Beyond the Portal II: Flames of War

by Firestar463

Chapter 13

As Kyle drifted off to sleep, he had hoped that the morning would shed light upon his problems. That somehow, the break of dawn would bring some divine answer to his doorstep, that a new day would magically give him the answers he needed and tell him what exactly he needed to say and do.

Needless to say, he was disappointed. As the light passing through the window fell across his eyes and he began to awaken, he found himself just as befuddled as the night before. He rubbed his eyes and dragged himself out of his bed and towards the closet, emerging a moment later fully clothed and ready for whatever the day would bring to him. A quick trip to the outhouse later, and he was sitting down at his desk.

As he flipped through his to-do list for the day, his mind kept wandering away, back to the events of the day before. The training session. Sugarcube Corner. The park. Lyra’s doorstep. He blinked and shook his head, returning his attention back to the paper in front of him. He sighed as he realized that he had read nearly half a page and couldn’t recall a single scrap of information from it, and reluctantly directed his gaze back to the top of the page to start again.

All in all, it didn’t seem like today’s workload would be terribly taxing. With the repairs on the wall nearly completed, and only a few touch-ups needed to finish the final building, the paperwork was slowing down considerably. A few more forms needed filling out, mostly the usual requests for more rations. Those supply request forms were steadily becoming less frequent as Ironwall’s focus shifted from construction to research and gathering. Another week or so and Kyle estimated that Ironwall would be almost completely self-sufficient. And then they could begin to send resources back to Azeroth.

Of course, sending the resources back would require some papers as well. Kyle grumbled to himself as he pulled the first of such forms in front of him. A shipment of timber - Ironwall’s first such order - was ready to be sent back home. His grumbling quickly died down as he saw how small the form was, taking up less than half the page. He quickly filled out the information and set it aside to be shipped out later.

As he pulled the second sheet in front of him, a knock from the door echoed through the room. He glanced up towards the door for an instant before peeking at the clock to his left. Already he had been at it for over an hour. “Come in,” he called out.

The door swung open, and a familiar pink-haired Gnome poked her head in. “Ah, I was hoping to find you here, commander,” she smiled as she stepped into the room. She scrambled up into her seat opposite Kyle and placed her usual clipboard on the desk. “How’s the paperwork coming along?”

“Not too bad. “Kyle reached across the desk and brought the clipboard in front of him. “Since we’re transitioning from bringing supplies in to sending them out, the forms are changing, and honestly these are a lot faster. Shouldn’t take more than a few more minutes.” His eyes scrolled across the clipboard, reading the latest reports. Sure enough, the wall was now completely repaired and had been given the architects’ approval. In addition, stone and ores and a few precious gems were beginning to flow in from a nearby mining site, and a second one was being prepared just outside the walls.

“Good to hear,” Filwin’s voice interrupted Kyle’s reading. He looked over the top of the clipboard at her as she continued. “The Head Engineer Researcher has requested for me to deliver her findings to you. Take a look at them when you can, and if you think it’s good enough then send it on over to Stormwind. Also…” She climbed halfway onto the desk to reach the clipboard and flip back a couple of pages. “Some new requests from the magical researchers.”

Kyle pulled the last few pages off of the clipboard and slid it back across the desk. “Anything else?” he asked.

“No sir. Looks like you have a fairly light day today.”

“A nice change of pace,” Kyle nodded with a smile. “Thanks Filwin.” The Gnome bowed her head and hopped off of the chair, and a moment later the door was closed shut behind her. Finding himself alone once more, Kyle sat the research requests down in front of him.

The first one was another request to study Pinkie Pie and her infamous ‘Pinkie Sense’, a request which Kyle was quick to shut down. The second was a more reasonable request - a study into the crystals that could be found throughout Equestria, particularly in the Crystal Empire, and potential magical applications. This one was soon marked as approved and set off to the side.

The third request was far more interesting. One of the researchers had apparently noticed that the wings on a Pegasus were far too small to support flight through physics alone. Some sort of magic had to be at work - a theory Kyle could support, given the success he had found with Scootaloo and the Glyph of Zen Flight. Still, it was unknown exactly how Pegasi were able to fly, or what kind of magic was at play. Sure, the researchers could simply ask the Princesses or one of the Pegasi about this and they would likely know the answers, but first-hand research would yield more detailed results. The study seemed harmless enough, merely requiring a few feathers from local donors. After a moment’s consideration, Kyle marked this one as approved as well, and it joined the crystal research request off to the side of his desk.

With the research requests now finished, Kyle turned his attention to the report from the Engineering study. His expression fell as he realized just how thick the report was - nearly a full inch tall. Flipping through the report, he felt his heart sink. Diagrams with incomprehensible symbols were scattered across nearly every page, and half of the words seemed to be technical jargon that he would have no chance of understanding. Still, he had to at least make sure that there was something of use in all of that writing. Flipping back to the first page, he quickly found a page labelled ‘summary’. Though this still took up nearly five pages, a quick skim told him that he’d find it significantly easier to understand.

And so he began. The report was concerning the electric lights that lit the homes and buildings in Equestria in place of candles. Rather than using fire, these ‘lightbulbs’ seemed to be powered by a controlled stream of electricity through a very thin metal wire, which would heat up and produce the light. That seemed simple enough to Kyle, until he moved on to the production of the electricity. At that point, he found himself scratching his head as he read such terms as alternate current, direct current, voltage… he was no engineer, and it clearly showed as he became more and more lost. As the reading became more difficult, Kyle found his attention drifting away to the events of the previous day.

There was no doubt in his mind that he needed to confront Lyra about her actions, and that he needed to do it as soon as possible. To delay or avoid it would only encourage more of this unwanted affection. The problem lay in the execution. After all, she was still one of his best friends, and he didn’t want to lose that. So, how best to tell her to lay off while at the same time not driving a wedge between them? What to say? How to say it?

And then there was the matter of Twilight. His other best friend. The more he thought about her behavior, the more puzzled - and concerned - he became. This was very uncharacteristic of one of her usual freak-outs, which tended to be a ramp up in emotional agitation and usually ended with panic and occasionally explosions. But this seemed to be almost a depression, the way she had acted in Sugarcube Corner the other day. Whether this was better than her freaking out or not remained to be seen, but the simple fact that this was new behavior for her was concerning in and of itself.

It was at this point that Kyle realized that he had been reading and re-reading the same line on the second page for the past five minutes. He let out an irritated snort and tried to force himself to finish the summary. His eyes ran back and forth across the page, but still he found himself lost as more and more unfamiliar terms popped up with no explanation or definition. And it didn’t help that his mind kept drifting away, back to his own personal problems and those of his friends…

Kyle sighed closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was no use. With all the random terminology thrown in, he wasn’t going to be able to read any more of this report in the best of conditions, much less as distracted as he was. He closed the report and set it in the center of his desk, resolving to try one more time later. But for now, he stood up and stretched his arms and legs. He had been sat at that desk for almost two hours now, and he needed a bit of a stretch. It seemed that a trip into town was called for…

As he walked out of his office, the smell of roasted pork reached his nose. The delicious smell sent his stomach grumbling as he stepped out of the town hall. Alas, the line leading into the mess hall had already wrapped around the building. It’d all be gone or cold by the time he got there. So instead, he ignored his stomach’s rumbling and moved towards the main gates. After a quick word with the guard on duty, he was on the road headed into Ponyville.

Within minutes, Kyle had entered the town limits and was walking down one of the main streets leading towards the center of town. Though the scent of food had long since faded from the air, his stomach continued to remind him of its dissatisfaction. Loudly. Finally, he could take no more of it, and directed his feet towards the familiar gingerbread roof of Sugarcube Corner.

The bakery was far less crowded than it had been the day before, with only a couple of scattered Ponies and a lone Night Elf sitting around eating their lunches. Kyle was quickly seated next to one of the windows near the back of the bakery, giving him an excellent view of both the streets and the interior.

As he was waiting, Kyle glanced over the other occupants of the small restaurant. The mare with the dual-shade blue mane was present again, though this time without her Worgen friend. Off in the opposite corner, Kyle could see another mare, this one with a light yellow coat and orange, curly mane and tail. The only other occupant besides himself was a green-haired Night Elf off to the side. The robes identified him as a spellcaster of some kind, though Kyle couldn’t tell what kind without seeing his magic.

Kyle was pulled from his thoughts as an all-too-familiar bright pink mare bounced through the kitchen doors towards his table. He quickly sent a silent prayer to the light that this encounter would be similar to the day before - one of Pinkie’s infamous bursts of energy would be too much for him to deal with right now.

It seemed that his prayers were answered, for a time at least, as Pinkie bounced to a stop beside his table. “Heya Kylie,” she grinned. “Didn’t think you’d be coming back two days in a row! You normally wait at least a couple of days. Is there some kind of special occassion? Does it have to do with Lyra? What are you -”

“Pinkie.” Kyle’s voice was just loud enough to be heard over her as he held up a hand. “I’ve just got a few things to take care of in town and needed to get some food before I got started.”

“Gotcha. So what’ll you be having?”

Kyle glanced down at the menu in front of him. If he was perfectly honest, a nice roast sounded amazing, especially considering what he was missing back at Ironwall. Still, he was almost certain that, for now at least, Ponyville was still almost entirely meat-free. “I, uh… Let me have the veggie melt,” he finally decided. “Extra mushrooms. And a cup of coffee, two creams two sugars.”

“Veggie melt, extra shrooms, coffee, two creams, two sugars. Coming right up!” And just as quickly as she had appeared, Pinkie was gone again with the kitchen doors rattling shut behind her.

Kyle sighed in relief as the pink tail vanished into the kitchen. Pinkie was a nice enough mare, but easily his least favorite among Twilight’s group of close friends. Maybe it had something to do with her randomness - he simply couldn’t predict her behavior or reactions to anything. Or maybe it was those sudden bursts of energy that seemed to only enhance the problems created by her unpredictability. Or maybe it was her strange (and downright spooky) ability to predict the very near future. But no matter the reason, something about her kept him constantly on edge in her presence.

Kyle’s attention drifted away from Pinkie, and his gaze slowly drifted around the restaurant. It eventually settled back on the Night Elf. He had now risen and was moving towards the front door. He nudged the door open and stepped outside, ducking underneath the doorframe to stop himself from bumping his head. As Kyle watched, his hands let up with a faint green energy. An instant later, he hunched over, and the Night Elf was soon replaced by a small black crow. Kyle raised an eyebrow as it spread its wings and took off into the sky. “Well… that answers that question…”

A familiar curly purple mane moved past Kyle’s field of vision, drawing his eye. Rarity moved past the bakery towards the outskirts of town and her shop. Instantly, Kyle’s eyes were drawn down to the outfit she was wearing - a green sweater with a golden trim on top of a white button-up shirt, and a pale yellow-and-green striped bow tie. Such an outfit seemed a bit out of place for Rarity - Kyle had noted that on the occasion that she wore clothes, she tended to go for something a bit more flashy. “Not that she wears clothes that often anyway…” he mused. Even the fashionista tended to only wear clothes for special occasions.

Special occasion… clothes…

Kyle felt a small pang of worry shoot through his chest as a sudden realization came to mind. The Grand Galloping Gala was fast approaching. A royal ball, where he was expected to represent the best of the Alliance. It wasn’t exactly like he could walk in there in the same stuff he wore around Ironwall every day. If he was going, he was going to need some more formal attire. And there was only one tailor around that came to mind.

A flash of pink sprang up next to his table, and he recoiled in shock as a small plate landed in front of him with a grilled sandwich upon it. An instant later, a steaming mug landed right beside the plate. Kyle glanced over as Pinkie Pie slid into the booth opposite him with her own lunch, which seemed to consist of half a dozen cupcakes and a smoothie.

If he was perfectly honest, Kyle would have preferred to spend his lunchtime alone with his thoughts. Still, it didn’t seem like Pinkie was going to be leaving him be. She quickly dug into her first cupcake, and it was gone before Kyle could even reach for his sandwich. She froze for an instant and reached for her smoothie, taking a couple of quick gulps before swallowing it all in one go.

Kyle averted his eyes from the massive lump that slid down Pinkie’s throat and turned to his own sandwich, taking a bite. The mushrooms within the melt gave a nice earthy, hearty flavor to the entire thing that, while not the same as meat, was almost as good. The coffee, too, was excellent, being just the right temperature for drinking and neither too bitter nor too sweet. Kyle felt himself beginning to relax as he took another bite.

“So, Kyle.” Kyle’s head instantly snapped up towards Pinkie. She had used his real name, rather than that nickname she had come up for him. Sure enough, her usual smile was gone. Instead, one of her eyebrows was slightly raised, and a small frown formed on her lips. “What’s going on?”

“Hm?” Kyle placed the melt back down on the plate and finished chewing before returning his gaze to the pink mare. “What do you mean?”

“Is something wrong?”

Kyle raised his own eyebrow. This was unusual of Pinkie. Her normally happy-go-lucky attitude was completely gone, replaced by intense seriousness. “Why would something be wrong?”

“You’re not acting as happy as you usually do.” Pinkie took another sip of her smoothie. “When you came in with Lyra yesterday you were happy, and now you’re not. Did something happen? Does it have to do with Lyra? Is that why you’re in town today? Is there something -”

“Pinkie.” For the second time that day, Kyle found himself speaking loudly and holding up his hand to cut off one of her energetic outbursts. “It’s nothing, really,” He lied. He took a sip of his own drink before looking back up. She clearly hadn’t bought it - her frown had deepened, and her eyes hadn’t left him. “Why are you so interested?” he asked

“Because you’re my friend!” Pinkie exclaimed. “And I want to make my friends smile! But I can tell something’s bothering you, and I want to help with whatever that is.”

Kyle chuckled and shook his head. “I appreciate it, Pinkie. I really do. But this is something a bit personal. I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help me.”

Pinkie’s lower lip stuck out. “Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“... How about a joke?”

“... Sure, go for it.”

Pinkies expression lifted. “Alright! So, what sound does a nut make when it sneezes?”

“Hm?”

“Cashew!”

Kyle couldn’t help himself. He snorted and brought his palm up to his face as a large grin broke out. This was apparently the reaction Pinkie was hoping for, for she also let out a giggle and smiled widely. “See?” she said. “Isn’t it better when you’re smiling?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Kyle nodded. “Thanks Pinkie. I’m actually feeling a bit better.”

“No problem!” Pinkie pushed herself out of her seat and balanced her empty plate and glass on her nose. “And if you decide you want to talk, you know where to find me.”

As Pinkie disappeared back into the kitchen, Kyle was left alone with his meal. It didn’t take him long to finish off his melt and coffee, and he fished into his pocket for some gold. A moment later, he was walking out of the bakery and out into the bright sunshine once more.

Even though Pinkie’s laid-back attitude had helped him somewhat, he still felt a sense of apprehension as he turned his feet towards Lyra’s house. Though not nearly as random as Pinkie, Lyra had her own quirks that made it difficult for him to predict behaviors and reactions from her. He was going to have to approach this with caution or else risk losing a friend. The thought alone nearly made him stop in his tracks.

Still, he knew he had to deal with this or it would quickly get out of hand. And so it was, a moment later, that he stood outside of Lyra’s door. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could just make out Fluttershy’s house on the hill at the end of the road. He just barely caught a glimpse of a large black bird swooping in through one of the windows.

All at once, Kyle’s apprehension came rushing back to him. He still had no idea how he was going to bring this up, how he was going to handle this whole mess. But just standing around worrying about it wouldn’t help either. “Guess I’m gonna just wing it…” he murmured. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out as a large sigh. “Let’s get this over with.” He raised his fist and knocked loudly on the door. He stood back and waited for the door to open.

No response.

Kyle raised an eyebrow as his knock at the door went unanswered. He raised his fist and knocked again. Still no answer. Not even the sound of hooves on wood. He reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, only to find that it was locked. Which probably meant that Lyra was not at home. “Work, maybe?” he thought to himself as he turned away. He still had a couple of other stops to make today. He’d try again later.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his second destination - the Golden Oaks Library. Just as before, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. This time, however, he could definitely hear movement from inside. Sure enough, a moment later the door swung open. But it wasn’t Twilight who stood on the other side.

“Oh, hey Kyle.” Spike raised his fist up to Kyle who bumped it with his own. He stood back and allowed Kyle to enter, closing the door behind them. “You’re just in time. Just finished making some lunch if you want some.”

Kyle shook his head. “No thanks, I just ate. I came here to talk to Twilight. Is she here?”

“No, she’s out today. Real busy helping for the pet center fundraiser tomorrow.” Spike cocked his head slightly. “What did you need?”

Kyle glanced down at the small Dragon. “I’m a little worried,” he admitted. “She was acting a bit strange yesterday, and I wanted to make sure she was alright.”

Concern instantly flooded Spike’s eyes. “So you noticed it too, huh?”

“You too?”

“Yep.” Spike glanced around the room before looking back up at Kyle. “She didn’t say anything, but she’s not exactly great at hiding her emotions. Plus the fact I’ve been living with her since I’ve been hatched, it was pretty obvious something’s bugging her.”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. I saw her in Sugarcube Corner, and she looked… well, depressed is the best way to put it. Which is unusual in and of itself, considering how her freak-outs usually go.”

“I’m not sure whether to be relieved or terrified about that…”

“You and me both. Got any idea what’s bugging her?”

Spike shook his head. “No clue. She was fine when she woke up yesterday, but later she said she was going out, and that’s when I first noticed something was up. She wouldn’t talk about it when I asked her last night, and she was gone when I woke up this morning.”

“Great.” Kyle let out a large sigh. “Well, mind letting her know that I dropped by when she gets back?”

“Sure thing.”

With that, Kyle turned and stepped back out into the street once more. He could feel the pressure building behind his temples as he moved away from the library. That was two stops that had ended with nothing accomplished, and there was nothing to guarantee that his final stop would end any better. For a moment, he contemplated simply giving up on his errands for the day and returning to Ironwall.

But no, that was out of the question. Just as there was no guarantee that Rarity would be at her boutique, there was also no guarantee that tomorrow he would have time to come back into town. If he wanted to get this done, he was just going to have to wait around in town until he could catch up with Lyra and Twilight. But first, he might as well check and see if he could at least check one item off of his list. With that thought in mind, he turned and started walking back towards the outskirts of town.

Soon enough, the unmistakable shape of Carousel Boutique came into view. Kyle walked up to the front door and stopped, listening intently. He couldn’t hear anything on the other side. He raised his hand, knocking on the third door that day. There was a moment of silence. And then, the unmistakable sound of hooves on a hard floor. Kyle sighed in relief. At least someone was home… though there was always the possibility that it was just Sweetie Belle.

An instant later, the door swung open. Rarity poked her head outside, still wearing the same outfit Kyle had seen her in earlier, and smiled as she saw who was on the other side. “Kyle! How wonderful to see you darling!” she exclaimed. “Please, come in, come in.” She stood aside as Kyle walked into the boutique, and the door closed shut behind him.

Kyle stood off to the side as Rarity trotted up the stairs. “Just a moment,” she called out. “I only just got in.”

“Take your time,” Kyle replied as he took a seat on the floor. He turned his head to look around the inside of the shop. Various mannequins (Pony-quins?) were scattered around the display room, showing off a variety of different dresses. They covered a vast spectrum of colors, from red to green to yellow and everything in between. One in particular, however, caught his eye. It had been pulled away from the rest on display, and was sitting next to a sewing machine. A piece of cloth laying on the machine seemed to match the same color scheme as the dress - a mixture of pale and darker blues. It was only half-complete, but even to Kyle’s untrained eye it was clear that the colors matched well… at least, so long as the Pony wearing it matched as well.

“So, Kyle dear, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Rarity’s voice echoed from the stairs. Kyle turned his head as she popped back into view, this time without her outfit on.

“Hey Rarity,” Kyle replied. “I was hoping you could give me a hand… er, hoof… with an outfit. Are you busy?”

“Not at the moment, no.” Rarity moved towards the mannequins still on display around the edge of the showroom. “Most of my orders have been completed. I only have the one left.” She nodded towards the half-complete dress Kyle had noticed earlier. “What sort of outfit were you looking for?”

“A suit. Nothing too fancy, just something nice that I could wear to a formal event.”

“Absolutely darling.” Rarities horn lit up, and a tape measurer flew out of a nearby dresser drawer. “I’d use your old measurements, but a more formal outfit requires more accurate measurements, and I’m guessing your size has changed slightly in the past few months. You know the routine. Shirt off.”

Kyle obliged, and tossed his shirt off to the side as he stood up on the small platform Rarity had pulled out. The tape measurer unwrapped itself and began wrapping around Kyle’s arm. Rarity levitated a pen and a pad of paper next to her, and began jotting down information.

“So, Kyle,” Rarity began after a moment of silence. “I assume there’s a reason for you to be asking for something like this. What’s the occasion?”

Kyle’s head twitched to the left slightly as the tape measurer began to measure the length of his neck. “I got an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala,” he replied. “I’m guessing I’d need something a bit fancier than what I normally wear.”

Rarity let out an exaggerated gasp, and the tape measurer froze in mid-air. “Absolutely!” she exclaimed. “Oh I’ve got the most marvelous idea!” The tape measurer began moving again, more quickly this time.

“Just… nothing flashy,” Kyle sighed. “I know how your ideas tend to be.”

Rarity tsk’d quietly. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to work with your… preferences,” she murmured. “You and little Spikey both don’t seem to comprehend true fashion…”Silence fell for a moment as the tape measurer moved on to Kyle’s other arm.

“You seemed particularly happy to see me when you came knocking,” Rarity began again. “Something I should know about?”

Kyle shook his head. “Not really. I came into town to get a few things done today, and it’s looking like this stop might be the only one that sees anything accomplished. Lyra and Twilight weren’t home when I dropped in. I was just happy that this wasn't a completely wasted trip."

“I can’t speak for Ms. Heartstrings, but of course Twilight wasn’t in.” Rarity paused the measuring tape for a moment and leaned in closer before scribbling on her pad again. “She’s flying all over town helping us prepare for the fundraiser tomorrow night. We've all been busy, especially Fluttershy, though I’m afraid I must rest for now. I must be ready to sing with the Ponytones tomorrow. You’ll be there, won’t you?”

“I’ll certainly try my best.”

“Twilight was actually in earlier this week looking for a new dress for the Gala as well,” Rarity continued. “None of her other dresses fit her since she became a princess.”

Kyle chuckled. “I guess growing a pair of wings will do that.”

“Not just that.” Rarity paused for a moment as the tape measurer flipped to the other side of Kyle’s body. “She’s also been growing a bit taller, and her dress slippers didn’t fit anymore. I wanted to make her a brand new design, but she insisted upon using the same design as her last Gala dress. Though that was one of my best pieces…”

“So which one is it? The purple one?”

“Oh it’s not done yet, silly.” Rarity nodded once more to the unfinished piece by the sewing machine. “It’s over there. I’m experimenting a bit with some of the new fabrics from Azeroth, and I have to say, I’ve found Windwool and Embersilk together make for some very interesting designs that I hope to work with later. But for Twilight’s dress, I’ve decided to go with Imperial Silk. It’s even softer than the silk I normally work with, and moisture doesn’t shrink it nearly as much.”

Kyle didn’t have much to say about that. He had only tried tailoring once, very briefly, and the disastrous results had discouraged him from ever so much as picking up a needle and thread again. The two fell into another period of silence as Rarity continued to take Kyle’s measurements. She wasn’t kidding when she said that she was being more accurate this time - It felt like she had checked the length from his elbow to his shoulder no less than five times.

“So… you’ve been to the Gala before, right?” Rarity nodded her confirmation. “What was it like? Twilight didn’t seem to care much for it.”

“Well if I’m perfectly honest, I think all six of us went into the Gala with our expectations set far too high.” Rarity closed her eyes and shuddered slightly. “The prince was nothing like the gentlecolt I had imagined. But aside from my crushed hopes and dreams, I suppose it wasn’t… that bad. Classy Ponies from all around Equestria show up, and I’m sure a few them could be quite charming. Oh, it might be crazy, but I almost wish that I could give it another chance this year. Especially with the new event the Princess has planned.”

“New event?” Warning bells started going off in the back of Kyle’s mind, and he stiffened even though he couldn’t tell what for. “What new event?”

Rarity didn’t seem to hear him. “Oh but I don’t even have anything to wear myself to such an event, and I’d certainly have to come up with something spectacular…” Kyle opened his mouth the cut her off, but she locked eyes with him and continued. “So, have you decided which lucky Pony you are going with?”

Kyle froze. “Uh… going with?”

“Yes, going with, darling.” She cocked her head to the side. “Didn’t you hear?”

“... Hear what?”

“That’s a no…” Rarity glanced away. “I suppose it is rather recent. Twilight only found out yesterday,” she said. “She was a bit nervous about it, I must admit. To celebrate our new friendship with your Alliance, Princess Celestia has announced that the Gala this year will also include a dance. Attendees are recommended to bring a partner to dance with, and… Are you feeling well, Kyle? You seem to have gone a bit… pale.”

Kyle barely nodded his head. “I uh… yeah, no, I’m… not so good…” he murmured. “Recommended you say? So I don’t… have to -”

“Nonsense, of course you do,” Rarity interrupted. “You’re the most well-known Human in Equestria. Everypony there will know who you are. If you were to show up without a date… well, that wouldn’t look very good for you.”

“Great…” Kyle sighed. Some of the color was beginning to return to his face as the shock wore off, though this did little to improve his mood. His mind flashed back to the last time that he had actually been on a date, and he realized that it had been years… those couple of months between the fall of the Lich King and the Cataclysm. Not to mention that he didn’t have anyone to take with him…

Rarity seemed to sense Kyle’s mental distress, for she kept her mouth closed. Instead, she simply continued to take her measurements as Kyle stood stock still on the platform. A few minutes passed before she set the pencil and paper aside and stowed her measuring tape back in the drawer. “Well Kyle, I’m done with your measurements, and I’ll come up with a few sketches tonight. If you could see me after the performance tomorrow we’ll discuss which one you like best and go from there.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Oh chin up there,” Rarity soothed. “You’ve taken on the Sha. Are you really going to be afraid of a dance?”

Kyle didn’t respond as he stooped down and snatched his shirt off of the floor. He pulled it back over his head and moved towards the door. He stepped outside, closing the door to the boutique behind him. On instinct, his gaze went to the sun. To his surprise, it was already making its way down towards the western horizon, though there would still likely be another hour or two of day left before sunset.

Without thinking about it, Kyle found himself moving away from the boutique. With this latest news, he didn’t think he could deal with his talk with Lyra right now. Besides which, if she was at work, it was almost certain that she wasn’t home yet. As for stopping by Twilight’s to see what was bothering her… well, it seemed like he had his answer.

Before he knew it, Kyle was wandering into the park. Just as the day before, the open area was full of Ponies and Azerothians alike enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. And just as the day before, Kyle found that the large oak next to his training spot was untaken. He settled down amongst the roots, but soon found that he couldn’t get himself comfortable. So instead, he reached up and grabbed a low-hanging branch, using that to get himself up into the tree. He climbed higher and higher until he found a particularly large branch near the top. This time, he found himself becoming more comfortable as he settled down against the trunk and closed his eyes.

But even though he found himself in a comfortable spot in the tree, his mind was far less comfortable. Who was he going to ask to the dance? It was almost laughable, the situation in which he now found himself. It felt like the dilemma one would face in their last years of schooling, not when commanding a military town the size of Goldshire. And yet the fact still remained - he didn’t have a clue.

There was always the possibility of going back to Azeroth or searching through Ponyville for a fellow Human to dance with, or possibly a Night Elf. That option almost seemed preferable, were it not for the awkwardness that Kyle knew such an encounter would bring. Besides which, most of the Azerothians that had come through were males, and those that were female had almost always come with a husband. And a trip to Azeroth purely for such a purpose sounded more and more ridiculous by the second. So no, he’d have to limit it to those already in Equestria, and those he already knew. He let out a small yawn and began to go through his list.

Lyra was right out. As soon as her name crossed his mind, he crossed it off. Asking her to go to the gala with him would only encourage her to continue to try to win his heart, which was the exact opposite of what he intended to do. “No. Not Lyra,” he yawned, louder this time. “Out of the question.”

Filwin? Again, he quickly tossed that idea out the window as he rubbed his eyes and yawned again. Besides the ethical grey-area that he would enter into as a commander asking a subordinate on a date, just from a logistics standpoint it wouldn’t make any sense. Though tall by Gnomish standards, Filwin still only barely came up to Kyle’s waist. If they were going to dance, she’d have to be standing on stilts. So not Filwin.

Rarity? … maybe. She was a friend of his, though not one of his close friends. And she not only had experience with the Gala already, but had already expressed at least some interest in returning. He’d definitely have to… keep her… in mind…

---

Kyle awoke shivering. The sun was long gone behind the horizon, and the chill of the night had begun to settle in. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he carefully clambered back down the tree and started out towards the outskirts of town, back towards Ironwall. As he passed by Lyra’s street, he hesitated for a split second before turning. Alas, the lights in her house were still dark, indicating that she was either already asleep or still not home. He retraced his steps and continued out of the town towards his garrison.

So far, his best option seemed to be Rarity. Though his still-sleepy mind hadn’t gone through a comprehensive list by any means, she seemed to fit the bill pretty well. Comfortable in a high-class setting, experienced with the Gala and interested in returning, and a Pony he was already comfortable spending some time with.

Still, it was too late to be making such a decision. The moon was already high overhead as he stepped back in through the gates of Ironwall, and he earned a confused look from the watchguard who had thought him to already be within the walls. Aside from himself and the occasional patrol, the entire garrison was asleep - something he was thankful for. He slipped into his room, prepared for sleep, and settled himself into his bed.

Again, his best option seemed to be Rarity. But again, he knew he hadn’t gone through all of his options before dozing off that afternoon. He’d be sure to keep her in mind when he ran through a comprehensive list. Tomorrow. But for now, he closed his eyes and curled up. Slowly, sleep returned to him, and he drifted off.

Author's Note:

Yeah but that season 5 premier tho...

Comments

[Sable Dawn]

Who else wishes to see more stuff with Fluttershy and the druids, ether her being trained to be a druid or something funnier like ALL the druids becoming infatuated with her due to her influence on the their animal forms.
Or just picture this, a scene similar to the one where Fluttershy judoed a bear, but instead of Twilight it's Kyle and instead of a normal bear it is a bear form druid.

[Marenteius]

Hehe, nice chapter. My sense of timing says that this is coming to a head, next few chapters should be VERY interesting... maybe some unexpected guests at the Gala (At the gala!). Now then, time to watch that premier i forgot about.

[Warcrafter80]

I actually expect the horde to crash the gala along with their new allies, The *insert Equuis race here*

[The Twisted Shadow]

The Kyle/Lyra ship lives on!!

[The Warrior Scholar]

Commence the twikyle

[Brony4726]

Filwin? Again, he quickly tossed that idea out the window as he rubbed his eyes and yawned again. Besides the ethical grey-area that he would enter into as a commander asking a subordinate on a date, just from a logistics standpoint it wouldn’t make any sense. Though tall by Gnomish standards, Filwin still only barely came up to Kyle’s waist. If they were going to dance, she’d have to be standing on stilts. So not Filwin.

Noooooooo. My ship is ruined.