Chapter 20
The sun was just beginning its long journey through the sky as Kyle awoke. A bit later than usual, but not unusually so. On any normal day, Kyle would head for the outhouse, and then make his way to the kitchens for a coffee before settling down in his office to do his work for the day.
But today was far from a normal day.
Oh certainly, he made his morning trip to the latrine, and he followed this up with a quick wash. He retrieved his daily coffee - perhaps a bit stronger than usual, but nothing too out of the ordinary. But his office remained empty. Today was not a day for office work. For this was the day he had been both anticipating and dreading for weeks.
The day of the Grand Galloping Gala.
So instead of settling in at his desk, Kyle instead retreated back into his room. He sat down on his bed and sipped at his coffee, reflecting on the events of the past week. It had been a mere four days since he and Scootaloo had discovered the Horde Stronghold in the Macintosh Mountains. Kyle had made sure to inform both King Varian and Princess Celestia of the situation, in the hopes that they would be able to offer advice. Perhaps some way of ousting the Horde
But alas, has hopes were in vain. King Varian, though obviously angry at the development, admitted there was little that he could offer in the way of help. All available reinforcements were spread between three worlds, and with the war in Draenor escalating as the Alliance prepared for an assault on the Blackrock Foundry, there were simply no soldiers left to counter the Horde in Equus. Besides which, as the King had reminded him, this was Celestia’s problem, not his.
Princess Celestia, too, offered little in the way of aid. Equestria had no standing army to speak of outside of the Royal Guard - hardly large enough to take on a fortress like that. And even if there was an army, they would be unable to reach the Horde. Though they bordered Equestria, the Macintosh Mountains were technically the territory of the Minotaur Tribes. And even then, the Minotaurs allowed the Mountains to be ruled almost exclusively by the Dragons. Any force large enough to take on the stronghold that was caught moving into the mountains would be seen as an act of aggression, and would risk conflict or even open war with their southern neighbors - a risk neither Celestia nor Kyle were willing to take.
And so Kyle could do nothing but wait. He forced himself not to worry too much about the Horde. They were far to the south, days away from Ponyville and Ironwall by foot. The march across the Badlands alone would take nearly two full days. Plenty of time for the Alliance to notice and rally a defense, should the need arise. Combined with the air superiority that Equestria boasted with the Pegasi (Along with a potential flank attack by the Changelings, should Kyle request their aid), and any invasion from the Horde Stronghold would be hard-pressed to last.
At least, that’s what he told himself in order to sleep at night.
Kyle took one final sip of coffee and drained the mug. For a long moment, he simply sat there on his bed, rolling the last few drops around in the bottom of the mug. He closed his eyes and whistled a short tune. He glanced out the window and observed a pair of robins flying past. Anything to take his mind off of not only the Horde, but the Gala that evening.
Finally, he glanced at the clock. 8:10. He sighed and sat his coffee mug to the side. Enough delaying. If he was going to go, he needed to get ready. And so he pushed himself off of his bed and to his feet. He made his way over to his wardrobe and opened it, pulling out a hangar with a large plastic bag draped over it, as well as two flat cardboard boxes. He pulled the plastic off of the hangar and revealed the outfit beneath it.
It was a plain black suit - simple, yet perfectly suitable for a formal event. Kyle ran a finger over the pants and found the material to be very soft and somewhat familiar - perhaps Rarity had used the same Imperial Silk for the pants that she had used for Twilight’s dress? Kyle shrugged and laid the suit jacket and pants aside, turning has attention to the cardboard boxes.
The first contained a pair of black socks and dancing shoes, along with a belt. Kyle sighed. Yes, the dance. He’d have to pray that he remembered how to do dance before he went and made a fool of himself. He set the footwear aside and opened the second box. Inside lay a long-sleeved dress shirt, colored royal blue - no doubt color-coordinated with Twilight’s dress, considering Rarity designed both of their outfits. Underneath the shirt lay a darker, midnight blue tie with pale-blue star patterns running down its length.
Well, no use just looking at it all. Time to get ready.
Kyle tossed off his pants and quickly donned the black dress pants rarity had provided, along with the socks. The shirt soon followed, which was tucked into the pants, and the belt was attached. He put on his socks, stepped into his shoes and walked around his room in them for a moment. To his relief, they seemed comfortable enough - at least he wasn’t going to have sore feet in the morning from shoes that were too tight.
His suit jacket remained on his bed as he pulled the tie out. This would be the hard part - he hadn’t tied a tie in the longest time. Not since before the Cataclysm at the very latest. Even so, he managed to get it tied after much struggling, and he pulled it up to his neck.
A knock at his door interrupted him as he reached for the jacket. “Enter,” he called out.
The door swung open, revealing a blonde-haired Human standing in the doorway, dressed in a flowing blue robe that identified her as a mage. She took a step inside and looked over at Kyle. “Commander,” she greeted. “I’m assuming that tonight is the Grand Galloping Gala?”
Kyle nodded. “Yes. And I’m in the middle of getting ready, so -”
“Of course. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the mage nodded. She reached behind her back and produced an envelope. “This just arrived for you, sir,” she continued, placing the letter on the table next to the door. She looked back up at Kyle and frowned slightly. “My apologies, but your tie is… well, to put it bluntly, it’s a disaster.”
Kyle groaned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve tied a tie, alright?” he sighed. “I’m doing my best here.”
“Well here, let me fix it.” The mage took a few more steps into the room and reached for Kyle’s tie. It was quickly undone, and she flattened it out before wrapping it around Kyle’s neck again.
Kyle sighed once more. “Thanks,” he said. “Sorry I snapped. It’s been a rough week.”
“Not a problem sir.”
“What is your name?”
The mage looked up. “Eva, sir. Eva Vel’Omnis. Frost Mage.”
Kyle nodded. “A strong name,” he said to no one in particular. He tilted his head upwards as Eva began to tie the tie. “Where are you from, Eva?”
“My family is in Stormwind, sir. But I hail originally from Lordaeron. Before the third war.”
Kyle nodded. The implications behind her homeland were clear enough, as Kyle had experienced the fall of Lordaeron firsthand. It was still a painful memory for him.
Eva backed up and looked him up and down. “Much better,” She nodded. “Good luck tonight. And don’t forget the letter that I left.”
“Thank you, Eva,” Kyle replied as she turned and exited the room. He turned his attention back to the envelope that Eva had left behind and reached for it. He tore the top open and pulled out the contents, smiling as he saw what it was. It was a small card from Scootaloo, wishing him luck tonight. He chuckled as he set the card aside. True, it was just a small thing, but it was enough. His heart felt just a little bit lighter as he returned to his bed and put on his suit jacket.
Once he was satisfied that his jacket was on properly, he moved over to the mirror that hung on the far side of his room. The man that looked back at him certainly didn’t look like a soldier, a commander of a military town. He looked almost exactly like one of the Stormwind nobles, except without the top hat and cane. And his hair, which was still unruly. He reached for the comb and did his best to flatten it out, with some success.
A second knock on his door drew his attention. He turned his head towards the door. “Enter,” he called out for the second time that day.
The door swung open again, and Filwin stepped into the room. “Good morning, Comman-” She began, but was silenced as she looked over at him. “Well, you certainly look different,” she commented as she looked him up and down. “It’s a nice change. You should dress up more often. It suits you.”
Kyle shrugged. “Everyone looks better if you drape five hundred gold worth of cloth over them,” he replied. “It’s not worth the cost and effort if there’s not something important going on.”
“If you say so, sir.” Filwin glanced down at the clipboard that she had in her hands. “So, yesterday you took care of what we had on our schedule for today…” she murmured. “And tomorrow you’re taking a day off, since you likely won’t be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest… So I think we’re covered there.” She looked back up at him. “Ready for your 9:00 train?”
Kyle looked over at the clock. 8:25. “Yeah, I think I am.” He and Twilight had met two days before to discuss their plans for today. As a princess, Twilight needed to be in Canterlot a few hours before the Gala to help finish setting up. Kyle would be accompanying her up there. They’d go to the Gala, spend the evening in the castle, and return to Ponyville the following morning.
Filwin nodded and stepped to the side. “Well then, I’d suggest you get going, sir,” she said. “Your train leaves in half an hour, and you certainly don’t want to miss it.”
“Right. Then I guess I’m out of here.” Kyle moved towards the door and closed it as Filwin followed him out. “You’re in charge again until I get back. If anyone notices the Horde, Zinju, anything weird going on, you send a letter to me immediately. Got it?”
Filwin saluted. “Got it, boss.” Kyle watched as she walked down the corridor away from his room, and a moment later heard the door close as she exited the town hall. He stepped back into his room to collect one final thing - a small pouch of bits, which he deposited into his pocket before exiting the room again. He made his way down the corridor as well and exited the town hall, taking the path out of the main gates of Ironwall and down to Ponyville
It wasn’t long before he was wandering through the streets of Ponyville. Heads turned towards him as he walked down the roads towards the train station. Kyle wasn’t known for wearing the finest clothes, as some Humans were known to do. So to see him in a suit was an oddity for any who were familiar with him - that is to say, most of the town.
He made his way to the train station and presented his ticket to the mare behind the ticket window. She gestured him forward onto the platform, where a shining steam engine was waiting with a dozen cars behind it. This wasn’t the usual train that came through Ponyville, but was instead an express to shuttle guests to the Gala faster. Not that there would be many getting on the train at this time. Kyle expected it to be just him and Twilight on the ride up
The train was indeed empty, or at least the front car was. Twilight was already waiting for him as he entered the train. He noted that she had not yet changed into her dress. She waved him over, and he sat down next to her. “I was wondering if you were going to be late,” she said as he settled into his seat.
The train whistle blew as she finished speaking, and the train lurched forward into motion as it pulled out of the station. “Nope. Right on time,” he chuckled. He glanced over at Twilight. “I’m guessing you’re getting ready up in Canterlot?” he asked.
“Yes. Rarity had my dress shipped up to the palace earlier this week.”
For a long while, the two fell into silence. The scenery outside the window opposite them slowly changed, from an increasingly distant view of Ponyville to vast fields and farms, and soon enough into forests. The train was certainly moving faster than the usual train - Kyle predicted that it wouldn’t be more than two hours before they arrived in Canterlot.
Kyle glanced over and just barely caught Twilight turning her head away. The two continued to avoid eye contact as the train ride continued, and the air around them became increasingly tense. Kyle silently willed the train to go even faster, if for no other reason than to end the awkward silence.
Finally, after nearly half an hour, he could stand it no longer. “Nervous?” he asked.
“Hm?” Twilight turned her head and met Kyle’s eyes for the first time since they had left the station. “I, uh… A bit,” she admitted. “You?”
“Same.”
Silence fell again. Thankfully, this one was shorter. “So… all the princesses are… bringing someone, or somepony, to this?” he asked. Twilight nodded. “So I’m assuming Princess Cadence and your brother are going together. Do you have any idea who Princess Celestia or Princess Luna are going to dance with?”
Twilight paused for a moment before shaking her head. “No, not really,” she admitted. A small smile crossed her lips. “I guess it’ll be fun to see when the time comes.”
“That it will,” Kyle agreed. “Do you know anyone else who’s going to be there?”
“Well, there are a few Ponies who show up every year.” Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof. “There’s Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestia’s 'nephew' of sorts. He’s a direct descendant of Princess Platinum, one of the founders of Equestria… Let’s see… Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, two of the most prominent Ponies in Canterlot’s high society. The Wonderbolts are almost always there. And I believe there are going to be a number of people from Azeroth there tonight as well.” Twilight’s smile grew slightly wider. “I’ve even heard that King Varian may be attending.”
Kyle nodded slowly. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised by that,” he said. An image came into his mind of King Varian in a suit, and he couldn’t help but smile a bit. “It’ll be odd to see the King without his armor on,” he continued.
“Well it’s a bit odd to see you dressed up, too.” Twilight retorted. Kyle looked over at her. “You look nice, by the way,” she added as her cheeks took on a slightly redder hue. “You should consider dressing up like this more often.”
“So I’ve been told.” Kyle leaned back in his seat and settled in a little more. “I’ll make a note of it.”
The rest of their trip passed in silence. Twilight curled up in her seat and closed her eyes, and soon she drifted off into a nap. Kyle listened as her breathing slowed, and he closed his eyes as well. However, a nap was not on his mind. Instead, he turned his mind inward and began to mentally prepare for the day and evening ahead.
He’d be lying if he said he wasn't worried. He’d been nervous about the Gala even before the events of this week. He had some experience dancing, but it had been a while, and he’d never tried to do so with a Pony. How they’d manage, he had no idea, but he was certain that it would be a bit awkward.
And now, he had the Horde to worry about. Oh sure, they were way far away, outside of Equestria’s borders. But the Grand Galloping Gala was said to be one of the biggest events of the year in Equestria. Important Ponies and other members of the Alliance were all congregating into one spot. And no one in the Alliance would ever forget the last time that had happened. How many lives were lost in Theramore when that bomb went off…
Even through his closed eyelids, Kyle’s vision flashed red for an instant. Even the memory of Theramore filled Kyle with such rage… And now those monsters were here in Equestria. Even if they were supposed to have a non-aggression treaty, Kyle knew better. Experience had taught him to know better than to trust any so-called treaty signed by the Horde. Hell, they were fighting on some piddly little island in Draenor when they were supposed to be working with the Alliance to stop the Iron Horde. There was no reason for the Horde to cooperate here, not unless a lone Troll working for the Burning Legion was considered a reason.
Kyle noticed a sharp pain is his palms, bringing him reeling back from his thoughts. He found his fists clenched tightly, and his nails had begun to dig sharply into his palms. He quickly unclenched his fists, but the marks still remained. He sighed and closed his eyes again. He’d let his anger get the best of him. Something he knew better than to allow to happen. But the rage had come on so suddenly... He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Relax,” he murmured to himself. “King Varian knows about the Horde being here. The Princesses know. They’re going to have security all over Canterlot. The Horde won’t be able to get close to the gala. We’re not going to have another Theramore here.”
Kyle fell silent and turned his mind inward. His mind was roiling with emotions - nervousness, fear, the echoes of the rage he had just dispelled. It would do no good to do his usual meditation. He had to find peace within himself first. And so he was comfortable simply soothing himself for a while.
It was only when the train began to slow that he opened one eye. The sight outside the window was a sheer cliff face, but it almost instantly vanished. In its place lay the outskirts of Canterlot, and off in the distance, the station. Kyle glanced up at the clock. Nearly 11. Just as he had predicted. He nudged Twilight to wake her, and the pair waited as the train slowly approached the station. Before long, they stopped with a small jolt. The pair made their way off of the train and out of the station into the city. Kyle took a deep breath and steeled himself.
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Ooooo, events are coming to a head!
yay Gala time. What will happen this year at the Gala? Place your bets.
Kyle's anti-Horde prejudice is really showing, well done on that.
I personally am getting sick and tired of the anti-Horde Blah blah blah Horde worst thing ever blah. Sure Kyle has reason to not like the Horde but the anti-Horde spiel seems more like the author's own dislike of the Horde bleeding in. Frankly it feels like actual racism bleeding in, not just a "I don't like this faction because of what I think they've done."
"He’s by far the exception, not the rule."
Yes, because every single member of the Horde is a war loving, Alliance hating maniac who's first reaction is always to attack, right?
Now don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the story and it'd predecessor a great deal. The Prime Sha's from the last story made sense for the world of Equus, and Kyle and Scootaloo's teacher/student relationship has been adorable to watch. I'm now wondering how Twilight and Kyle's "date" is going to turn out. I know no Gala is complete without some sort of disaster, of course. Celestia certainly thinks so. And for the love of Pie PLEASE don't have it be a Horde attack. Although Horde members showing up on peaceful terms seems highly likely.
If nothing else, can we see some more of the Horde races as members of some of the neutral organizations such as the Argent Crusade, Ebon Blade, Earthen Ring, Cenarion Circle, etc?
6001200 I understand your reaction, and I'll admit that I do lean a bit towards the Alliance. But it's not my own dislike for the Horde bleeding through - a lot of my favorite warcraft characters are Horde, like Thrall and Vol'Jin. I've played Horde and Alliance almost equally throughout my time playing Warcraft, including during the dark times for the Horde known as Pandaria. Trust me, I do know that Kyle's view of the Horde, while understandable for an Alliance soldier, isn't the full picture, not by a long shot. But it's the one that the Alliance as a whole tends to see. And yes, maybe it is some racism on his part. Can't be too surprised, considering what the Orcs and Forsaken in particular have done to Humanity.
I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but trust me - it may look like the Horde is shaping up to be a big antagonist here, but they're not the bad guys in this story. I said that straight-up when I've talked about the story before, and I'm sticking to that. They have a role to play, one that I think everyone will be happy with.
As for the Gala... no spoilers! Read on
6001223
What the Orcs did a generation ago is not the fault of the current generation of Orcs. It's like the anti-Germany hatred after World War I when they weren't even the ones to start the bloody war. What did all that bigotry and bias get the world? And even worse war and greater horrors. If Germany had been treated fairly after WWI, maniacs like Hitler would likely never have risen to power.
Thrall's orcs just wanted a place to call home. The Dark Spear tribes were indebted to Thrall for rescuing them, as were the Tauren for the help they received against the Centaurs. The Forsaken never wanted to become the abominations to life that they are. Hating the Forsaken for the actions of the Scourge makes a much sense as hating the victims of brainwashing/mind control spells for things they did while under said influence. They had no choice or control over what they did under the Lich King's power. Hell, most of them probably died trying to protect Lordaeron in the first place before being reanimated and used against it. But the Alliance certainly was never going to welcome them home. Those that survived only saw the Scourge. How many of the Forsaken, that remembered their past lives, just wanted to go home but were met with torches? So the only place they could find allies was in the Horde. And Grand Marshall Garithos did a fine and dandy job of ostracizing the High/Blood Elves from the Alliance.
So, in a way, the modern Horde came together because of the actions of the Alliance first. Formed from a collection of outcasts that weren't going to be accepted anywhere else.
All that being said, however, it takes two to tango and neither faction has been innocent since then.
6001353
Great chapter. As i said i can stand neutrality if it doesnt go into stupity. And i dont go into this argument again.
All i can said about Forsaken is. Gilneas Genocide, raising death, using plauge. And with that ending on this from mine side.
I can say that there won't be neutrality between Equestria and the Horde. The Princesses have already sided Equestria with the Alliance, and that would make neutrality with the Horde impossible. At best, there may be an uneasy "Don't mess with me, I won't mess with you," thing going on.
6001385
Allow me to translate for you: "I'm not going to get into this argument again, but I'm going say my piece and then ignore whatever you have to say."
Well then, I guess I'll say my own piece.
The attack on Gilneas was ordered by everyone's favorite sack of crap, Garrosh. The Forsaken are in the position of "do what the acting Warchief wants or be left on your own and at the mercy of the world". With memories of the Scourge still on everyone's mind, that's not exactly a favorable position to be in. "Do it, or else." If Garrosh had never ordered that attack, it would have never happened. Not that it mattered when Gilneas proceeded to slide into the ocean during the Cataclysm. Pretty sure that would have wiped out most of their population anyhow.
6001408
Urrgg i swear. I am truly sorry Firestar i truly am.
But he didnt ordered using plauge on Gilneas no he outright banned it. But our dear Sylvanas use it anyway in attemp to kill every living being in Gilneas and destroying place in process. And yes Gilneas was hit badly by Cataclysm but there is absolutly nothing in contrast Forsaken enslaving and butchering everyone in GIlneas.
Alrighty, let's just cut it right here. Again, a fight no one wins and everyone loses.
Thanks
6001429
No, somehow I don't think you are sorry. After all you decided to continue after saying you wouldn't, now didn't you? That does not ring of regretting one's actions.
Did I EVER say that Sylvanas was innocent? Nope. In fact I believe I specifically said neither side was innocent as it takes two to tango. I said the attack would have never come if Garrosh hadn't ordered it. Garrosh being the same jackass who ordered the mana bombing of Theramore (an action I am thoroughly against. I had always hoped that Thrall and Jaina would develop romantically) and destroyed the Vale of Eternal Blossoms trying to resurrect an Old God. Do you think he would have actually cared what Sylvanas did in the long run so long as his port was secured?
Don't act as if you're Alliance is all smiles and sunshine either.
Garithos is why the Elves aren't in the Alliance anymore. He was more than happy to execute the whole race despite Kael'thas begging for mercy for his people. With allies like that, no wonder Kael'thas went with the Illidari and later the legion.
6001446
*shrugs* All I said was that the modern Horde came about by actions of the Alliance first and that neither side was innocent since then. Not like I was expecting Lukas to take exception to that.
So... He ask Celestia and his King, but don't think about ask Discord? The horde could be a little problem, a snap of fingers and all of them could be teleported to the depth of the sea.
6001578
Discord is an Old God. He sort of does his own thing and would likely enjoy the chaos the Horde would bring to the world.
Speaking of Discord... he's been surprisingly quiet for a while now...
6001632 He likes Chaos, true, but he dislikes death and kills. Yes, the horde can make chaos but they usually kill too much or corrupt around, not to say he is "reformed"
6001644
They're no worse than the Alliance itself on that front.
6001728 Except that if the horde know that Equestria are a ally of the alliance, they could begin to fight and that begin a war.
6001731
They're unlikely to start a war. This is post Garrosh so they're still recovering from the clusterf##ck he caused both them and the world. Hell, the whole situation with the Iron Horde is Garrosh's fault too. They've already got a war on one front, they really don't need another, and neither does the Alliance.
Hmmm.... they can't friendly or at peace with Equestria due to it being part of the Alliance, but I wonder about at least having some location they could treat as neutral meeting grounds for them?
6002231
ya Garrosh was an asshole. at least Vol'jin is reasonable
There is a problem here Bitter. So far the Equestrians know of the Horde of what they hear from the Alliance and I suppose they have told them a lot regarding their General behavior from when they arrived via Dark Portal and the whole Garrosh thing. The Horde should have tried another way to talk to the Equestrians than sneaking through a portal and cutting down resources that didn't belong to them. With what they did they pretty much gave valid point to what the Alliance was saying about them cause they pretty much invaded.
. The Equestrians surely do not have enough of an army apart from the Royal Guard but the Princesses have enough magic to wipe them off the map not to mention Discord and of course the Super Forms of the Elements of Harmony. Also the other kingdoms will surely not tolerate a hostile action from the Horde. However I would prefer not to come to blows. What I would like to see from Firestar is to show me that the Horde actions will have consequences for them. I would like to see consequences like a very good explanation for their actions, a Treaty as an assurance that they are gonna behave and not gonna do anything stupid. Blizzard sucked completely at showing consequences for Garrosh's actions but Firestar you are writing a good story so far.Hopefully it can continue.
6002231
Then why the Horde attacking in Azhran like total morons despite treaty.
6002397
Firestar has already asked the line of thinking/discussion to be dropped, if you want to continue it, try PMs or even taking it to the Warcraft story forums.
That said, can we at least keep discussion of what has happened in game/via Blizzards storytelling to a minimum here? As from what I have seen, even mentioning something that has been done in game/via a blizzard story is all it takes to start the spiral in to a fight no one wins.
6002289
Uhhh...??? To my understanding, the forests are not actually within Equestria's borders. My impression is that it's just outside Equestrian territory and technically belongs to the Minotaur tribes, even if they haven't actually enforced that territorial claim.
Now I'm just hypothesizing here, but I'm thinking, that the Horde got wind of the Alliance's newest race and heard some things via spies or other information gathering, through neutral parties, whatever, about the other races of Equus. Not liking the power shift, they set about attempting to send agents through the portal to make contact with the other races of Equus to form an alliance of their own with. I personally hope at least one of those agents to go through the portal was a batshit crazy engineer on a gyrocopter/flying machine that divebombed and flew through the portal at max speed (because that's what engineers do!).
Anyhow, given the superficial similarities between the Tauren and Minotaur, the Minotaur were the preferred first contact between the Horde and other races of Equus. The Minotaur by this point must be aware of Equestria's joining the Alliance and are none too pleased about the shift in power in Equestria's favor even more, which gives them all the more reason to join any offerings made by Horde envoys.
So I figure the Minotaur have already allied with the Horde. The stronghold is in minotaur territory and was probably granted by the minotaur people not unlike how the land for Ironwall was granted by Celestia to the Alliance.
Now what I see happening next is with the grand galloping gala being a big to-do social event, and other races of the world not knowing entirely how to react to the Alliance, Celestia has sent out invitations to the leaders of the other nations of Equus to attend and meet some of their new allies. As is likely the case, the tickets to the Gala will have "yourself plus one" thing to them. That is how the Horde will come to the Gala, as guests to (most likely) the Minotaur leader/envoy invited to the gala.
Due to this, the Alliance and the princesses cannot throw them out without causing an international incident, and neither can the Horde in this instance cause hostilities without turning the world against them. So it grants a way to meet the Princesses and ponies, perhaps state their intentions, and all that jaz.
That's how I figure things will play out, at least.
I am curious how the Horde has created a sustainable portal though... the one Twilight created required the Sha crystals to maintain.
As for "all powerful magical super-beings throwing everyone into the ocean", all it takes is a rogue or assassin to poison their food. I would also ask if it was that easy to do, why it wasn't done with the Sha.
Edit: Make sure to actually use the link reply if you want me to see what you're saying. I only noticed your post by chance.
6003953 The reason the portal Twilight created required the Sha crystals was because there was no focal point for the portal spell to latch onto. My theory is that the major city teleports and portals are connected to a single object, and the spell to teleport to that object is a lot easier than trying to just hope that you wind up in the right spot.
A bit vague, but as a general example, it's a lot easier (and therefore uses less energy) to find something if you know what that something is. Standard portals know what that something is, but Twilight's portal didn't because she had never found the object that mages tether themselves to in order to use the Stormwind portal. I'm probably explaining this very poorly, but you can think of the tether object as almost like a beacon. So standard portals use that beacon, but hers didn't because she didn't know what to look for. Therefore, she had to channel the spell through an Azerothian object, and use just raw power to narrow her accuracy down - hence, the need for the Sha crystals.
The Horde mages would obviously know which 'beacon' to look for in order to open a portal to Orgimmar, thus requiring far less energy.
6003953
Bonus point if the Horde guests the Minotaur bring are Tauren, due to their similarities it would be hard to distinguish the Minotaur from the Tauren till it is potentially "too late". The other Horde races, aside from pandaren (as both factions have those) could be denied entry as it would be obvious who they were.
6004140
Ah but that's just the thing. The minotaur (or whomever) were invited and stated they could bring a guest. To deny the guest it to cause an international incident. "We were invited and encouraged to bring a guest but they turned us away at the gate." It would stir problems globally on the public relations front.
Isn't diplomacy grand?
Edit: and my guess for guest would be Vol'jin.
6004095
If that's the case, they could remove the sha crystals from the portal and power it a different way now, then?
6004171
Yeah, a grand headache
Seriously though, my point was more the Tauren would be least likely to cause a fuss/open the door for that kind of snafu, where as one of the other races would be more apt to stir up feelings from the other guests. Feelings that, even if the intent is peaceful, no one wants to deal with if they do not have to.
6004210
I think part of the intent would be to draw attention, as a way of saying "The Alliance is not the only option you have." So the alliance snowball race begins with various factions joining up one side or the other in a snowball effect to try and balance the power, not unlike the alliance snowball that lead up to WWI.
6002261
I've never hated any character in WoW as much as I hate Garrosh. Varian used to be up there too but he's mellowed out some finally.
6004207 Tis a possibility. One that has not been explored yet.
Bitter the Horde knows that they are in Treaty with the Alliance. Yet they disregarded the Treaty infiltrating Stormwind, passing through the gate into Equestrian territory uninvited and then went on the Minotaur Kingdom territory to build a stronghold. Do you find it right that they ignored the Treaty and pretty much invaded Equestria without even asking? After all it was mentioned at the 1st Chapter that the portal had some intruders. They didn't even help at the First story. They have no business there. They pretty much meddle with Equestria just to annoy the Alliance just as they did with Ashran? Isn't it time to learn that they should not do anything they want as they please and that they should have consequences for their actions?
Hopefully Firestar I hope the Horde will give at least an explanation to Celestia and Luna for their actions and some form of Treaty that they are not gonna do anything stupid.
So why doesn't Celestia send a message to the Minotaurs saying "Hey, we're technically at war with these guys that *invaded your territory*, how about we all get together and do something about this?" then follow it up with a message to the dragons "So, these guys sitting here in the mountains? Ever hear what they did to the red dragon flight? Yea, they sort of tried to enslave an entire race of dragons. Care to help us get them off our planet before they try something like that again?"
At the least, the Minotaurs and Dragons are one speaking terms with Celestia, and seem unlikely to piss off those who control the sun and the moon just to spite them. Hell, point out the path of glory, and that alone would probably get most of the world united against them. And as the Iron Horde proves, *they didn't need the legions influence to turn genocidal*.
I mean, sure, it's kinda playing dirty, but the Hordes past is full of things you can bring up, and a lot of it isn't even *distant* past. I just can't see the Horde being able to hold ground here once they're found.