In Want for a Wand

by Leila Drake

Level 2 - Crusader

"How did I end up here again?", asked Arcus, tearing his eyes from the train window. They were not moving at maximum speed; this was not the express train after all.

"You bought a ticket, remember?", said Jonathan, throwing him a glance. They were sitting in a spacious compartment, Arcus and Twilight next to each other, Jonathan on the opposite bench. The human could not really lean back, he had pulled his legs up and folded into a lotus position like a Pandaren monk.

"You know that's not what I meant", deadpanned the earth pony.

Jonathan smiled wryly. "Don't tell me you are regretting this already. Nobody's forcing you to come with us, you know."

"No, that's not it", assured Arcus, waving his hooves, "I just... it feels kinda unreal."

Twilight sighed. "I know the feeling. You will get used to it after a while."

"You mean after saving the world several times it doesn't feel like a big deal to travel to another world, get some magical wood and gem and create an exceptionally difficult portal to get back? I still don't get how you think you'll be able to pull it off this time. Didn't you say you appeared in a random spot the last time?"

"I did", admitted Twilight, "but I managed to improve the spell since then. We will be able to get back more easily because this time we can combine Arcane and Light Magic to stabilize it. Princess Celestia helped on this side when I went to Azeroth for the first time. Additionally, Priest, I mean Jonathan, knows where we're going. At least one side of the portal is fixed", she added.

"The mirror?", guessed Arcus.

"Exactly. And I am aware that it's a big deal. But it's not the first big deal I am facing. This one will probably be more interesting and fun than, say, defending Equestria from some evil creature." She chuckled.

"That's a weird thing to say", commented Jonathan, eyeing the box that Twilight had brought with them. "I get why you would need a cloak in winter, Twilight, but how can you say it's going to be fun and at the same time all of you are wearing armor? I mean I did warn you but this seems a tad excessive."

Twilight grimaced. "It's just a precaution. Rarity promised that the armor wouldn't be too heavy. I only have a chestpiece and a cloak but you..."

"It's okay", said Arcus, "I already tried it on once."

"So you went for plate, huh?", mused Jonathan, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I figured, if I am coming with you, why not go all out. I am", admitted Arcus, "kind of an armor geek. Plus, the overall design is pretty cool."

•°

The reunion with the other Princesses in the throne room was short but heartfelt. Twilight hugged Celestia, beaming at her mentor, and introduced Arcus who bowed his head deeply. Jonathan also bowed before the Princesses which got him a frown from Luna. So he quickly straightened up again and formally kissed her hoof instead. She smiled contently, appreciating the slightly outdated gesture. Jonathan grinned; he had guessed correctly.

Arcus shifted his weight from one hoof to the other. This was a bit much; he had only seen the Princesses from afar before this. Even on Mara's Cuteciñera he had not dared to approach Princess Luna. The earth pony was not exactly shy but they were royalty after all!

Princess Luna beckoned Jonathan to join her on the balcony. They went through one of the large windows, which stood open to let a breeze in, and stepped to the baluster.

"How are you today?", asked Luna. "'Tis a pleasure to see you once again. Did Twilight help you with preparing the new spell?"

"Yeah." He could feel a lump in his throat. "We are not entirely sure we're gonna end up in the right place. I didn't tell Arcus."

"Maybe 'tis for the better", muttered Luna, watching the sun that hung just above the horizon. "I am not encouraging you to lie but this uncertainty might be a risk you will have to take. Furthermore, there is another thing..."

•°

Meanwhile, Twilight explained her plan to Celestia. The white alicorn listened carefully, nodding occasionally without interrupting her former student.

"I see", she said when Twilight was finished. "I am still holding on to my decision to help you. It is your choice to go to Azeroth and I know you have considered all the possibilities before you made it. So, Arcus Tangens, are you ready for this as well?"

"S-sure hope so. I've never done anything like this. Well, not in a different world. I mean; I've been trekking before. That's why I am so curious about this. A new world, that's gotta be something. And I want to help my friends. My wife is currently out of town anyway", he added, lowering his voice a little as he noticed he was beginning to babble.

"Thank you for doing this", said Twilight and gave him an encouraging smile. That made the corners of his mouth rise a little.

The window opened again and Luna and Jonathan joined them again.

"What about Spike?", asked Celestia. "Is he not coming with you?"

Twilight shook her head. "He is brave but he is still young. Azeroth is not a place for baby dragons. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happed to him there. Besides, he can't come with me all the time - someone has to look after the library and I don't know how long our journey will take." She grimaced uncomfortably. "He didn't take it too well."

Celestia tilted her head. "I propose we prepare the portal tomorrow. Until then", said the alicorn, "you may rest and gather your strength."

•°

Jonathan overslept the next morning. A giddy and overexcited Arcus nudged him repeatedly until he finally managed to open his eyes.

"Hurnbrunh?"

"Get up, biped. You're going home today!"

Jonathan said nothing.

He squeezed his eyes shut one more time and groaned, then sat up quickly. "Right. Thanks. I'm up. Just a second." Why was he always so dizzy in the morning?

"Okay", grinned Arcus and nodded at the door. "I'll be in the laboratory. We've already had breakfast and Twilight cast the translation spell on me. There's some sandwiches left for you. You better get ready quickly, everything's good to go."

•°

It took Jonathan five minutes to get up and another fifteen to find the laboratory. He had not seen this much of the castle last time, basically just the throne room and the guest quarters which were relatively close to each other, considering the size of the entire building. After the time in Ponyville it was definitely a nice change not having to duck every time he went through a door.

A servant pony almost bumped into him on the way down, carrying a tray with biscuits and sandwiches in his magic. Jonathan took a sandwich and hurried on, chewing on the fragment of breakfast he had managed to obtain. After asking some guards for directions, he finally identified the correct door, a heavy wooden portal. He pushed it open with some effort and looked around.

Jonathan was in a hall with a ridiculously high ceiling, its walls almost completely hidden behind countless shelves, posters, knickknacks and clutter. A large statue stood in the middle of the hall, depicting a bearded unicorn wizard. Jonathan assumed that it was supposed to be Starswirl, mainly because the sign on the portal had declared the wing to be "The Library of Starswirl the Bearded".

There was a rustle, then the sound of hoofsteps on stone tiles not too far from him. He followed the noise around a large bookshelf decorated with (he was impressed) a beautiful life-sized portrait of a young Princess Celestia.

Then he saw the portal.

"Whoa."

Twilight, Arcus and Celestia stood around a tall mirror. It was held by a massive brass frame shaped like a long horseshoe. Large gemstones were embedded in the frame. The most impressive thing, though, was the surface of the mirror. It was not what glass was supposed to look like. Instead, it was like a pool of bluish water with strange arcane currents whirling below the surface. He stepped closer, still panting a little from his dash across the castle.

"'Whoa' indeed", chuckled Princess Celestia.

"I don't remember it to be this, uh, magical", admitted Jonathan, scratching his neck as he became aware of the word's cheesiness.

Twilight turned around and beamed at him.

"You're here!" She raised her eyebrows. "You're late", she added, her tone more sober. She was wearing her cloak, now with her chestpiece on that looked similar to Celestia's. It was made of silver and had a pink star-shaped gemstone embedded in it. Jonathan had already seen it before - he had taught Twilight how to enchant it.

Arcus coughed, shifting around in his new armor. It was made of steel and cloth, sturdy yet flexible for fighting. The cut was simple, with less ornaments than the royal guard's armor, the colors matching the dark blue and purple streaks that could be found in Twilight's mane - and the flag of the Forsaken. This was not a coincidence; Jonathan had insisted on that detail of the design.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I overslept...", admitted Jonathan, his left hand absent-mindedly trying to straighten his messy white hair while his eyes were still on the mirror. "Those are not for prettifying the thing, are they?", he asked, pointing at the gems in the frame.

"No", said Twilight. "They are for stabilizing the portal."

"Ah, I see. Amethysts. Cleansing abilities."

Twilight nodded. "Exactly. Anyway, we're good to go."

"Everything is ready", added Celestia. "I have already prepared the portal. The only thing you need to do is to complete the spell by specifying the destination."

Jonathan nodded. "What about our stuff?", he asked.

Arcus pointed at three bags that lied nearby. Two of them were saddlebags. Jonathan recognized the dark blue pair as Twilight's. They had been a gift from Tak for the journey to Dalaran. Arcus was currently putting on the second pair, securing the strap under his barrel. So Jonathan grabbed the third bag, a backpack. He put it on and gave a thumbs up.

Celestia looked slightly confused by the gesture and Arcus just blinked while Twilight nodded her affirmation. They were all set and good to go.

"All right, let's do this", said Arcus.

Twilight squinted her eyes and lit her horn. The magic sparked, illuminating the mirror and then everyone in front of it. Twilight reared and stood on her hindlegs, her wings spread out. She beckoned Jonathan closer, focusing on the portal. Jonathan quickly touched her shoulder and focused as well. He reached for his center, the part of him that was untouchable by anything from outside, and called for the Light.

The response came immediately.

Warmth spread in the area of his chest, quickly expanding into his limbs. He pictured the image of Undercity in his head, its corridors, the forest around it, and the inhabitants. He tried to remember as many details as possible, connecting them with emotion and power, and let the images flow to Twilight. She used her magic to channel them into the portal's spell, wove them together to make the enchantment complete. The portal glowed in Twilight's purple, arcane light, a golden tint of Celestia's magic still shining through. It was now humming in a low tone not unlike the noise of a Goblin powerline.

Arcus, his eyes wide, watched in awe as Jonathan and Twilight perfected the spell, and said nothing. Celestia stepped a little closer but let her former student handle this on her own. It was clear that Twilight knew exactly what she was doing.

The portal glowed brighter, then the light and the hum faded away apruptly. Twilight stood on all of her legs again, panting a little. A sweatdrop was on her brow. She wiped it away and smiled. Jonathan grinned, exhilerated. He felt relaxed and happy, an aftereffect of channelling the Light.

"We did it."

"I can't wait to see what Tirisfal is like", said Twilight, squeeing despite her temporary exhaustion.

"Neither can I", confirmed Arcus.

"Thank you for your help and advice", said Twilight, hugging her mentor.

"Have a safe journey", said Celestia. "My heart will be with you all the way." Her voice was as gentle and firm as ever but Arcus noticed the corners of her mouth going down for a second. Then they broke the hug and Celestia bowed her head before Jonathan and Arcus, giving them her blessing with a simple, "Good luck."

"Thank you." Jonathan bowed deeply once again. Arcus Tangens did the same. Twilight simply nodded, took a deep breath, and turned to her friends.

"Let's go."

Together, they stepped into the mirror.

•°

Travelling through a magical portal is not the same as walking trough a door. It is more like falling down a waterfall that changes speed every few seconds, glows in every color of the rainbow and actually flows upwards. At least this is how Jonathan would have described it if anybody had asked him. No description came close to the real experience anyway. Strange patterns and shapes rushed by, unearthly sounds filled the air... or whatever substance they were travelling through.

As confusing and overwhelming the ride was, after a few moments it was already over. The star tunnel ended apruptly, unceremoniously spitting the three adventurers out a few steps above the ground.

Jonathan tumbled down the small hill they had arrived on until a tree root painfully stopped his movement. He closed his eyes and groaned, "Ow..." He was lying on relatively soft ground, thank the Light. Stretching out his hand, he felt for it. Grass. Grass was good.

As he opened his eyes again, still quite disoriented, he noticed the fog. Fog was even better. The sky was not blue; instead, a grey haze covered it, tinted in a sickly green light.

Jonathan smiled. It seemed they had arrived in the right place after all. He staggered to his feet, brushing patches of dry dirt off his cloak. It didn't matter much, the dark trees made it hard to see.

"Guys? You up there?", he shouted in general direction of the small hill.

There was a muffled thud and a groan.

"Guys?" He hurried over to the source of the noise.

Twilight was already back on her feet, shaking her head. "I'm never going to get used to this. It's so different from Blinking", she stated with a shaky voice. "Arcus, are you all right?"

The earth pony answered by noisily presenting what he had eaten for breakfast. Twilight squeaked and jerked her hoof away. Arcus turned his head, mumbling an apology over his shoulder. He drew a bottle of water out of his saddlebags and gulped some of it down pretty fast.

"Um", forced Twilight out, unable to find a good response to Arcus's throwing up. She shook her head. "Arcus?"

Arcus put the bottle away and cleared his throat. "I'll be fine. Wait, something's not right. Where's the sun?"

Jonathan silently stretched out his finger and pointed at a pale white circle above the trees.

"Oh."

"I'm just glad we've got good weather today", said Jonathan, putting his hands on his hips as he observed their surroundings.

"This is good weather?", asked Arcus incredulously.

"Yeah, kindy sunny for the Glades of Tirisfal actually", confirmed Jonathan and smiled a little.

Twilight got the hint and smiled as well. "So we did arrive at the right place?"

"Yep", said the human. "At least it's close enough. I can't see the city but this is definitely the right forest. See those hills over there?"

Twilight and Arcus nodded.

"We're north of the mountains that divide Tirisfal from Silverpine Forest. We only need to go east, then it won't be far until we find Undercity."

"So it's normal that this place is so gloomy?", asked Arcus again.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Seriously, what did you expect? This is a land tainted by the Undead Scourge. Besides, it's not half bad. Take a closer look." He gestured towards a random tree.

Arcus took the liberty to inspect the tree bark. "Huh. It's healing..."

"Exactly." Jonathan frowned. "It seems that the apothecaries are performing less experiments nowadays..." He touched the bark, peeling a bit of moss off. "Thank the Light, it was about time."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Experiments?"

"Uh, about that... you see, when the Forsaken got their free will back, the apothecaries started to do research in order to fight the Scourge in their own way."

"You mean with tricks?"

"No, biological warfare. They created a new plague that worked on the Undead as well as the living. It wasn't pretty."

Twilight gulped, then shook her head vigorously. "That's disgusting!"

Jonathan's frown deepened. "I know. But don't say that too loudly when we are in Undercity. The Royal Apothecaries are favored by the Queen."

Twilight's jaw dropped at that. "You have a queen? You never mentioned her!"

He scoffed. "There's not much that I mentioned really. Yes, we do have a Queen. Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen. She's been leading us since we got free from the Scourge. We reclaimed Undercity under her rule. She's actually pretty awesome and terrifying at the sime time. And an insanely good archer. Come on, let's get going or we won't make it before sundown."

They started walking in an eastern direction which led them downhill. It was getting steeper with every moment so they had to watch their steps. Twilight occasionally used her wings to glide a few yards but Arcus and Jonathan just tried their best not to slip.

"You're talking", panted Arcus, "as if you're still one of them."

"Excuse me?", responded Jonathan testily.

"Sorry", muttered Arcus quickly, "I just thought..."

"I healed, yes, but I'm still a Forsaken. Everyone I know is Forsaken. So of course I still think of myself as one of them. Yeesh."

Twilight smiled appeasingly. "Come on, Jonathan, he didn't mean it like that. But I think I understand. When I became a Princess I was worried I wouldn't be the same pony anymore. But my friends still treat me the same. To be perfectly honest, I had a good talk with them about that, during the incident with the plunderseed vines. I am still Twilight Sparkle but now I'm a Princess, too. The two things don't exclude each other."

Jonathan smiled. "Sorry, Arc. Guess you touched a nerve there. Twilight nailed it, though. I came back to life but that doesn't erase the fact that I died and all the other things that happened after that." He sighed. Then he touched level ground. They were at the foot of the hill.

"It's okay", said Arcus, glad that the climb was over. They had arrived on a small beach; they could not see an opposite shore across the water.

"I just hope my 'friends' think the same", muttered the human.

"Don't worry", said Twilight, "I'm sure they'll understand." She had not noticed his hesitation before the word 'friends'. She lowered her voice when she saw what was on the beach. "What are these? I've never seen anything like it."

Jonathan's shoulders sagged forward. "Oh no."

"What?", asked Arcus. "Those green and yellow fish-frog creatures?"

"Murlocs", groaned Jonathan. "Not good. Quick, let's get off the beach before..."

"Arghlurglwrmurglll!" An angry gargling shout came from one of the Murlocs. It pointed its frog-like arm at the intruders, waving the crude spear it held in its other three-fingered hand. Long, thin red fins sat on the top of its head, going down its back like a wild mane. Twilight wondered whether their big round eyes - which sat on the sides of their heads, not the front - always had this intense stare.

"Great. They saw us, too", observed Jonathan.

"You sure?", deadpanned Arcus, getting a scolding glance from Twilight.

The Murloc seemed really aggravated. It waved its companions closer - maybe about a dozen of fish-people, all of them with long colorful fins on their huge heads and armed in some way or another - and they started waddling towards the ponies and the human.

"I suggest we run!", shouted Jonathan, dashing towards the tree line.

They had to hurry; the first Murloc had already cut the distance between them into half.

Half-running, half-scrambling when they reached the grassy edge of the beach, they managed to reach the forest in time before the Murlocs caught up with them. The friends used their head start to hide behind the trees. The creatures followed them for a moment but when they were sure they had scared off the Not-Murlocs, they retreated to their crude straw-covered huts.

Panting and wheezing, the ponies sank down to the ground.

"Dear - Celestia!", shuddered Twilight.

"That was - close", said Jonathan, giggling a bit. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, his skull, arms and legs, everywhere. Sweat was running down his neck despite the cold. "Whew." He spat on the ground.

"Murlocs", said Arcus, tasting the word.

"Murlocs", agreed Jonathan. "Nasty little fellas. Wouldn't want to meet them when they're in a bad mood."

Arcus closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Don't tell me it's the same as with your sunny days."

•°

They made their way through the misty forest without saying much. Jonathan led the way, Twilight in tow with Arcus coming last. It was getting darker every minute. Twilight decided to light her horn, catching up with Jonathan.

"Are we still going to make it before sundown?", she asked.

"Hm, think so", said the human, squinting his eyes. "If I'm right, we should see the tunnel pretty soon."

She nodded, satisfied, and looked behind her. Arcus was keeping up without any trouble. He smiled at them encouragingly.

Twilight sighed. Jonathan was so quiet that she felt reminded of her time in Dalaran. Maybe this forest had stirred some memories. She remembered the story he had told on Nightmare Night, about the woman whose brother had killed her against his will. How much of it had been fiction?

•°

Half an hour later, they arrived at the ruin of an old stone tower. It stood on a small hill in front of the actual mountains that peeked through the treetops. It looked desolate and neglected despite the light that shone through the entrance.

"Is this the way in?", asked Arcus, raising his eyebrow.

"Definitely not", emphasized Jonathan. "Actually, it's best if nobody see us. The entrance is behind this outpost."

"Oh, okay", said Arcus and grimaced.

The two ponies and the human made a wide arc around the tower, always keeping it in sight but trying to stay hidden. They had almost reached the other side of the clearing when a shout made them flinch.

"Oi! Wait!"

Jonathan cursed under his breath and slowly turned around.

A human woman approached them. She wore plate armor, covered by a white tabard which was adorned with a red flame. She did not wear a helmet - her long brown hair was in a dissheveled bun. Jonathan noticed that she appeared to be unarmed.

"Watch out", he muttered to the ponies, "she's probably a priest or paladin. The Scarlet Crusade kill Forsaken on sight. I wonder why -"

He quickly shut his mouth when she jogged closer and stopped in front of Twilight and Arcus. The two didn't like that, though, and stepped aside to get a better look at the female. She seemed to be about fourty years old if the small wrinkles around her eyes were any indication. Arcus frowned. If she was hostile, why the smile?

"Finally", she said, panting a little. "You're late!"

"What?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow, completely confused. "Late for what?"

Her smile fell. "You didn't bring any supplies."

He gave a tight-lipped smile and shook his head, shrugging apologetically.

She stepped back, looking at the ponies, and a frown darkened her face. "A pet trainer?"

"Uh, no, not exactly", he said, scolding himself in his mind. Why hadn't he thought of a believable background story beforehand?

"We - er, I'm just passing by", he said, feeling like an idiot.

She sighed. "I should have known. Well, if you want to, you can take a break and spend the night here. On the way to Gilneas, I presume?"

"Yeah", he lied, nodding with a serious expression. "Thank you." He winked at Twilight and Arcus when the woman turned her back and walked towards the lone tower. The two ponies shrugged and followed them.

"So what's your name?", she asked when Jonathan caught up with her.

"Baker, Jonathan Baker." There was no real use in lying about that, he decided.

"Welcome to the Scarlet Outpost", she said, her voice not without sarcasm. "I'm Amanda Jenkins." To Jonathan's surprise, she did not mention any rank or title.

They stepped inside the tower. There was only one room. The ceiling had partially fallen in. The only dry spot was below the massive stone staircase that used to lead to the top of the tower. A few blankets and some boxes were there. Everything else was covered by vines and moss. The light came from a small campfire that Amanda had lit right before the boxes.

"What happened here?", he asked.

"What do you think?" She sounded tired. Without much ado, she led the three guests to her little camp and invited them to sit on the blankets.

After putting his backpack on the ground, Jonathan sat down on one of them, crossing his legs the same way he had on the train. Twilight sat down next to him, still saying nothing. Arcus preferred to stand next to the fire and watch the two humans.

Amanda rummaged in her heap of stuff, then she produced a kettle. "I'll be back in a moment", she said. She went outside - or rather more outside - to get water.

"Jonathan, I don't think we should stay here", whispered Twilight. "Can't we just leave and go to the city?" She made a sour face, obviously worried.

Arcus nodded. "We should definitely get out of here while we can. Celestia knows what she's doing. Probably getting reinforcements."

The human sighed. "It would have been more suspiscious if I had declined. But this place looks like she really is alone. Although...", he hesitated. "As soon as she's asleep, we get out of here. Okay?"

The two ponies nodded.

"What I don't understand is why she invited you in the first place", muttered Arcus.

"Probably my good looks", quipped Jonathan, then got serious again. "I'm not dead, so she might think we are just pilgrims coming from the Monastery in the Northeast. Which is pretty unlikely if you ask me. She seems a bit... you know..." He pointed at his forehead, circling his finger.

Arcus snorted.

"Hush, she's coming back", whispered Twilight.

Amanda smiled at them, mainly at Jonathan, and put the kettle on the fire.

Jonathan cleared his throat. "To repeat my previous question..."

The woman sighed. "I've been alone for nearly two years now..."

That certainly got his attention. She poked the fire with a stick to keep it going.

"The Captain was the last one to die. Killed in an ambush." Amanda fell silent.

Twilight looked at Jonathan, another question in her eyes. He leaned forward, closer to the fire.

"An ambush?", he repeated. The corners of her mouth went down, contempt distorting her pretty features.

"Two of them, at night, one stabbed him from behind. We had no chance. I was on watch on top of the tower so I hid until they were gone. I was no match to them and I knew it." She lowered her head. "I've been waiting for news ever since. They used to bring supplies every three months. Nothing though."

Jonathan huffed with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

She smiled a sad smile. "Not your fault."

He bit back an answer and waited.

Amanda spat on the ground, her voice harsh. "It's them. It's always them. There won't be any peace until the last light-damned Scourge filth is dead for good. If I could..." She sniffed, then let out a small cough. "If I could, I'd burn the whole city to the ground. But I gotta stay on my post. Besides, I'm just one woman. What can I do anyway."

Jonathan clenched his fist in his pocket. He could feel the heat rising to his ears. This was not good. He felt offended. A lot. Scourge? The Forsaken were not mindless zombies! As if they didn't hate the Lich King as much as the living did! Not that he liked that his kin had killed Amanda's Captain... But if she noticed his reaction...

He twitched when Twilight's hoof touched his side.

"These are really cute", said Amanda warmly.

Jonathan relaxed a tiny bit. "Yes. Yes, they are."

He could see the hidden smile in Twilight's eyes. Arcus, who stood behind Amanda, stuck out his tongue at Jonathan.

"Now it's your turn", said Amanda, pouring hot tea into a dented tin cup. She gave it to Jonathan who took it without hesitation. He had watched her brew it after all. Silver leaf was a harmless tea ingredient.

He used the teacup to buy some time as he tried to take a sip. Nope, still too hot to drink. Jonathan lowered the cup and grimaced. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't afford to give away any valuable information about the Forsaken or the Horde, let alone his company. Not to mention that he was still upset about her rant.

Twilight secretly winked at him.

Of course!

"I'm coming from Dalaran", he said, trying to sound casual. "Been studying there. Now it's time to move on and do something else."

Her eyes lit up. "Dalaran? The real deal in Northrend? I only saw the crater once."

"You mean where it used to be, in Hillsbrad?"

"Yes, exactly. It's kind of creepy with that purple glow. Leftovers of the forcefield, I guess."

Arcus, who was now sitting on the ground, grinned at Twilight.

"What did you study?"

"Er, this and that. Mostly enchantments", said Jonathan. "See, I'm going to get a new wand. There's some really good wood around here."

Amanda nodded, eager to hear more from outside her small corner of misery.

Jonathan leaned back. "There's not really much more to it."

"Where are you from?", asked Amanda. "Southshore? The accent sounds familiar."

"Nope", he shook his head. "Halfway to Ambermill actually. I moved away when the plague hit."

"Oh gods." All her enthusiasm evaporated at that. Jonathan could almost see the gears in her head turning. Maybe she thought he had fled from the Scourge, leaving his family behind - or worse. She was probably awfully close to what had actually happened.

He sighed. "Yeaaah."

Awkward silence stretched out. Jonathan took a sip from his tea.

"Look, I'm sorry -", said Amanda but Jonathan shook his head.

"Nevermind. I'm going to sleep if you don't mind, it's been a long walk."

"Sure." She stood up, immediately all businesslike. "Rest, gain some strength."

"And so forth", muttered Jonathan. He laid down on the blanket, pretending to get comfortable to sleep, and closed his eyes.

"Well, good night", he said.

Twilight closed her eyes as well, still close to Jonathan. It was getting rather cold, the frost seeping in despite the fire.

"Sleep well, Mr Baker", said Amanda and prepared her own sleeping spot.

•°

After an hour or so somepony nudged Jonathan with their hoof. He opened his eyes immediately, still awake and alert. It was Arcus.

"It worked", whispered the stallion, smirking. "She's asleep. Let's go, Priest."

They quickly gathered their belongings, Jonathan scribbled a short note and left it next to the snoring Crusader (How careless she was!) along with a loaf of bread from Twilight's saddlebags. Twilight raised her eyebrows, slightly confused, but dismissed it as a Thank you gift.

The human and his two friends tiptoed out of the tower, then, as soon as they were on soft grass, they ran uphill towards the hidden tunnel.

Author's Note:

Everytime I write about the portal I think of the stargate sound.

Comments

[Silentwoodfire]

did Twilight ever cancel that smell spell on him?

[Leila Drake]

8649665
The spell faded away along with the smell when Jonathan was healed. I didn't expressly mention that, though.