Beyond the Portal

by Firestar463

Chapter 18

A sharp jolt stirred Kyle from his sleep. A dim light filtered through his eyelids, and the sound of voices penetrated the haze surrounding him. He opened his eyes and stretched, yawning. His back popped and he grunted slightly.

“Hey ya’ll, he’s awake.”

Kyle turned his head towards Applejack’s voice. She, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were all laying in the floor, looking up at him. Each of their faces bore varying levels of amusement, from Fluttershy’s soft smile to Rainbow Dash’s barely-contained laughter.

“Morning.” Kyle yawned in greeting.

“Evening.” Twilight corrected. “It’s nearly sundown. We’ll be in Canterlot just in time to catch the sunset.”

“I was out for that long?” Kyle asked.

“You sure were.” Rainbow Dash replied, still trying to contain her laughter. “I’ve never seen anypony sleep that deep. Well… except maybe Princess Luna.” she added, her gaze shifting downwards slightly.

Kyle’s eyes followed Rainbow Dash’s gaze. They froze as they saw the source of his friends’ amusement. He had fallen asleep sitting in his booth, but he wasn’t the only one. Princess Luna’s head was resting in his lap, with the rest of her body splayed out and occupying the rest of the booth. A small smile was plastered across her face, and as he watched, she snuggled up even closer to him.

“Looks like you make a mighty fine pillow there, Kyle.” Applejack grinned.

Rainbow Dash’s resolve finally failed her. She let out a snort before rolling over, bellowing with laughter. Applejack and Twilight soon joined in on her laughter, and even Fluttershy giggled at the sight.

Kyle felt his cheeks burning, and he turned his head away. “Hey, Princess Luna, wake up.” he muttered, gently shaking the Alicorn.

“Mmmm wha?” Luna groaned, stirring. Her smile was replaced with a frown, and her eyes slowly opened. “What is going… why did you wake… Um…” Luna blinked as she gazed upwards at Kyle, realizing her position. “How… did I end up in your lap?” she asked.

“You two fell asleep on the ride over.” Twilight explained, still chuckling. “You rolled over in your sleep and ended up on his lap. That would have been… what, three hours ago?”

“Yes, well…” Luna coughed, pushing herself into a sitting position. “I cannot be blamed for taking a nap. I usually sleep during the day, after all. I cannot help it if the train jerked me into said position.”

“Don’t sweat it, Princess.” Applejack grinned. “Just havin’ a bit o’ fun.”

A loud screeching sound pierced Kyle’s ears, making him wince. Judging by their pained expressions, the Ponies in the compartment with him were faring little better. Finally, the screeching died down, and the train jolted to a stop. “Now arriving in Canterlot. The train will be departing for Las Pegasus in ten minutes.” a voice echoed through the train, though it was difficult to hear over the ringing that lingered in Kyle’s ears.

“Sheesh. Them brakes make some racket.” Applejack groaned, shaking her head.

“I shall have them inspected and replaced.” Luna agreed. “But that can wait. For now, we must depart. Our escort is waiting.”

“E-escort?” Fluttershy asked nervously as she followed Luna out of the train.

“Indeed.” Luna replied, glancing around. Kyle stepped out of the train as well and began scanning the crowd as well, searching for anything that might look like a royal escort. Meanwhile, Luna continued to murmur to herself. “They should be… somewhere around here…”

“Princess.”

Kyle jumped as a smooth voice spoke from right beside him. Luna’s head whipped towards the voice as well. “Shade! There you are!” she exclaimed.

Standing next to Kyle was a dark-grey stallion. However, this Pony was very different from the others milling about on the train station. He was heavily armored, covered in black and grey steel. More shocking, however, were his features. He was a Pegasus, but rather than the feathery wings that Kyle had become accustomed to, this pony’s wings were leathery and shaped very much like a bat’s wings. The bat-like appearance was further enhanced by a pair of jagged bat-like ears. In addition, the stallion’s pupils were vertical slits, much like a snake, and he sported a pair of noticeable fangs from his mouth.

“I am constantly surprised by you, Shade.” Luna continued with a smug grin as she approached. “You should stick out like a sore hoof, and yet you are able to spook Mr. Slater here quite nicely.”

Shade’s face remained expressionless. “We should hurry, m’lady. The others are waiting, and the other Ponies are becoming agitated.” Indeed, many of the other Ponies in the station were muttering amongst themselves and gathering around.

“Agreed. Come, friends. We must depart posthaste.” Shade turned and walked away from the group. Ponies parted around him, staring at his odd features with mixtures of shock and fear. Kyle quickly followed, with the rest of the group following right behind him.

Outside the station, Kyle got his first view of Canterlot from street-level. It was no less glorious than the view from the skies. The buildings gleamed in the light of the setting sun, glowing a brilliant blood red. Kyle felt himself being nudged from behind, and realized that he had stopped walking to look around. He quickly resumed his pace and followed Luna and Shade over to one side of the street, where two more Bat-Pony guards stood at attention.

“At ease.” Luna commanded. The guards quickly relaxed their posture, though their attention remained sharp. “We are all accounted for, yes?” Luna asked, scanning the group. “Excellent. Everypony, follow us.” She and her guards turned and began walking away down the street towards the palace. Shade, however, fell back. As Kyle and his friends followed behind Luna, Shade fell into step behind the group.

Kyle couldn’t help but look over his shoulder at Shade. His appearance was so drastically different from other Ponies. It was almost as though someone had fused a Pony with a Wyvern from Azeroth, a thought which nearly made Kyle shudder.

Shade returned Kyle’s stare. His expression was unreadable, his thoughts hidden behind his mask of neutrality. Finally, Kyle had to ask. He slowed his pace and fell into step beside Shade. “So…”

“You wish to know about my appearance.” Shade interrupted. It was not a question.

“Yeah. Sorry, it’s just… I’ve never seen a stallion that looks like that before.”

Kyle was surprised as a small smirk broke over Shade’s face. “So you haven’t seen through the enchantment.” He replied, a hint of humor in his voice. “I’m a mare.”

Kyle did a double-take. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s the armor.” Shade explained. “I don’t really look like this. I’m a normal Pegasus mare. The armor is enchanted to make all of us look identical. It helps prevent our enemies from singling us out for revenge.”

“So you’re a mare?” Kyle asked, feeling confused.

“Without the armor on, yes.” Shae replied, turning a corner to follow the group towards the castle. “As I said, the armor makes us all look identical. For mares, this includes giving us the appearance of a stallion. The armor also gives me the leathery appearance on my wings, the fangs, the strange ears, and the vertical pupils. It makes us look more intimidating. Nopony is foolish enough to attack Princess Luna while the ShadowGuard are on the watch.”

“ShadowGuard?”

“Yes. We are Princess Luna’s elite guard.” Shade smirked once more, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. “Specially trained to protect and serve her, at the cost of our own lives if necessary. We are the best of the best, the pride of the Night Watch.”

“Impressive.” Kyle remarked. “I’m guessing you all have some form of combat training?”

“Unarmed or wielding a wide assortment of weapons, our skill is unmatched.” Shade replied confidently.

Kyle smirked. “I might have to test that claim at some point.” He warned. “Maybe a sparring match at some point?”

“Let us deal with the mission at hoof first.” Shade replied. “Speaking of which, we have arrived.”

Kyle looked away from Shade and towards the structure in front of him. The group had stopped outside of a massive golden gate, flanked by three guards on each side. Kyle watched as one of them walked over towards a lever and pulled on it. The gate slowly swung open, allowing the group to enter. As Kyle and Shade passed the through the gate, the gate swung closed behind them, barring entry for the group of Ponies that had begun to follow them.

Luna walked towards the castle, with the group following closely behind. The massive building was even more impressive from the ground than it had been from the air, and Kyle couldn’t help but stare at the castle. The walls were clearly a pure snow-white, but the light of the setting sun bathed the castle in a deep red hue. Kyle’s mind was instantly thrown back to Stormwind and the Keep there, where King Varian Wrynn ruled. Though Stormwind Keep was beautiful, it paled in comparison to the castle in front of him.

A rustle of wings jerked Kyle out of his stupor. He looked upwards to see Princess Luna flying away towards the tallest tower on the palace.

“Princess Luna goes to raise the moon.” Shade answered the unasked question. “She will be joining us once this duty is complete. We will continue to the dungeons.”

The other ShadowGuard continued walking, leading the group towards the wall of the castle. As they rounded a set of shrubs, Kyle saw a small wooden door in the side of the castle, flanked by two white stallions in shining gold armor. One of the ShadowGuard walked up and quietly muttered in one of the Guards’ ears. The guard nodded and unlocked the door, allowing the group to enter.

On the other side of the door was a rough-cut stone staircase leading downwards into the earth. Compared to the main area and the exterior, this part of the castle was very dark and gloomy. Cobwebs stretched from support beam to support beam, and a faint tinkle indicated a small water leak somewhere nearby. The torches on the walls barely provided enough light to see as the group carefully descended the uneven stairs, and Kyle found himself constantly either half-blinded by the glare of the torches or stumbling in the darkness.

The ShadowGuard, however, seemed to have no issues. They walked confidently through the dank dungeons, leading the group through a twisting maze of empty corridors. Both walls were lined with cells, all empty and apparently undisturbed for a very long time. For several long minutes, the only sounds that could be heard were the clopping of hooves on cobblestone, the crackle of the torches, and occasionally the soft plopping of water.

Suddenly, the ShadowGuard stopped. “Our destination is around this corner.” one announced. “You will be able to see the prisoners through the cell walls, but the walls are one-way, so they will not be able to see you. Even so, please maintain your distance. We do not fully know the capabilities of the Changelings.” The three guards turned once more and led the group around the corner.

Kyle peered around the group to get a better look. In front of the group was another Royal Guard, stationed outside of what appeared to be a massive glass box. As Kyle watched, another Guard stepped out from a nearby passage. The first guard sighed in relief and stepped aside as his replacement took his position next to the door.

“Morning, Sam.” The replacement said as he took his position.

“‘Night, Ralph.” The other yawned as he walked away.

As the group moved next to the glass box, Kyle could finally see inside. Inside the cell were a dozen Pony-shaped creatures, all laying or sitting down. However, they looked very different from any Pony he had ever seen before. Rather than fur, they seemed to have black chitinous shells. Each one sported a curved horn and semi-transparent, insect-like wings, as well as a pair of long, vicious fangs. Their eyes did not appear to have pupils, but instead were solid orbs of light-blue. Most noticeable, however, were the large holes in their legs. Kyle would have assumed them to be gaping wounds, had the walls of the holes not also been covered by the same chiton as the rest of their bodies.

“So those are Changelings.” Kyle murmured.

“Yes.” Shade replied. “One of them claims to be Princess Yxia, daughter of Emperor Toxxys and heir to the Changeling Empire. She has requested to speak to you alone, Mr. Slater.”

“I don’t like it.” Rainbow Dash immediately replied. “They’re Changelings. Their entire way of life is built around deception and betrayal. This reeks of a trap.” Twilight and Applejack both nodded in agreement, and even Fluttershy had a small frown on her face.

“Like it or not, we need the information they possess.” A voice spoke from behind them. Kyle turned his head just in time to see Princess Luna step past him. “They refuse to tell us what we need until Mr. Slater has spoken with Yxia. And despite what some Changelings may fear, we are not savages. We do not torture for information.”

“So we just throw Kyle in there and pray that he can handle an ambush?” Twilight demanded.

Kyle sighed quietly. “Twilight, calm -”

“I mean, he’s skilled at defending himself, there’s no arguing that -”

“Twilight, please -”

“But I don’t think that we should take a risk like -”

“TWILIGHT!”

Twilight fell silent as Kyle glared at her. “Thank you. Now, I know that you’re not happy about this, but consider this. These Changelings are in the middle of Canterlot. In the middle of the most heavily populated and well-defended city in Equestria, and possibly the world. Two Alicorn Princesses are standing just outside their cell. If they try anything, they know that they will have no chance of escape. If it is a trap, I can defend myself for the few seconds it will take you and Princess Luna to get in there and stop them. If it isn’t… well, then we get what we want.”

“Well Spoken, Mr. Slater.” Luna nodded. “We will be standing ready outside. You may enter when you are ready.”

“Good luck.” Fluttershy squeaked out, shivering slightly.

“Thanks.” Kyle gulped, suddenly feeling a lot less confident than he had a moment ago. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out and slid the lock back. He pushed the door open and closed it behind him. As it closed, a loud clang echoed through the room.

Kyle winced and turned around. Ten Changeling heads raised up to look at him as the noise echoed through the room - only two Changelings in the corner seemed unfazed. Kyle felt sweat drip down the back of his neck as he gazed over the gathered Changelings. Their expressions bore many emotions - Anger, Fear, Doubt, Despair…

One Changeling rose to its feet, glaring venomously at Kyle. Its wings spread open menacingly, and it pawed the ground. Kyle gulped once more, but quickly shook his head, pushing his fear aside. Instead, he returned the glare, standing his ground. The Changeling opened its mouth and hissed angrily. Kyle adopted a more defensive stance as he prepared for the assault.

A loud screech forced Kyle to cover his ears. A second Changeling rose from the group and glared at the first one. The newcomer spoke in a series of hisses and clicking noises, and though it sounded nothing like any language Kyle had ever heard, he could clearly identify the tone as reprimanding. The first Changeling’s ears lowered, and it sat down, averting its gaze.

The newcomer gave one last clicking sound before turning to stare at Kyle. For a moment, the two locked eyes, neither one moving. Finally, the Changeling walked towards Kyle, its expression guarded. Kyle felt himself tensing up as the Changeling stopped in front of him, with only a few feet of distance separating the two.

“Are you the Monk?” it asked simply.

Kyle blinked in surprise. Based on what he had heard when this Changeling had reprimanded the other, he had been expecting them to have a voice similar to the Mantid - high-pitched and throaty, with lots of clicking noises. However, instead it spoke in an accent that reminded him heavily of the Draenei. “Y-yes. That’s me.”

The Changeling sighed and sat down. “Finally. I had thought they would not bring you here. Please forgive Krilux. He has been on edge since we left Hive Regali. We all have. I am Princess Yxia, heir to the Changeling Empire.”

“Kyle Slater. Monk of Stormwind, from the world of Azeroth.”

Yxia looked up at him. “So it’s true, then? That you are indeed from another world?”

Kyle nodded. “Yes. I ended up in Equus through some… less than wise decisions on my part.”

“Yes, my father mentioned as much.” Yxia said. “Something to do with a portal?”

“It’s not important.” Kyle replied. “What is important is why you’re here. Why I’m here. We have questions. You have answers.”

“Indeed I do.” Yxia sighed. “Far too many. And answer I shall, for the good of my Changelings. But first, I must be sure that you do not intend my Changelings harm.”

“You’re hardly in a position to barter here.”

“I think you’ll find that I am.” Yxia countered. “You said it yourself. You have questions. I have answers. And I know that you will not torture us for information. I am not one of the common Changelings - I grew up surrounded by the greatest infiltrators our empire has ever known. I know Equestrian society inside and out. But I do not know you. You are the wild card, Mr. Slater. Before I reveal anything, you must earn my trust.”

Kyle growled in irritation. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

Yxia smiled slightly. “The task I have for you is simple. Our departure did not go unnoticed, nor did it go unanswered. We were attacked as we left. All of us are injured. Myself included.” Yxia raised her wings, revealing two deep gouges in her chitin on each side. “We numbered fourteen when we left. Two already have succumbed to their wound, and two more will soon join them if they are not healed.”

“So why not ask the Ponies to help?” Kyle asked. “I mean, if they’re dying, then surely their help is better than no help at all.”

“After what we have done to them?” Yxia retorted. “After that stunt Chrysalis pulled last year? It was all Princess Luna could do to stop her ShadowGuard from slaughtering us on the spot. They do not trust us, and I do not trust them to not kill my Changelings, given the chance. I will only entrust this task to you, Monk, as a chance to prove yourself.”

“So wait… you want me to heal you all?” Kyle asked. “Uh… look, I’m gonna be honest with you here. I’m a fighter, not a healer. I only barely got through the basic Mistweaver training. I don’t think I can help you.”

“Then you doom my most injured Changelings to death.” Yxia replied coldly. “And you forfeit your opportunity to have your questions answered. You wish to earn my trust. I have set your task before you. Accept it, or leave.”

Kyle sighed and closed his eyes. For a moment, he opened his mind, stretching out to sense the Chi around him. He could clearly see the Chi of the Ponies, burning brightly outside of the room. Inside the room, however, the Chi of the Changelings was much less intense. Many of them indeed bore the scars of battle. Some were minor, while others were quite severe. Two Changelings in the corner caught Kyle’s attention. Their Chi was dim, barely a candle compared to the inferno of the Ponies’ Chi. They really are dying. Kyle thought to himself as he brought himself back into his own mind. I have been studying those leylines a bit. And I do have my mana brew…

Kyle opened his eyes. Yxia was staring at him expectantly, hopefully… desperately. She really does care about her people. Kyle sighed once more. “Very well. I will do my best. I can promise nothing else.”

Yxia let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Mr. Slater. You will find the two most injured ones… oh. You’ve found them.” she stammered slightly as Kyle moved over to the two Changelings in the corner.

“I’ll ask that you try to soothe them if you can.” Kyle called out as two other Changelings hissed at him. “My technique is effective, but it does sting at first. I would rather not be attacked.”

Yxia closed her eyes, and a few moments later the two Changelings sat back down, still glaring distrustfully at Kyle as he stood next to the two Changelings in the corner. “By the Light…” he murmured, examining the two Changelings. Both had been badly injured. Their bodies were criss-crossed with cuts and open wounds, and a particularly large wound behind one of their ears was beginning to fester. Celestials guide me. Kyle sent out a silent prayer as he took a swig of his Mana Brew. The liquid felt refreshing running down his throat as he focused his mind and reached out to the nearby leylines.

The mana in the leylines slowly reacted to Kyle’s prodding, and his hands glowed green as he held them over the festering wound. Small green and brown particles flew out of the wound, collapsing into a small ball. Within moments, the wound had been Detoxed, and the ball of gunk fell to the ground with a wet splat. With that task taken care of, Kyle took another gulp of his brew and summoned the Soothing Mists, guiding the mists to the wounds and patching up their injuries.

After a few minutes, Kyle sat up. He wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a great sigh. “Well… I’m not sure if they’ll make it, but their wounds are healed. It’s up to them now.”

“Thank you, Mr. Slater.” Yxia sighed. “My other Changelings are injured as well, but we will manage on our -”

“I’m not done.” Kyle interrupted. “I still have ten other Changelings to attend to. I just need you to keep them calm while I do this.”

“I… Okay.” Yxia stammered slightly once more. She closed her eyes once more, and as Kyle approached, he found that the Changelings tensed up, but did not appear hostile. Kyle approached one and stretched out with one hand. The Changeling leaned forward and sniffed his hand before laying its head down, allowing Kyle to heal its wounds.

For the next ten minutes, the process continued. Kyle would approach one, allow it to sniff him before beginning to heal it, and move on to the next. Soon, only Yxia and two more remained. Kyle reached for his pouch again, only to find the contents empty. Great. Out of Mana Brew. Kyle sighed to himself. Now what.

Kyle looked over at the three remaining Changelings. Though he had already healed the majority of the Changelings, Kyle felt a pang of guilt for the ones he could not help. There has to be something I can do…

Kyle’s eyes lit up, and a small smile crossed his face. “Yxia, could you get yourself and the other two I have not yet healed away from the main group? I’m running out of mana, but I have an idea.”

Yxia hesitated for a moment, uncertainty in her eyes. Finally, she gave a curt nod and closed her eyes once more. The two injured Changelings stood up and limped to the other side of the room, where they collapsed once more. Yxia walked over and sat between them, giving them each a reassuring lick as Kyle approached.

“I will warn you. This may sting a bit.” Kyle said as he closed his eyes. He drained the last drop of his mana brew and reached out to the leylines once more, drawing as much mana as he could. His hands flashed green once more, and a jet of green mist rocketed from his hands, swirling around one of the Changelings.

“Excellent.” Kyle murmured. He released his mental grasp on the leyline and instead reached out to the Chi surrounding him. His hands began to glow green once more as the mist surrounding the first Changeling split into thirds. One third remained around the Changeling, while the other two surrounded Yxia and the final Changeling.

Beads of sweat rolled down Kyle’s face as he struggled to maintain the Renewing Mist. “Almost… there…” He hissed. “NOW!” He thrust his hands forward, releasing the gathered Chi there as a powerful Uplift.

Yxia and the other Changelings gasped and hissed in discomfort as the Uplift took effect. Unlike the Soothing Mists, which had slowly sealed the wounds of the others, the Uplift quickly snapped their wounds shut and knitted them together. While it was much faster, it was also quite uncomfortable to experience.

As the spell finished its work, Kyle fell to one knee, gasping for breath. His vision flickered slightly, and for a moment he feared he would pass out. He pushed himself into a sitting position and fumbled for his belt. He pulled a second pouch off and hastily took a swig of his Energizing Brew. His vision cleared, and he sighed in relief as newfound strength rushed through him.

He looked up to see Yxia standing next to him. “Thank you, Mr. Slater. You have done my Changelings a great service, and earned my trust.”

“Good… to hear.” Kyle panted, pushing himself shakily to his feet. “You want some?” he asked, offering the pouch to Yxia. “It’ll help you recover your energy.”

Yxia sniffed the pouch hesitantly, raising an eyebrow. She cautiously took a mouthful, but did not swallow. Instead, she galloped over to the corner. Kyle watched as she opened the mouths of the two weak Changelings and distributed the Brew between them. Setting her Changelings before herself… Kyle thought to himself as Yxia walked back over to him.

“You likely wish to hear answers now. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Tomorrow.”

“Wait… WHAT?” Kyle demanded. “You put me through all that, and then ask me to wait until tomorrow?!”

“Please understand my position, Mr. Slater.” Yxia sighed. “My Changelings only follow me because they want to. They are already unhappy enough that we have fled from our homes, have been taken prisoner by Ponies, and are being tended to by a non-Changeling. Revealing secrets so soon without soothing them over may lead to open rebellion. I must take tonight to reassure them that they are safe here, and that you are going to help us.”

“I understand that you may fear we will try to escape. We will not. Station more guards outside if you wish to not believe me. In the morning, I will gladly answer whatever questions you have. Just give me time to calm my Changelings down.”

Kyle glared angrily. “I’m not happy about this, Yxia.”

“I am not asking you to be happy about this, Mr. Slater.” Yxia replied. “I am simply asking for you to trust me, as I am trusting you.”

Kyle sighed once more. “Fine.” he growled. “Do you need anything else before I leave?”

“Some food, if you can procure it.” Yxia admitted. “We have not eaten since before we were captured. We need our energy.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Kyle grumbled as he walked over to the door. He knocked three times, and the door opened, allowing him to step back outside. The guard quickly shut the door behind him.

“We heard what happened in there.” Princess Luna said as she walked over to Kyle. “Unfortunate, but understandable that she cannot speak so soon when her Changelings are already angry. We will find the Changelings some food, station more guards here tonight, and return in the morning. For now, you all should get some sleep. You will need your energy in the days ahead, I’m sure.” She began to lead the group away from the Cell.

A small snarl from behind Kyle made him whip his head around. The sound of clanging could be heard as several helmets rattled to the ground. Two of the ShadowGuards had discarded their helmets, and as Kyle watched, their disguises waivered, revealing not Ponies, but a pair of Changelings. He gasped and let out a loud yell, alerting the others to the incoming threat as the two Changelings charged.

Kyle prepared himself as the first Changeling lunged directly at him. “For Hatred!” it yelled, flying towards him. Kyle ducked under the Changeling’s leap and lifted it into the air. He quickly dropped the Changeling behind him and gave it a solid kick, sending it spiraling towards the group. The second Changeling, meanwhile, had charged right past Kyle, and was now aiming towards Applejack.

Another crash from behind Kyle made him turn back towards the Cell. The Royal Guard standing watch had likewise discarded his helmet, and was revealed to be another Changeling. it was now pointing its back legs at the steel door, bashing at them. As Kyle charged, the Changeling finally bucked the doors in, and began to enter the cell. Kyle roared as he leaped and grabbed the Changeling around its chest, hauling the creature kicking and screaming out of the room.

A sharp pain ran through Kyle’s stomach as the Changeling’s hoof made contact, and he hunched over in pain. A second hoof connected with his jaw, sending him spiraling to the stone floor. Stars danced in his eyes as the Changeling towered over him, a wicked gleam in its eyes. It lifted its hoof, and it morphed before his eyes, transforming into a wicked-looking, razor-sharp blade.

“For Hatred.” it hissed, pulling its sword-arm back.The sword crackled with a black-and white energy. Kyle’s eyes opened wide in horror.

A green light flashed through the corridor, nearly blinding Kyle with its brightness. Kyle was forced to shield his eyes from the glare. As the light faded, Kyle’s vision slowly returned.

The first thing Kyle noticed was the Changeling. It had been blasted off of Kyle with incredible force, and was now laying against the corridor wall. Kyle dragged himself over to the Changeling and examined it. It lay unmoving, its horn shattered and skull caved in by the force of the impact.

As Kyle shakily pushed himself to his feet, he turned back towards the cell. Standing in the doorway was another Changeling. Kyle blinked as the Changeling stared at him. “You’re welcome.” Yxia smirked. The steel door that had been kicked in was enveloped in a green light and floated into the air, wedging itself back into place. Kyle watched through the wall as Yxia walked back over to her Changelings.

“Kyle! Are you alright?”

Kyle turned his head towards the voice. Twilight was staring right at him, concern apparent in her eyes. She appeared uninjured, as did everyone else. The two Changelings were unconscious on the ground, already bound by magical rope. As he watched, Shade pulled out a pair of rings and slipped it onto their horns. She lifted the two Changelings onto her back and walked off down the corridor.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Kyle smiled weakly, rubbing his jaw.

“Ya look like ya took a mighty fine beatin’ there, partner.” Applejack whistled. “Already startin’ t’ bruise.”

“You should see the other guy.” Kyle muttered, pointing at the dead Changeling behind him.

Twilight stared at the corpse “How… how did you do that?” she asked quietly.

“I didn’t.” Kyle admitted. “Yxia did. That Changeling kicked the door in. I dragged him out of the cell, it clobbered me, and was about to kill me. Yxia blasted it off of me and wedged the door back into place.”

“So it was trying to get in, but Yxia wanted it out?” Luna mused. “So it was not an escape attempt…”

“No. It was an assassination attempt.” Kyle murmured. “Some Changeling Leader out there wants Yxia dead.”

“Her father?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, she did say she fled from home.”

“We won’t know until tomorrow.” Kyle replied. “But for now… I’ve figured something out.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“When I was on the ground with the Changeling about to stab me, its sword-arm glowed with black-and-white energy. Sha Energy.” Kyle closed his eyes and sighed. “The Sha have the Changelings under their control. But we already knew that they had some influence. No, what’s more important is what it said to me.”

“What did it say?”

“Just as it was about to stab me, it hissed ‘For Hatred’.”

“I don’t see… what… Oh…”

“Yes. We finally know what the final Sha is. Hatred.”

Comments

[butwhyistherumgone]

Could kyle teach Scootaloo zen flight?,,,,,also great chapter

[Firestar463]

4766810 ... You know, I never even considered that.

[werty12345]

THOSE CHANGELING NAMES ARE AWESOME.
FUCK.

[Firestar463]

4769249 If you like those Changeling names, there are even more coming in the next Chapter.

Speaking of which, the new chapter is very nearly completed. Aiming to have it up early tomorrow afternoon. It's gonna be a doozy, let me tell ya!

[Just another hoerse love]

4766810
Zen flight?

p.s I am only now starting a monk

[Smoker]

Ohh, I get it. Friendship is magic, And the opposite of friendship is hatred. Clever.