighed in relief. “I was hoping I’d run into someone else… though I didn’t mean it quite this literally.”

“Kyle Slater, there you are!” Luna exclaimed, already back on her hooves. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you! Come, we must hurry! We’re already late to the meeting!” Luna spun around and began trotting away at a brisk pace, forcing Kyle to jog to keep up.”

Luna lead Kyle through the castle’s hallways with the same apparent ease that Celestia had. Kyle couldn’t help but envy the sisters’ ability to navigate the halls so easily. “So… what’s this meeting about, again?” Kyle asked.

“Delegates from the other three great powers of Equus are here to be informed about the threats we now face.” Luna explained. “They have also come to meet you, Mr. Slater, the alien from another world who knows so much about this threat. Your insight into our foes will be quite helpful in persuading the other nations to up their security and aid us in defeating this threat… Hopefully.”

“I dunno about that.” Kyle admitted as they ascended a flight of stairs. “I’m a soldier, Princess, not a negotiator. I can supply the info, but I think I’ll leave the persuasion to you and Princess Celestia.”

Luna remained silent for the rest of the trip, which took them up two more flights of stairs and another three minutes. Finally, Luna stopped outside a set of double doors. “We are here.” she announced. “Make yourself presentable, Kyle. Fix that collar.”

“Wha?” Kyle asked, looking down. “Son of a… stay down, damnit!” he exclaimed, shoving the collar back down. He eyed it menacingly, as if daring it pop back up.

Which it did.

Kyle sighed and threw up his hands in frustration, while Luna giggled. “Let me help you.” She said, enveloping his entire collar with her blue aura. The entire collar popped up, and then folded back down. When the aura faded, the collar did not spring back up. “Much better.” She smiled, pushing the doors open.

Kyle followed Luna into the room, and the doors closed behind him. The conference room was quite large, with another set of double doors open to the outside on the other end of the hall. A long table and many chairs occupied the vast majority of the space in the room. However, the room was completely devoid of anyone besides Kyle and Luna. “Where is everyone?” he asked

“Outside, on the balcony.” Luna replied, walking to the far end of the hall. As Kyle followed her, he could indeed make out voices, though their words were unintelligible. Luna stepped through the door, and Kyle followed her out onto a large, round balcony. The doors slammed shut behind them, and Kyle turned his head to see two Unicorn stallions barring the door with a plank of wood.

Kyle turned to look back at the group. Everyone had fallen silent, and they were all staring at him. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were there, of course, sitting side-by-side at a smaller, round table with their backs to him. To Celestia’s left was a large Griffon, looking almost identical to its Azerothian counterpart. The griffon had snow-white feathers, but Kyle could barely see them under the Griffon’s attire. He was covered in a suit of shining steel armor, and numerous medals hung from his chestplate.

On the other side of the Pony sisters was an empty chair, presumably reserved for Kyle. He made his way towards it, but froze dead in his tracks as he saw the delegate who would be sitting to his right.

For a horrifying moment, Kyle was rooted in place, anger and fear burning within him. The creature looked almost identical to a Tauren, complete with the horns on his head and the hooves in place of feet. However, Kyle’s mind started working once more, and he realized that this must be the delegate for the Minotaur clans. The Minotaur was dressed in a suit that looked far too small for him, and he was puffing on a pipe. As Kyle watched, the Minotaur blew out a ring of smoke, which floated up over his head and joined the dozen or so other smoke rings stacked on his horns.

Kyle finally took his seat and looked across to the other side of the table, which seemed rather bare. He leaned over to inquire to Luna about this, but froze before he could. Instead of seeing the mountainside or the city behind the balcony, all Kyle could see was a wall of gleaming, ruby-red scales. Kyle slowly looked upwards and felt his jaw drop.

Resting next to the balcony was the largest Dragon that Kyle had ever seen. He reckoned that the behemoth in front of him could even give Deathwing a run for his money in terms of sheer size.The Dragon returned his stare with an amused expression. It lowered its head towards the table, closed one eye, and aimed the other one towards Kyle. “Nice of you to join us, Sir Kyle.” the Dragon rumbled, its deep bassy voice resonating through the air. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Valstrath, Voice of the Dragon High Council.”

“H-hi…” Kyle stammered, feeling a cold sweat break out across his forehead. “You’re a lot… larger than most Dragons back home.”

“Indeed?” Valstrath asked a non-question. “I am also among the largest of my kind here on Equus.” Valstrath. pulled its head back and grinned, revealing two rows of razor-sharp fangs, each easily as large as Kyle. Kyle couldn’t help but gulp and shiver slightly as Valstrath hid his fangs behind his lips once more. Valstrath said nothing further, simply shifting his gaze towards the Griffon.

“Ahem.” The Griffon cleared its throat. “Greetings, Mr. Slater. I am Iron Wing, Secretary of State for the Griffonian Empire, veteran of the Battle of Gyth Isle, Savior of…”

“Yeah yeah, we’ve heard all about you and your war achievements.” The Minotaur interrupted, earning him a glare from Iron Wing. The Minotaur seemed not to notice as he turned to face Kyle once more. “Pleasure to meet you. Name’s Longhorn, Chief of the Redtail tribe and ambassador here at this little shindig.” he introduced, patting Kyle on the back. Kyle’s body flopped forward with the force of the impact, and his face hit the table.

“Charmed.” Kyle coughed as he pulled his head off of the table. “I, uh… I’m Kyle. Slater. Uh… Monk of…”

“I must ask once more, Celestia.” Iron Wing interrupted. “Is it really necessary to bring this… Human… to this meeting? If your story is true, then he does not even have a nation to represent.”

Kyle glared at the Griffon, his nervousness fading into irritation. “As I was saying.” he continued, throwing another dirty look at the Iron Wing. “Monk of Azeroth and, apparently, ambassador of the Kingdom of Stormwind.”

“All present are already familiar with us.” Celestia continued. “I am Celestia, Princess of the Sun, and this is my sister, Luna, Princess of the Moon. We are the co-rulers of Equestria. Now that introductions are out of the way, I believe the meeting may begin.”

“As you have all heard, Equestria has recently come under fire from two threats. The first threat is that of the Changelings, who have once again been found to be kidnapping Ponies. The second threat, however, is far more serious.”

“Would this be the evil force that you spoke of at your emergency conference with the news organizations?” Longhorn asked.

“Indeed it is, though I’m afraid the situation is more serious than I let on.” Celestia sighed. “I turn the floor over to Mr. Slater, who is more experienced with this enemy.”

Kyle nodded, looking over the table at the gathered delegates. “This new enemy is one that I have fought before, back in Azeroth. They are called the Sha, the remnants of a dead Old God. Old Gods are ancient, evil, chaotic creatures, and the Sha are what is left behind when one is killed.”

“These Sha take on the aspects of negative emotions or character traits. On Azeroth, we faced seven: Doubt, Despair, Anger, Violence, Hatred, Fear, and Pride. Here on Equestria, we have encountered two separate Sha, and it is believed that four more are out there, each one representing the opposite of one of the Elements of Harmony: Greed, Deceit, Treachery, Cruelty, Misery, and… whatever the opposite of Magic would be.”

“These Sha are incredibly dangerous foes. Besides their razor-sharp claws and fangs, the six Prime Sha also command legions of minor Sha. All Sha can possess other creatures. This can drive their host into a frenzy of emotions related to their chosen element - for example, the Sha of Greed can drive those it possesses to want to steal from others. The Prime Sha can also directly possess another, taking complete control. Whether out in the open or possessing another creature, the Sha often leave puddles of dark energy as a sign of their presence, and can utilize incredibly powerful black magic. Any questions so far?”

“I thought I had sensed the return of some dark power.” Valstrath mused. “One I had not felt for over a thousand years. I must ask, though - How did this supposed Old God meet his end? I remember no battle in recent history in which a monster was slain, save for Sombra.”

“It had nothing to do with the affair in the Crystal Empire.” Luna replied. “The Old God in question was a being called Alp’tauum. A thousand years ago, it possessed me and transformed me into Nightmare Moon. When we returned, the Elements of Harmony were turned against us. I was purged, and it was destroyed.”

“So why are the remains of this Aptlum popping up now?” Iron WIng asked, shooting an accusatory glare at Kyle. “Seems kind of fishy to me. This Human has experience with these creatures, and as soon as he shows up in our world, they start terrorizing the area where he is staying.”

“We have an explanation for that as well.” Celestia replied. “The Elements of Harmony were recently sealed away, and much of their power restrained. We believe that this has given the Sha the opportunity to expand and grow in strength.”

“So the Sha are weak to the Elements?” Longhorn asked.

“Yes, and those who bore them most recently.”

“Well then just pull the Elements out of wherever they’re contained and use ‘em against these Sha.” Longhorn chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Boom. Problem solved.”

“It is not that simple.” Luna sighed. “The Elements have become one with the tree from which they were first borne, and are holding the rest of the Everfree Forest at bay. To remove them would allow the forest to expand once more, such as it tried to do not long ago.”

“Oh.” Longhorn sat back up, rubbing the back of his head. “Guess I should’ve realized you all would’ve thought of that already, huh.”

“So you’re telling us that these beasts have a single weakness, and that we cannot utilize this weakness against them.” Iron Wing spat. “So what now then? What can we do against an enemy that we cannot kill?”

“Incorrect.” Kyle grinned, reaching back into his pocket and grasping the crystal in his hand.. “They can be killed without using the Elements directly. Gentlem… er, ambassadors, I present to you the remains of the Sha of Deceit.” Kyle withdrew his hand from his pocket and depositing the crystal on the table. “Completely powerless within this crystalline prison.”

Iron Wing and Longhorn leaned forward to inspect the crystal as Kyle left it in the center of the table. Valstrath, on the other hand, kept his distance, eyeing it warily. “Is it safe to be carrying that around, young one?” he asked.

“If you touch it, you can sense the chaotic energies inside, but they can do no harm to you.” Kyle replied. “The remains of the Sha’s energy cannot control anyone from within the crystal.”

“So how did you kill this thing?” Iron Wing asked, looking at Kyle with a straight face for the first time.

“You can defeat the minor Sha with conventional weaponry and tactics.” Kyle explained. “However, be warned that fighting the Sha can be very stressful on the mind. If not careful, one can easily be possessed by a Sha they are fighting. Also, defeating minor Sha does not kill them, per say. It simply transforms them back into dark energy, which will later coalesce again into another Sha. The Prime Sha can likewise be defeated in such a manner, though again the death is not permanent, and it is next to impossible to do so alone.”

“However, as said before, the Sha have one fatal weakness - the Elements of Harmony. The Sha cannot stand to be near their respective element, or its bearer. This Sha that was destroyed was the Sha of Deceit, which stands opposite of the Element of Honesty. When the Sha of Deceit was near the bearer of the Element of Honesty, Applejack, not only was she immune to its mind-controlling powers, but the Sha attempted to flee. It was unable to, and when she touched the Sha, it was destroyed, leaving only this crystal behind.”

For a moment, no one spoke as the new information sank in. Finally, Longhorn turned his head towards Celestia. “So you know how to kill these things, and are able to do so.” he said. “So why ask us for help? The Element bearers are your citizens, not ours.”

“Indeed, but the situation is further complicated.” Celestia sighed. “The Changelings. Based on Mr. Slater's… past involvement with Old Gods and the Sha, and what was seen at the site where the Sha of Deceit was defeated, we have determined that the Changelings are likely serving the Sha. Or, more specifically, the Old God that became the Sha.”

“For this reason, I felt it necessary to inform the other nations of the threat. It may be months or even years before the last of the Sha are finally vanquished. Until then, they and the Changelings are a very real threat not just to Equestria, but all of Equus. The Sha may not work as an army, but the Changelings do. It is my opinion that the great powers of Equus should band together in mutual defense. A Union, so to speak.” she added with a sideways glance towards Kyle.

“Why should Griffonia agree to this?” Iron Wing demanded. “The Sha pose no threat to us. They are here, separated from my people by a thousand miles of ocean.”

“Do you honestly think they won’t find a way to Griffonia?” Kyle asked, barely stopping himself from snarling at the Griffon. “If so, then you are a fool. The Sha are not mindless beasts. They are intelligent, cunning, and masters of manipulation. They and the Changelings will find a way across the ocean. If it means burrowing underneath the seafloor, then that is what they will do.”

“And let us not forget who raises the sun and the moon.” Valstrath added. “Should Celestia and Luna be killed, the plants that our prey feed on would either wither in unending heat or starve from lack of sunlight. And should they become possessed, The Sha will have the powers of the Sun and Moon at their commands. Either situation would mean Equus’ doom, and ours as well.”

The Dragon then turned his gaze towards Celestia. “We dragons rarely involve ourselves in the affairs of the other races, but your words are true. The Sha and Changelings are a threat to all life on Equus. I cannot speak for the Elder Council today, but I will bring your proposal before the Council with my highest recommendations.”

“And I shall do the same with the Grand Chieftain.” Longhorn added.

All eyes shifted towards Iron Wing, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He closed his eyes, his face scrunched up in thought. Finally, he sighed and slumped his shoulders. “I suppose I must at least bring the proposal before the Emperor.” he conceded. “If things truly are as out of claw as you have suggested, then your Union will need the might of the Griffonian Imperial Army to back you up.”

“That is all I ask of you today.” Celestia nodded. “Let your leaders know what is going on. If they have further questions, they are always free to contact me through the usual channels.”

Celestia then turned to look at Kyle, who simply sat there. After a few seconds, the heads of the other diplomats turned towards him as well, and he realized that he had yet to pledge to the Union. “I, ah… well, I’m not entirely sure how King Varian Wrynn will feel about this, and I can’t exactly waltz over to Stormwind and ask him.” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “But I can say for myself that I’m in.”

Silence followed, and Kyle looked over to see Celestia smiling at him. “If that is all, then I suggest we move on to the next subject.” Longhorn grinned, patting Kyle on the back again. Kyle once again found himself face-first against the table from the force of the blow. “I’d like to hear a bit more about this Human. Where exactly did you find him, Celestia?”

Celestia smiled and turned her head towards Kyle as he pulled himself off of the table. When she didn’t speak for a moment, Kyle turned to face her. “Oh. Well uh… Kind of a long story, so… settle in I guess.”
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The room was very large, adorned with many trophies from past conquests. In the center of the circular room was a large bed, easily able to hold four Ponies, atop a raised platform. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a desk was propped up against one of the walls. However, as much enjoyment as she had for her living quarters, none of that interested her right now. Instead, her attention was focused on a pedestal off to the side of the room.

Atop the pedestal sat a green orb of fire, and within the flame was an image of a peculiar creature. A Human, her new allies had called it. Kind of like one of those wretched Minotaur, but with no fur or horns. As she watched, the Human reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal.

The two creatures behind her stiffened visibly, and she could understand why. “So there it is.” She hissed. “My Changeling is right there, you know. All it would take would be one command, and I could - “

“No, Chrysalis.” The Sha to her right interrupted. “You know as well as we do that that will not work. If your Changeling reveals herself to not be a guard in front of both Princesses, she would not get five steps. Her cover would be blown, she would be captured, and every infiltrator you have in Equestria would be in danger. We will recover the fallen piece in time. Deceit was a fool to go behind our backs like that. Something I’d more expect from you, Treachery.”

The other Sha turned to face its counterpart and hissed in amusement. “You slight me.” it rumbled, its voice slightly higher pitched.

“How can you two be so indifferent about this?” Chrysalis demanded, spinning around to face the two Sha. “Deceit is dead! This is a fatal blow to our plans! Now we cannot - “

“A minor setback, at worst.” The first Sha interrupted once more. “Deceit will no longer be able to aid us, true enough. But Deceit’s idea to ransom those fillies for the Element bearers was insanity, and it spoke of nothing else. If anything, Deceit’s interruptions were a hinderance. Deceit must pay the price for its stupidity. Meanwhile, we continue with our own plans. Your Changelings are numerous and powerful, and their power and numbers grow by the hour. Once infused with our energy, the army will be unstoppable.”

“A united Changeling army, maybe.” Chrysalis growled. “But we are hardly united. The Grand Emperor has forbidden the other hives from joining our cause. My hive stands alone. If we go to war alone, we will die alone, even with your powers.”

“You know how to fix that little problem.” Treachery sneered.

“We’ve been over this.” Chrysalis growled. “I disagree with the Grand Emperor, but he has led our people for generations. He was Emperor when I was but an egg. The Emperor is -”

“The Emperor is the one who is holding you back.” Treachery interrupted. “No, not just you, but the entire Changeling race. He is the one who is stopping you from reclaiming this world from the children of the usurpers. Even other hives cry out against him now, but his word is law, and his will adamant. Eliminate the Emperor, and you open the gate for your people to march to glory.”

Chrysalis turned back to the orb of flame. The Human had reached out and taken the shard back, and was now putting it back into his pocket. She felt a pair of claws slide over her shoulders, and could feel Treachery place some of its weight onto her. “The Changelings will hail you as a legend.” it continued. “Your name will be remembered for all eternity. Grand Empress Chrysalis, Liberator of Equus.”

Grand Empress Chrysalis. The title rolled through her mind time and time again. She closed her eyes and allowed her imagination to wander. She stood over the corpses of Shining Armor and Cadence, her revenge finally complete. The Element bearers were imprisoned in the dungeons, fated to be living food for the rest of their short lives. Celestia and Luna, standing by her side, possessed by the Sha standing behind her…

And the roar of her people. A thousand thousand Changelings, cheering her name, praising her deeds. The tiny Changeling larvae running up to her with wide eyes, begging to hear the story of how she sacked Canterlot. And above all, the feeling of fullness. No longer would she hunger for love. Her people would no longer starve. The Ponies of Equestria would be enslaved, and her people would feed forever.

Treachery pulled its claws off of Chrysalis, shaking her from her thoughts. “But of course, none of that will happen while the Emperor still stands against you.” it purred. “So, what shall it be? Take a stand? Or cower for all eternity. The choice is yours… Grand Empress Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis stood still for a moment, her eyes closed once more. Finally, she opened her eyes, and a smile split across her face. “The Changelings will rule Equus once more.” She grinned. “It is our destiny. And if Grand Emperor Toxxys will not seize it… Then I shall.”

The two Sha stepped aside as Chrysalis turned and walked towards the door. Though they were not a part of the Hive, they had become attuned to the mental signals that connected every Changeling in Hive Crisali. They could hear Chrysalis call out to her commanders to prepare the armies for war.

Treachery chuckled softly. “It has begun.” it said quietly. “Soon, all of Equus shall fall.”

“One hive cannot overpower the might of all of the others.” The other Sha replied. “Not alone.”

“But Hive Crisali is not alone.” Treachery replied, turning and walking towards the door. “I shall infuse Chrysalis with my power. We will return with the might of the Changeling armies behind us.” With that, Treachery walked out of the door, closing it as it left.

The lone remaining Sha stared at the door for a moment longer. Slowly, it turned to face the green fireball again. The disguised Changeling’s gaze was once again directed at the Human, who appeared to be yelling at the Griffon. The Sha began to chuckle, softly at first, but then more loudly. “I remember your kind, Human, yes I do.” it said as it finally stopped laughing. “The Townlong Steppes was merely a setback. Soon, I shall avenge my Azerothian counterpart.”

The Sha of Hatred chuckled once more as it turned its back to the green flame. “You. Will. Die.”

Comments

[Sparkfire]

Welp, that solves the Mystery of what the opposite of friendship is. Which now begs the question: Why the hell are they wondering what Magics' opposite is, when they should have thought about what the opposite of what magic represents?

Hatred technically should have been obvious as the opposite of Friendship. This is one of those 'Should have seen it coming' moments

[werty12345]

So I was listening to this while reading this chapter.
GLORIOUS.

[Firestar463]

4613256 Funny little tidbit, My original idea for the story was going to be us following a group of five Alliance soldiers who got zapped to Equestria because their mage mucked up a Time Warp and Portal spell while under stress. I decided to go with a single human because A) easier to keep track of, B) allows for more personalized development, and C) The whole Sha thing felt a lot better when it was just one person versus an entire party.

Chapter 16 in development. Stay tuned. Also might be looking for an editor to help me out if anyone is interested.

[Greatmane]

4612667 If he's 25, he was born in the same year as the Fall of Stormwind. Stormwind trains it's kids at a young age to learn how to fight, so let's say he's at least out and about by 16 (even if we stretch it to 18, he doesn't miss much in the Eastern Kingdoms in those two years, Horde wise). He spent his childhood in Lordaeron if he was a Stormwind native, at the least, so he was witness as a young child to the Orcish Hordes depravities in Lordaeron as they pillaged their way across the countryside.

That means the Horde bullshit he was witness to as an adult:

The Rise of the Forsaken and the beginning of their atrocities against Humanity,
The Warsong/Horde's reinvasion of Ashenvale,
The invasion of Stromgarde's (an Alliance member after Lordaeron's fall) sovereign territories (Arathi Basin),
He'd cross the Dark Portal and get to see how the Orcs screwed their own homeland,
Both the battle at the Wrathgate and the Forsaken's backstabbing, and then some good ol' fashioned Orc stupidity at the Broken Front,
The Horde launching a war of aggression in the wake of the Cataclysm in Ashenvale, Hillsbrad, Gilneas and Tol Barad,
The Horde essentially dropping a Mana-Nuke on Theramore (imagine what a manabomb would do to ponies! Even it's powered down form could wipe out Canterlot, since they all run on magic!),
The invasion of Pandaria (where the Alliance fleet rode in to save the Pandaren, according to Alliance questing).

I won't blame the rest of the Horde for the madness we (the player characters/faction leaders) get to witness beneath Orgrimmar, as, by that point, the Horde player character and the majority of the non-Orcs have turned on Garrosh. And, as you'll notice, there's two races in particular that make the entirety of the Horde into a bunch of warmongering jerkbags who seem to have a boner for murder.

The Horde have literally spent the entirety of WoW screwing over everything they touch, and I'm kind of annoyed it all gets dumped at Garrosh's feet. The Forsaken were allowed to build the plague under Thrall. The Warsong got away with attacking the Sentinels in Ashenvale under Thrall.

The Orcs haven't changed at all since Warcraft 2. They cheered in the streets when Night Elves were skinned alive by the Twilight's Hammer (even though they didn't know it was the Twilight's Hammer). They are a race of alien invaders who, for some reason, managed to get the rest of Azeroth to think they belong a spot on Azeroth.

If I was an Alliance soldier, I'd be pissed the Varian didn't seize the moment and finish the fight once and for all. The Skyfire was in the sky above Orgrimmar, he had the best of the best of all of the Alliance in Orgrimmar, Dark Irons drilling in via Mole Machines... and he walked out.

Anyways, /rant off. Even from Kyle's memories, I wouldn't want anything to do with the Horde.

EDIT: Here's the most up to date Warcraft Timeline, if anyone was curious.

http://wowpedia.org/Timeline_%28Ultimate_Visual_Guide%29

[Firestar463]

4641122 That is pretty much Kyle's opinion of the Horde. Celestia saw his memories and the atrocities the Horde has committed, but likewise she has seen the atrocities the Alliance committed in return (The Purge of Dalaran, the massacre at Camp Taurajo, the use of Orcs in forced gladiatorial combat, etc.). She is reserving judgement until she has seen both sides of the story - hence her curiosity about the Horde, rather than wariness.

Ch 16 almost done. Should be up within a few hours.

[Greatmane]

4647043 The Purge of Dalaran is a sticky issue, but, Jaina was technically justified as the leader of the Kirin Tor at the time. And she did give the Sunreavers the option to just get out of the city without a fight. The real moron there is Aethas... but yes, it was the one morally grey thing the Alliance has done in recent years.

Would Kyle have been in Lordaeron at the time of the camps? The only one that had slave fighting was Blackmoore's camp, and, really, the camps was the lesser of the two evils when one thinks of what to do with the Orcs in the aftermath of the Second War. It was either kill all of them (like Stromgarde, Gilneas and Quel'thalas wanted) or round them up and put them in prison camps. I guess Kyle wouldn't be privy to the background of that, seeing as he doesn't get to hang out in Terenas' head like the reader/player is able to.

Also, I found it hilariously hypocritical when Varian woke up in a Slave Gladiator ring, much like the Orcs like to cry about the Humans doing to them in Durnholde. And Thrall did nothing about it. Of course, WoW's entire storyline would've been different if Thrall left Grommash Hold to do anything at all about anything in the Horde. The Warsong, the Forsaken, The slave fighting...

The current 'remnants' of the nation to put the Orcs in camps are the Forsaken. Which is almost as funny as Quel'thalas being aligned with the Orcs after they wanted to exterminate said Orcs.

How was Taurajo a atrocity on the Alliance's part? They destroyed the (legitimate military target) town, killed anyone who took arms against them, and let all the civilians escape through their lines as they closed the gap on the town. Any soldiers who decided to try to loot were rounded up and sent off to the Stockades or killed by Horde agents. Hawthorne did make a mistake in leaving the gap in their lines directly into Quillboar territory, and I believe he mentions that they didn't even know the Quillboar were there. They just leapt at an opportunity to take out a town filled with enemy warriors (hunters) that could be a thorn in the Alliance's side as they marched on Crossroads.

Then the Cataclysm happened, and it turned into a protracted engagement in the Barrens, rather than a sweep up and link with the forces in Ashenvale.

Think of it this way: Hawthorne decides to leave the hunter town alone (or the Hunters decide that 'hey, a Giant Alliance army in the area means we should not go wandering off!), and the Cataclysm didn't happen. The Alliance would have pushed northwards into the Barrens. Word gets to Camp Taurajo that the Alliance has taken out the Crossroads when the Night Elves launched a raid from the north and the Human/Dwarf army from the south hit the town. The two forces have linked up, and are preparing to invade Durotar.

Garrosh 'asks'(demands) that the Tauren send their best warriors to launch a pincer attack of their own. The Orcs hit the combined army, and, while the battle is raging, the Tauren hit them from the rear. Alliance force is forced to retreat, and the same protracted battle occurs, except the reinforcements are flowing freely from both Mulgore and it's lack of a giant wall and Orgrimmar.

Or, Hawthorne can take out the town while it's weak, forcing the Hunters to stick around and defend the displaced civilians who the Alliance let go. They don't have to worry about a Tauren attack from behind as they head towards Durotar.

Of course, the Cataclysm did happen, so, moot point, I suppose.

Yes, the Alliance has done 'some shit' (the Purge and the Camps being the only really noteworthy things), but it's not nearly on the level of the 'shit' the Horde has pulled over the course of the past thirty years of Azerothian history. I mean, an army of interdimensional alien murderers are the leading race of the Horde, after all!

Maybe I'm just cranky that the Horde doesn't really get called on it's shit, but when the Alliance does something the slightest bit grey, they are the Worst Ever. If you know what I mean? Maybe it just came across as Celestia going down the same line of thinking. 'The Horde did all these awful things, but this one thing the Alliance did, and suddenly they are both just as bad!'

(take a look at the story forums. Jaina is apparently worse than the Lich King.)

/walloftext

[Greatmane]

On another note, where do you think Celestia ranks on the 'Azerothian Power Scale'? Somewhere between Cenarius and a De-powered Aspect?

[Firestar463]

4647239 Considering she moves a celestial body in orbit around the planet? Probably on a par with Cenarius, and perhaps a weakened aspect. Certainly not as powerful as the Sha, though.

[Europa]

I really, really hope Chrysalis gets saved from the Sha. We all saw what they did to Shek'zeer, and that is a terrible way to die, overwhelmed with terror as the monster tells you that they have come to conquer your people and destroy them or I will kill you myself.

Nobody, not even Chrysalis, deserves that fate.

[Smoker]

This story is quite a bit deeper and more well developed than I expected. I'm impressed. Have a like

[Jediking69]

[Marenteius]

I'm disappointed that no one noticed the Death Flag that the Sha of Hatred tripped at the end...

"Townlong Steppes was only a setback."

Hmmmm, where have I heard that before.

"Tempest Keep was merely a setback" ~Kael'thas Sunstrider, 60 seconds before Fel Green Flame to the face.