//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Beyond the Portal // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// Kyle flinched backwards as a pair of black claws lashed out at him, missing his nose by less than an inch. The creature let out a small noise that sounded vaguely reminiscent of a grunt as it spun around, lashing out with its other set of claws. Kyle was forced to flip backwards to avoid the attack, landing on his feet a few feet away from his enemy. Kyle took a second to eye this final opponent. He had already cleared the rest of the pools in the clearing, saving the biggest one for last. Unlike the other Sha he had already vanquished, this one was larger - not as big as one of the Prime Sha, not by a long shot, but its body was configured in much the same way, missing only the spike-like protrusions that counted as legs. Instead, its torso and head were seemingly floating in the air. The Sha charged once more, both sets of claws flailing at him. Time seemed to slow as Kyle braced himself for the assault. His eyes flashed as he saw his opportunity. Kyle took a step backward to avoid the first slash. The second one forced him to jump backwards, and as anticipated, the Sha pressed its perceived advantage. The third slash was aimed at Kyle’s chest, but he was no longer there. He rolled under the Sha’s talons, coming right up next to the monster before lashing out with his own strike. His fist connected with the Sha’s skeletal jaw with enough force to launch it skyward. Kyle leapt into the air after his foe, grabbing its right arm and hurling the Sha back to the ground. The Sha landed hard, shaking the ground with the force of the impact. The Sha tried to push itself off of the ground, but it was too late. Kyle’s foot was glowing with green energy as he fell, aiming a Flying Serpent Kick right at the Sha. His foot connected with its face, smashing straight through and finally vanquishing his opponent. Kyle pulled his foot out of the dissolving remains of the Sha and turned to look at the pool that had spawned it. Already, the pool was shrinking, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake. “Hoo-wee. Ya’ll weren’t foolin’ when ya said there might be trouble.” Kyle turned his head to see Applejack and Thunderlane emerging from the brush. they were covered in small scratches, and Applejack had a few leaves in her mane, but they were otherwise unharmed. “No kidding.” he replied, looking back at the Sha pool. “There must have been a dozen of these pools when Derpy and I first got here.” “Yeah, we heard her scream and came runnin’” Applejack said, stepping forward and looking around. “Figured ya’ll found somethin’. Speakin’ of, where’s Derpy?” “I sent her back to Ponyville.” Kyle said. “She went to tell Twilight and the other element bearers and bring them here.” “Did you find Rumble?” Thunderlane asked, looking around. “Or the others?” “No sign of them yet. Which, given what we DID find here, I’d say is a good thing. I’d be really worried if we’d found them here.” Thunderlane sighed and trotted over towards the opposite edge of the clearing, where he began searching the ground. “Which Sha are we up against now?” Applejack asked. “I wasn’t paying too much attention.” Kyle admitted. “I can barely sense these minor Sha when I shield myself from them, which I did before I fought them. Even that last one -” “I found something!” Thunderlane yelled, cutting Kyle off. Kyle ran over to the Pegasus and looked down at what Thunderlane was showing him. Encased in the dirt were several sets of hoofprints, with a large pink bow next to it. More concerning, however, where the small droplets of Sha energy following the hoofprints. “Not good.” Kyle murmured, different scenarios playing out in his head. None of them were pleasant. “Alright, so the foals went this way, and were either following a Sha… or were followed by one.” Kyle gulped nervously. “Applejack, you stay here and make sure the others find the trail. Thunderlane, with me.” Both Ponies nodded, and Kyle and Thunderlane charged off into the brush. As the pair followed the trail, Kyle paid careful attention to Thunderlane. As emotional as he was, it wouldn’t be hard for even a minor Sha to take control. Thunderlane’s face didn’t betray any fear or anger, however - simply determination. Kyle sent a silent prayer to the Light as they burst through a particularly dense clump of foliage. On the other side of the brush was a sheer cliff face. Surrounding the rock wall were numerous pools of Sha energy, with three Sha already out and about. A cave sat right in the middle of the cliff, with the trail quickly sloping down and to the left. The trail of sha droplets led straight into the cave. Kyle growled. No doubt, the foals were in that cave, or had passed through it at least. And with the Sha surrounding it… “Thunderlane, stay back.” Kyle hissed quietly. “The Sha are powerful foes. I’ll take care of them, you watch my back.” Without waiting for a response, Kyle leapt forward, his hands crackling with jade energy. The Sha closest to him spun around just in time to get blasted with a burst of green lightning, vaporizing it instantly. The remaining Sha hissed and slithered forward. The first one leapt with surprising speed, and Kyle was forced to sidestep to avoid the lunge. He ducked and rolled away, landing on his feet just in time to duck under the second remaining Sha. With the two Sha now between him and Thunderlane, the Sha were unlikely to notice Kyle’s companion. The Sha slowly advanced, and Kyle took a step backwards. A terribly familiar, creeping cold raced up his leg. Kyle’s mind was bombarded by powerful, dark urges. Urges to tell others what was not true, to lie and cheat for his own gain... Kyle forcibly shoved the urges away and yanks his foot forward, looking down. A look of horror and dread spread across his face as he fully realized what had happened. He had backed into a monstrous pool of Sha energy, and already multiple Sha were spawning from the pool. A screeching sound brought Kyle’s attention back to the original two Sha. The first one had leapt once more, its massive jaw snapping for Kyle’s throat. Kyle braced himself and grabbed the Sha, hurling it into the pool of energy. An instant later, the second Sha was lunging at him as well. Kyle’s hand glowed red for a split second before a bolt of green fire shot forward. The Spinning Fire Blossom impacted with the second Sha and exploded, destroying the target. Kyle smiled for a split second before turning to face the pool. Multiple Sha were springing forth, and the final remaining Sha from the original trio was recovering from the tumble Kyle had sent it on. He leapt backwards, preparing for the ensuing battle. As he landed, something fell off of his belt and fell to the ground. Kyle reached down and picked it up, examining it. It was his pouch, filled to the brim with Mana Brew. Kyle grimaced, regretting not bringing his second pouch with Energizing Brew. The Mana Brew wouldn’t help him enough to deal with all of these Sha. Unless… An idea sparked to life in Kyle’s head. A crazy, insane idea, but one that he had seen work a few times before. Other Monks had demonstrated this technique back at the Peak of Serenity, and while he had personally never done it before, he knew how to do it. Or at least, he hoped he did. “Hey! Come get me!” he yelled, waving his arms at the Sha. A dozen large, black and white heads swiveled to look at the offending noise. As one, the army of Sha screeched and rushed forward, a swarming, writhing mass of black and white. Kyle grinned and took a small sip of his Mana Brew, but did not swallow it. He then gripped the pouch in both hands and tore it apart before hurling the remains at the incoming Sha. The Brew splashed all over the Sha, dousing them in the energized cider. As the first Sha prepared to leap, Kyle grimaced. Show time. he thought grimly as he gathered the Chi in his hands, cupping them around his mouth. Jolts of Jade Lightning shot from his palms, forming a web of electricity in front of his lips. He spat the Brew from his mouth, through the electric web. Kyle’s eyes lit up in excitement as the result he had been hoping for played out before his eyes. The alcohol in the Cider was ignited by the electricity, sending a stream of fire forth from his mouth. The flames reached the Cider-soaked Sha, igniting them as well. The screeches of anger were replaced by wails of agony as the monsters scattered, trying desperately to extinguish the flames. One by one, the Sha fell, consumed by the blaze. Kyle lowered his hands, the electricity fizzling out. He turned to face Thunderlane , who was staring at Kyle, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. “Hey, pull yourself together.” Kyle laughed. “How… how did you do that?” Thunderlane asked in disbelief. “Chi.” Kyle replied. “It’s too complicated to get into right now.” Kyle’s face took on a much more serious composure. “We’ve got work to do.” Kyle turned and followed the sha droplets into the cave, with Thunderlane close behind. Even though the Sha’s presence was very strong, Kyle saw no more Sha pools. Kyle’s nervousness was quickly growing as they progressed further down the tunnel with no sign of either the foals or any more Sha. With Sha presence this strong, and no Sha visible, The chances of there being a Prime Sha around were very high. “Hey, Kyle, you see that?” Kyle blinked and squinted, looking forward. Ahead in the distance, Kyle could see what looked like a large cavern. “Yeah. Be careful. Perfect spot for an ambush.” he warned, creeping forward. Thunderlane gulped nervously and followed behind as Kyle poked his head into the cavern. No Sha presented themselves, even though their presence was stronger than ever before. Kyle gingerly stepped into the cavern, looking around. The cavern was massive, easily the size of the Trade District back home. Stalagmites and stalactites dotted the floor and ceiling. In the ceiling lay a small hole, allowing a small trickle of sunlight to fall into the center of the cavern. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to see a good portion of the room. Most curious of all, however, was what rested on the opposite side of the cavern. From Kyle’s position, they looked like large, green cocoons. They were not a natural part of the cavern - their odd coloration and strange glow made that perfectly clear. Kyle walked closer, examining the cocoons as he approached. Kyle froze as he saw what the cocoons held. Behind him, he could hear a sharp intake of breath as Thunderlane made the same observation. “RUMBLE!” he yelled, running forward towards the cocoon. A spike of Sha energy surged through Kyle’s senses, and his eyes flew open in panic. “Thunderlane, get back!” he screamed. Thunderlane turned to look at Kyle, but continued running. A faint hissing sound resounded through the cavern before a bolt of black energy flew from the shadows, striking Thunderlane in the side. The force of the impact hurled him through the air and into a stalagmite. The pegasus slumped to the ground, unmoving. A second bolt of black energy launched itself from the shadows. Kyle hopped to the side as the bolt impacted right where he had been standing. Kyle spun his head towards where the energy had been launched from. Though the corner was shrouded in darkness, Kyle could vaguely make out a small shape. “Come out! You can’t hide from me!” he yelled, his hands crackling with Chi energy. For a moment, the shape didn’t move. Then, slowly, it inched forward, moving from behind the stalagmite concealing it. The sunlight fell upon the creature, revealing a small orange body with a magenta mane. “No…” Kyle whispered in horror, his blood freezing. Scootaloo smirked. “I see you have come at last.” she said, her voice echoed by a second, deeper, darker voice. Her entire being radiated with Sha Power, and her eyes were wreathed in black, flame-like energy. “The mighty hero, come to save the innocent foals, as he promised. But you are too late.” “Let her go!” Kyle yelled, his voice shaking. “You know that that will not happen.” Scootaloo grinned wickedly. “That it cannot happen. And even if I could leave… why would I do something like that?” She asked, chuckling darkly. “This little filly invited me into her heart with open hooves. It would be terribly rude to abandon her, as you did.” “I never abandoned her!” “But you did. You gave her a glimmer, a scrap of hope that she may one day find control. And then you told her to control her own emotions. To find her own way. You refused to train her as you know she should have been. Her anger truly was justified… ” “What are you talking about, monster?” “Is it not obvious?” Scootaloo smirked once more, circling Kyle. “She knew you all treated her like a little foal. She knew you wouldn’t train her to fight because of her age, and her age alone.” “And she hated it. She hated being treated like a foal. She kept telling herself, and the rest of the world, that she was a big Pony. That she didn’t need anypony else’s help with anything, that she could take care of herself. A small little lie, a way to cope with her loneliness and isolation while her friends and family were too busy to help her. Perhaps, in the end, she even came to believe it herself.” “And so she opened her heart to me. The Sha of Deceit.” Kyle was rooted to the spot, frozen in horror. The Sha had claimed their first victim. An innocent filly, taken and possessed by the essence of evil. “Kyle!” Scootaloo’s smirk disappeared and was replaced with a frown as Kyle turned his head towards the entrance of the cavern. Twilight was standing at the entrance to the tunnel, with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy behind her. Scootaloo growled, and her hooves crackled with black energy. Kyle spun and rolled away just as the ground below him erupted in a pillar of energy. He landed on his feet and launched into a Flying Serpent Kick, landing just in front of the new arrivals. “Kyle, what’s going on?” Twilight asked. “Where’s Applejack?” Kyle asked, not bothering to answer her question. “Applejack took Derpy back to Ponyville. Derpy was pretty shaken up. Applejack said she’d be along as soon as Derpy was safe.” Twilight looked past Kyle, staring at Scootaloo. “Now, do you mind explaining what’s going on here?” “The Sha.” Kyle said quietly, his voice hollow. He hung his head in defeat “The Prime Sha of Deceit has taken control of her. She’s its slave now.” “Not on my watch!” Rainbow Dash cried, her wings flaring out. “Just tell us what to do and we’ll save her! So, what’s the plan?” “There is only one plan, Dash.” Kyle whispered quietly. “We’re too late. She’s already fully enthralled by its corruption. There is only one way to release her from its grip now.” He raised his head, his eyes glistening. “Death,” Everyone gasped and stared at Kyle with wide eyes. For a moment, no one moved. Finally, Rarity stepped forward. “Darling, you cannot seriously be saying that we must… kill… this filly.” she challenged. “Nopony could do that!” “Then we damn her to an eternity of enslavement!” Kyle yelled with surprising force. “A fate worse than death!” “But there has to be another way!” Twilight countered, her voice panicked. “ANY other way than killing a foal!” “No. I’ve tried before. There is no other way.” He turned to face Scootaloo, who was now staring at the group with an amused expression. “Maybe you’ve never performed a mercy killing before. Ended the life of a friend who was suffering. But I have.” Kyle felt something roll down his cheek, but didn’t bother to wipe it away. “And now I must do it again.” Kyle took one look over his shoulder. “Do not interfere.” he said quietly. Without another word, he charged forward, his fists glowing jade green. Scootaloo smirked and braced herself, her hooves shimmering with a black aura. Kyle felt another trickle roll down his cheek as he reached her, lashing out with his right fist. Scootaloo ducked below the blow and aimed her own at Kyle’s torso, barely missing as he swept past her. She spun around and reared up on her hind legs, balancing surprisingly well as she blocked and parried a barrage of blows Kyle rained down upon her. As Kyle prepared to sweep her legs out from under her, she opened her mouth and unleashed a torrent of Sha energy, forcing Kyle to lean backwards to avoid being blasted by the attack. A swift kick to his left knee knocked him to the ground. Kyle rolled to his right, barely avoiding Scootaloo’s hooves as she slammed them back into the rock. Kyle pushed himself back to his feet and rolled away, avoiding another blast of Sha energy as he ducked behind a pillar to catch his breath. “You cannot hide from me” Scootaloo yelled as hoofsteps echoed through the cavern. Kyle glanced off to his left and spotted the other five Ponies, huddled behind another stalagmite outcropping. To his right, he could barely make out the crumpled form of Thunderlane. “No. This has gone on long enough.” Kyle hissed, his hands glowing green once more. “I’m sorry Scootaloo.” Kyle leapt out from behind his pillar and thrust his right hand forward. Flames sprung to life in his palms, and he released the spell, firing the Spinning Fire Blossom right at Scootaloo. She growled and opened her mouth, unleashing her own blast of black energy. The two spells collided and swirled together for a moment, Sha energy mixing with Chi, before detonating in a ground-shaking explosion. For a time, Scootaloo could see nothing. The smoke and dust released by the explosion obscured her vision. She growled, spinning slowly on the spot, trying to find her target. A cry of anger was all the warning she got, and she spun around just in time to see Kyle flying out of the dust cloud, aiming a Flying Serpent Kick right at her. His foot connected with her torso, hurling her away. She landed against the wall of the cavern. In seconds, Kyle was there, his right hand around her throat and pinning her against the wall. She struggled desperately, pushing against his hand with her hooves, but the Sha energy flowing through her wasn’t enough to overpower the Human. Kyle’s left hand glowed with green energy again as he prepared to deal the killing blow. But before he could finish his opponent, he paused. Memories of his first encounter with Scootaloo flashed through his mind. Her stubborn insistence that she could do things by herself, her first attempt to strike him, her first attempt at meditation. Her improvement after only a day. After only two weeks, being able to sense Chi. So much potential… Kyle thought sadly, pulling his fist back. His strike never landed. His fist hovered in the air, inches away from Scootaloo’s face. Her eyes burned with anger and hatred, and Kyle knew that the Sha was in complete control. But he couldn’t strike her. Even to save her from a fate worse than death, he couldn’t bring himself to kill her. Rarity was right. I can’t do it. “Fool!” Scootaloo cackled. A torrent of Sha energy erupted from her mouth, blasting Kyle in the chest. Kyle howled as he was hurled away, landing in the center of the cavern. He groaned, trying to push himself back up, but found that he couldn’t. The blast had seared his skin and drained him of energy, leaving him weak and injured. Scootaloo cackled as she strode over towards Kyle. A blast of purple energy erupted from behind the stalagmite Twilight was hiding behind, but Scootaloo barely paid it any mind. Instead, her hooves glowed black once more, and a barrier of sha-colored flames rose, separating her and Kyle from the others. “You are weak.” she growled, kicking Kyle in the side and sending him tumbling. “Your emotions caused you to hesitate. That is why today, victory is mine.” Scootaloo placed her hoof on Kyle’s chest, pressing down hard. “Now, Monk… you will die. And tomorrow, all of Equestria will fall before my brethren and me!” Kyle shut his eyes, preparing for the end. It never came. Scootaloo’s laughter switched to a gasp of shock. Kyle felt the pressure on his chest vanish, and he opened his eyes. Scootaloo was recoiling, looking at the tunnel entrance in fear. Standing in the opening was an orange-coated Pony wearing a familiar cowboy hat. “Stay back!” Scootaloo hissed, backing away from Applejack. Kyle grinned as a plan formed in his mind. “Twilight, block all teleportation!” he called out. “Nothing in, nothing out!” Twilight didn’t answer, but the hum of magic and a flash of purple light provided all the response he needed. Scootaloo’s eyes shot wide open in fear, and she continued to back away, more rapidly this time. “Alright Applejack. Go and touch her.” he called out, slowly pushing himself to his feet. “It’s the Sha of Deceit! You’re the Element of Honesty! It’s weak against you!” Applejack grinned, and took off towards Scootaloo at a full gallop. Scootaloo yelped and turned heel, running from Applejack. She buzzed her wings furiously, but couldn’t get the lift required to take off. She was grounded. She was fast, but without her scooter she couldn’t hope to outrun the larger strides of a fully-grown mare. The black energy surrounding Scootaloo’s eyes began to fade, and her steps became more clumsy. No…” She hissed, raising a hoof in a vain attempt to stop the inevitable. “I have worked too hard… for it to end like this!” “So have we.” Applejack spat, touching Scootaloo’s snout with her hoof. An ear-shattering scream resonated through the room. The black energy faded completely from Scootaloo’s eyes, and her body writhed in agony. A black mist emerged from her mouth, twisting and squirming furiously. Scootaloo’s scream was quickly replaced by a deep, dark, guttural howling coming from the mist. Slowly, the mist dissolved, leaving only a small black shard hovering in mid-air. The shard fell out of the air and clattered to the ground. The Sha of Deceit was dead. Scootaloo collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Kyle ran over as quickly as his body would allow, stumbling a few times from fatigue. He finally fell to the ground next to her, placing one ear to her chest. Nothing could be heard over his own breathing. Kyle took a deep breath and held it, listening carefully. … … Ba-bump. Ba-bump. “Alive!” he sighed, relief washing over him. “She’s alive!” All at once, the pair was surrounded by six sets of hooves. “Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked, her voice barely a whisper. “I’ve had worse.” Kyle shrugged Fluttershy’s concern off. “Don’t worry about me. Take care of Scootaloo and… Thunderlane!” Kyle suddenly remember the other Pony who had entered the cavern with him, and he sat up, looking over towards where Thunderlane had been thrown. The Pony in question was pushing himself to his feet, a bit unsteady but very much alive. “Nice of you to finally remember me.” Thunderlane smirked, spreading his wings and shaking the dust from them. “That was a hell of a fight you put up. Dunno what it was all about, but I’m guessing we won.” “Yeah. We won.” Kyle sighed. “Rainbow Dash, get Scootaloo to the hospital. I’m not sure if she’s hurt, but I don’t want to take any chances.” Rainbow Dash bent down and picked up the orange Filly before spreading her wings and soaring out of the cavern. “Everyone else, let’s get the others out of those… things.” Kyle continued, pointing towards the cocoons the other foals were trapped in. Kyle could feel the tension in the room amplify as the Ponies looked towards the cocoons. They hesitated for a brief moment before Applejack stepped forward. She walked over to one of the cocoons and slammed a hoof into it, punching through the membrane. A small yellow head poked out of the hole, smiling. “Applejack!” she cried, leaping into her sister’s hooves. Pinkie Pie bounced forward as the two sisters held each other close. “Come on, sleepy heads, time to wake up!” she said happily, tearing the other two cocoons apart. Rumble and Dinky pulled themselves out of the cocoons, looking shaken but unharmed. Kyle turned and held Twilight back as the other Ponies walked forward to comfort the frightened foals. “I’m probably going to regret asking this,” he began, “but… have you seen this before? Those cocoons, I mean?” Twilight paused for a moment before nodding her head slowly. “Yes. Once before, about seven months ago. My friends and I, and even Princess Celestia… we were all captured and webbed up in cocoons like those before the perpetrator was defeated by Princess Cadence and my brother..” “And who was behind it? Whoever it was, they’re in league with the Sha.” “I know. And that’s what worries me.” Twilight sighed, glancing over at the other Ponies before turning her head back to Kyle. “The Changelings.”