Beyond the Portal

by Firestar463


Chapter 26

A thin sliver of light from the rising sun filtered in through the curtains, casting a soft glow through the room. The light slowly crept further down the wall as the sun rose, until it shone directly onto the bed pressed up against the far wall. A bed which would normally still be occupied, but today was not.

Instead, Kyle was already awake. In fact, he had been awake for nearly two hours at this point. He was sat at a desk near the door, a small candle burning at the corner of the table. On the floor next to him were two pouches, now completely empty but still laced with the distinct smell of cider.

Kyle picked one of the pouches up and brought it to his lips. He frowned and tipped the pouch upside down, watching as a single drop fell from the bottle onto the floor. “Out of Energizing Brew. Again,” he muttered, letting the pouch drop back to the ground. “Swear, it feels like I just made more last night.”

“Oh wait… I did…”

Kyle ran his fingers through his hair, stretching his neck for a moment before leaning back over the table. In front of him was a sheet of parchment, stretched taut and held down by a small set of hooks. A jar of blue-green ink sat beside the parchment, as well as multiple brushes of various sizes and thicknesses. Each brush was coated in the ink. Kyle picked the smallest brush up and peered down at the parchment, which was covered from top to bottom with various runes and symbols.

Kyle brought the brush down and began to create a new line, curving it slightly to connect two runes together. As he finished, he brought the brush up and studied the parchment carefully, squinting own at various sections of the parchment. “That should be it…” he murmured quietly. “... So why isn’t it working?”

Kyle continued to study the parchment, peering over every last detail. Finally, his eyes fixated on one spot. “That’s why,” he chuckled lightly, bringing the small brush down again. He carefully adjusted one line that had not been fully connected to the symbol it was supposed to touch. He finished his correction and pulled the brush back, staring at the parchment once more.

Seconds went by. Then a full minute. Two minutes. Nothing happened. Kyle close his eyes and rubbed his temples, groaning. “Bloody hell…” he growled. “Now what’s wrong?”

A small flash of light penetrated his eyelids, causing them to open. Small swirls of energy were flowing through the air, swirling around the parchment and stirring up a light breeze. As the energy faded into the parchment, the ink began to shimmer slightly, producing a barely visible glow. Another set of runes began to form at the top of the parchment. These runes were a deep, dark brown, appearing against the parchment like a burn from a flame.

Finally, the runes finished forming, and the energy swirling into the parchment faded. Kyle bent over once more and peered at the two new runes that had formed at the top of the parchment. They were disconnected from the symbols Kyle had drawn. He looked them over and recognized them from the Night Elf alphabet. One symbol represented the letter ‘Z’, and the other represented the letter ‘F’.

Kyle dropped the brush back onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, a smile forming on his face. “Finally,” he sighed. He stretched out his fingers, which had begun to cramp from the hours of precise brush-work.

Kyle’s gaze was drawn towards the window. The sunlight was now shining on the floor at the foot of the bed. Kyle’s eyes shot open, and his head snapped towards the clock next to the door.

“Eight-Thirty!” Kyle yelped, jumping to his feet. “I’m supposed to be at the park already!” Kyle scrambled over to the door and bolted into the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face before pulling his shirt off and replacing it with a new one.

“Can’t believe it. I tell her not to be late every week, and yet I’m the one that ends up being tardy first,” he muttered as he ran down the stairs, hopping over the banister to land in the middle of the library. He ran for the door and pulled on the handle, growling as the door refused to budge. He checked the deadbolt, but the door was not locked. He hissed through his teeth and ran towards one of the windows.

“Hold it!”

Kyle froze in the middle of opening the window and glanced over his shoulder. Standing behind him at the entrance to the basement was Twilight. She was staring at him, and had a scroll floating in the air beside her.

“Sorry Twilight. No time to talk,” Kyle said quickly, throwing the window open entirely. “I’m late enough as it is. Gotta get to the park. Scoots is already there,”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Twilight explained, slamming the window shut. “I locked the door with magic so that you wouldn’t leave before I could talk to you. It’ll only take a minute,” She added as she noticed the impatience on Kyle’s face. “It’s important.”

“Go on.”

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are coming here,” Twilight explained. “As in, on their way. Right now. They want all of the Element-Bearers here, as well as you and Scootaloo. It sounds urgent.”

“What? But we’ve got practice today!” Kyle exclaimed.

“I know. And so do the Princesses. Which is why you should bring Scootaloo here anyway,” Twilight replied. “They said they want you training her. If they’re calling you and Scootaloo away from that training, it has to be important.”

Kyle rubbed his chin. “Valid point,” he conceded. “Alright. I’ll bring her back here. What about Rarity and Applejack and everyone else?”

“Spike’s already on his way to Fluttershy’s cottage, and then to Applejack’s. I’m going to go get Pinkie and Rarity and Owlowiscious is going to get Rainbow Dash,”

“Owlowiscious? The owl?” Kyle asked. “But how -”

“I gave him a letter to give to Dash,” Twilight interrupted.

“Man… I’ve heard of carrier pigeons and even carrier griffons, but carrier owls? That’s a new one,” Kyle muttered. “Alright, I’ll get Scootaloo. Shouldn’t take too long.”

Twilight’s horn flashed, and the door swung open. Kyle turned and ran out of the library, with Twilight right behind him. She spread her wings and took to the air, flying off towards Carousel Boutique, while Kyle angled himself towards the park.

A few minutes later, Kyle arrived outside of their normal grove of trees. He took a moment to recover his composure, slow his breathing, and wipe a few beads of sweat from his forehead. he reached out and pushed his way through the trees making his way towards the usual clearing.

A cool wind whipped past Kyle’s face as he entered the clearing. As expected, Scootaloo was already there. What Kyle had not been expecting was to see her floating. She was hovering a few inches off the ground in a sitting position, her eyes closed and her face the very image of serenity. A small circle of jade-green bubbles circled around her and a breeze blew around the clearing.

Kyle sat down at the edge of the clearing and leaned back against the tree roots, waiting. Soon, Scootaloo opened one eye, looking at him. Instantly, the wind died down, and the bubbles disappeared as well. Scootaloo fell a couple of inches down to the ground, landing with a light thump.

“I thought I sensed your Chi,” she commented, looking over at him. “What took you so long?”

Kyle shrugged. “I got up early to work on a little project. It ran a bit longer than I expected.”

Scootaloo smirked. “And all those times you told me not to be late -”

“Moving on,” Kyle interrupted, earning a laugh from his apprentice. “Unfortunately, training will have to be postponed for today.”

Scootaloo’s laughter died down instantly. “What? Why?” she asked.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are coming to Ponyville,” Kyle explained. “Apparently, they have something very important to tell Twilight, and they want you and me to be there as well.”

“Awww…” Scootaloo pouted. “I thought you said we were gonna learn something special today.”

“Sorry. It’ll have to wait,” Kyle sighed, pushing himself back to his feet. “Cmon. The Princesses will be here soon. Let’s get going.”

The two pushed their way back out of the grove, earning a strange look from a pair of passing Ponies as they emerged from the trees. Scootaloo walked over to her scooter and hopped on. She suddenly grinned, and slowly looked over at Kyle.

“Race ya.”

Kyle felt himself smirk. “You think you can get to the library faster than me?”

“Nope. I know I can get to the library faster than you.”

Scootaloo’s wings buzze furiously, and her scooter rocketed away in a cloud of dust. Kyle laughed and sprinted off after her, dodging around yet another pair of Ponies.

Scootaloo’s scooter was fast, but unable to maneuver well through the thick crowds wandering the streets as they began their morning. She was constantly forced to brake and weave in and out of Ponies, keeping her from her top speed.

Kyle, meanwhile, quickly made his way to the rooftops, preferring to avoid the crowds that Scootaloo was slogging through. He dashed across the roofs, his boots clacking loudly against the shingles. Down below, he saw Scootaloo navigating the busy streets, and he laughed out loud as he hopped over to the next building, unhampered by anything save for the occasional gap between buildings.

Sure enough, Kyle arrived at the library a few seconds before Scootaloo screeched to a halt. “No fair!” she pouted, tossing off her helmet. “You ran on the roofs!”

“No one said that I had to stick to the streets,” Kyle pointed out.

“Yeah, but… but… oh come on!”

“Always remember to think outside the box,” Kyle chuckled. “Oftentimes, the best answer just requires you to look at things from a different perspective.” Kyle’s face returned to its neutral expression as he pushed the door to the library and stepped inside, with Scootaloo right behind him.

As he closed the door behind them, Kyle noticed that most of the group was already present. Twilight was looking nervous as she sat on the sofa between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, both of whom bore their usual masks of calmness. Behind them stood Discord, clicking his claws together impatiently. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were seated on various bean-bag chairs, or else on the wooden floor, while Spike was leaning back in a chair, looking bored. Kyle pulled a chair over and took a seat as well, with Scootaloo right beside him. As he settled in, the sound of rustling wings drew his attention. Owlowiscious flew over his head and landed on his usual perch with a loud HOO, eyes fixed on Kyle. A moment later, Rainbow Dash soared in through the window, landing next to Scootaloo.

“Now that we are all here, I believe it is time to bring you up to date with the current situation,” Celestia began. “Discord, please inform us of what you told me last night.”

“Very well.” Discord snapped his claws, and a large, slender stick appeared in his outstretched paw. A map of Equestria also popped into existence. “I have been keeping tabs on all of the Sha activity in Equestria. There was some activity in Ponyville a week ago - The Sha of Misery, which was defeated before I could inform anypony.” He snapped his claws again, and a red circle appeared over an area of land labeled “Badlands”. He tapped the circle with the stick. “Otherwise, the Sha have remained in the Badlands, near the Changeling Hives, far to the south of the Everfree Forest. Until last night.”

“What do you mean?” Kyle asked.

“The Sha are becoming active. In a big way.” Discord explained. He snapped his claws for a third time, and a red arrow snaked its way out of the red circle to the north, around Ponyville and Canterlot, towards the Frozen North. “Not just one of them, either. All three surviving Prime Sha are on the move.”

“Do we know where they’re going?” Twilight asked.

Discord nodded and snapped his claw once more. Another circle appeared on the map, this time colored green. “If they continue on their current projected path, I believe that their final destination is the Crystal Empire.”

“But why the empire?” Applejack asked. “What’s goin’ on there that’s got their attention?”

Discord merely shrugged.

“We do not know their current intentions,” Celestia said gravely, “but their target is clear. The Crystal Empire is the only settlement of any note whatsoever that far north. For whatever reason, they’re going there.”

“What of the Changelings?” Kyle asked.

“We do not know,” Luna admitted. “Changeling activity has been minimal since the assassination attempt on Prin - er, Queen Yxia. Few have been spotted in the Badlands - very few. Without a visual on their forces, we cannot tell where they are.”

“However, it stands to reason that at least some Changelings will be going,” she continued. “All three Prime Sha are en route to the empire. They’re putting all of their eggs into one basket, so to speak. Whatever their motive for this attack is, they want it badly.”

“Well then, let’s not let them succeed,” Kyle commented. “If we get there before they do, the Sha themselves won’t be able to get close enough without getting in range of the Element-bearers.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Celestia nodded.

“Hang on - what did I come here for?” Scootaloo interjected, speaking up for the first time. “Why am I here listening to this?”

“A valid question,” Luna nodded. “The trip to the Crystal Empire could take days. Weeks. Potentially months. Until the Sha threat has passed. During this time, we would like for you to come with us, Scootaloo.”

“Wait, what?” Kyle asked, Scootaloo's voice echoing his own.

“Indeed,” Celestia agreed. “We wish for you to come along so that you may continue your training while Mr. Slater is in the Empire.”

“But what about school?” Scootaloo asked. “And my parents? What do they say about this?”

“Mrs. Cheerilee and your parents have already been informed,” Luna reassured her. “You can attend one of the schools in the empire until it is time to return - their education system is very similar to that used here in Ponyville.”

“Doesn’t it seem a bit… irresponsible?” Rarity spoke up. “Putting Scootaloo directly in the path of an oncoming Sha attack? She is just a filly, after all,” she added, earning a glare from Scootaloo

“A filly who’s already fought the Sha, and won,” Kyle countered. “You forget that she’s not a helpless foal anymore. She’s trained hard, and while we’re not done yet, she can hold her own in a fight, even against the Sha. If she can continue her schooling there, and her parents are okay with it… well, I’d say go for it.”

“Her parents have agreed on the condition that you are present, Mr. Slater,” Luna interjected. “They seem to believe that you are very capable of keeping her safe.”

“I guess defending her from two Prime Sha would give that impression,” Kyle chuckled. “So, when are we headed out?”

“The express to the Empire leaves in two hours and ten minutes,” Celestia replied. “We will be joining you as well. I’d suggest preparing for a long trip,” she added. “The train ride is several days, and our visit will likely last for at least a week and a half. Likely longer.”

“So, meet back at the train station in two hours,” Twilight announced, standing up. “Let’s go, everypony. We’ve got a fight to win!”

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“Again!”

Kyle felt a hoof slam into his hand, striking with enough force to rattle his arm. It definitely would have broken some bones if his hand hadn’t been covered by a large, protective glove.

“Not bad. But you can do better. Again!”

Scootaloo reared up on her hind legs and punched forward again. This time, Kyle’s elbow bent backwards from the strength of the blow, and he nodded approvingly. “Much better. Now we just need to work on consistency.”

Kyle lowered his hands, signaling that it was time to take a break. He and Scootaloo both plopped down on the floor, and she buzzed her wings lightly to fan herself. Kyle glanced up at the clock above the door. One o’clock. They had only been on the train for two hours.

“Well done,” Luna’s voice echoed through the large, empty coach that Kyle and Scootaloo had been using as a training room. Kyle glanced over into the corner to see Luna and Celestia laying on the floor, watching intently. Though Kyle and Scootaloo had both felt nervous about the idea, the royal sisters had requested to observe their training. So far, they had worked on Chi manipulation (Though given the more confined quarters, they were unable to have their magical sparring match), and had just finished working on her punches.

“Thanks,” Scootaloo replied, folding her wings back up. She glanced over at the Princesses nervously, clearly still anxious about their presence during her training. She quickly returned her gaze to Kyle. “So, what next?”

“I think that’ll be it for today,” Kyle admitted. “We don’t really have enough room here to do much else. We’ll get back into the swing of things once we get to the Crystal Empire. Until then, let’s finish off with some meditation, and then we’ll be done,”

“Alright,” Scootaloo agreed. She pushed herself into a sitting position very similar to Kyle’s, maintaining her balance through her wings and tail. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. For a long moment, she simply sat their, relaxing. Slowly, a small ring of green bubbles formed around her, and she began floating slightly in the air.

“Mr. Slater. A word, please?” Luna called out.

Kyle pushed himself to his feet and strode over to the Princesses before sitting down again. “Yes?”

“Your training of Scootaloo is most impressive,” she began. “When you described her skills to us, we did not expect them to be so well… developed.”

“I told you. She’s got a rare gift,” Kyle smiled, looking over at his student. “I’ve never met anyone who has taken to Monk training the way she has.”

“There is no doubt that she is gifted,” Celestia nodded. “However, I do have a question.”

“Ask away.”

Celestia closed her eyes and cleared her throat. “I am sure that by now you are aware of her… condition,” she said quietly, glancing over at Scootaloo. “That her wings are too small to support the magic necessary for flight. My question is this - will her lack of flight impair her ability to perform as a Monk in any way?”

“I do just fine without flight.”

“Yes, but your species is designed to function without flight,” Celestia replied. “Pegasi are naturally most adept in the air, with very few exceptions such as Fluttershy. Without her flight, Scootaloo is essentially an Earth Pony, but without the extra strength that an Earth Pony would naturally have.”

“I understand your concern,” Kyle nodded, “But I promise you, It will not be a problem. Not for long.”

Luna and Celestia exchanged a concerned look. “What do you mean?” Luna asked.

Kyle reached over and grabbed the bag that he had brought into the compartment with him. He pulled off the gloves he had been wearing and stashed them inside the bag before pulling out a large envelope. “This,” he began with a smile, “will change everything.”

“What is it? What does it do?”

Kyle chuckled, stowing the envelope back in his bag. “It’s a gift for Scootaloo when we get to the Empire. As for what it does… Well, you’ll see soon enough.”

The Princesses exchanged another worried glance as Kyle moved to sit next to Scootaloo. He closed his eyes as well, and allowed his emotions to clear. Slowly, his mind left his body, flashing through the Chi of everyone else on the train in rapid succession, lost in the trance of Meditation.

The Princesses, meanwhile, continued to observe, but were clearly distracted. Both of them kept stealing small glances at the bag Kyle had shown them, trying to peek at that envelope that had been shown to them.

Finally, Celestia could stand it no longer. “I must know what is in that envelope,” she muttered. The bag was enveloped with a golden light, and the envelope floated out…

Only to freeze in midair as a dark blue aura surrounded it as well, fighting for dominance with the golden aura. “Tia, we cannot betray Mr. Slater’s trust like this,” she warned. “Only bad things can come of it.”

“Are you telling me that you are not curious as to what is in there?” Celestia asked, pulling the envelope closer. “Or worried? He’s being very mysterious about what that thing is. What if it’s dangerous?”

“You seem to have very little trust for Mr. Slater,” Luna retorted.

The envelope froze in mid-air. Celestia stared at her sister, who continued to speak. “Mr. Slater has been with us for nearly three months now. We have seen that he intends us no harm. Far from it, he actively defends Equestria from the Sha. And he cares very much for young Scootaloo,” Luna added. “Do you really think that he would give her something that would hurt her?”

Slowly, the golden aura around the envelope faded, allowing Luna to place the envelope back into the bag. “I am curious as well, Tia.” Luna soothed. “But please, have some faith in him. I am certain that whatever this ‘gift’ for Scootaloo is, Mr. Slater has thought through the possible consequences.”

“I hope you’re right, Lulu,” Celestia murmured.

“I hope you’re right…”