//------------------------------// // Chapter 27 // Story: Beyond the Portal // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// “So… where are the crystals?” Twilight turned her head to look at Kyle. “What do you mean?” Kyle looked around, taking in his surroundings. Besides the platform they were standing on, and the train that they had just exited, there appeared to be nothing but a snowy wasteland for miles. He shivered against the cold and looked back at Twilight. “Well, for a place called the Crystal Empire, there sure aren’t many crystals. Or much of anything, really.” “We’re not in the actual empire yet,” Twilight explained. “The station was situated at the edge of the Crystal Empire before it disappeared a thousand years ago. In that time, the old paths and roads leading to the Empire were erased by the snow. The Empire just reappeared less than a year ago, so we haven’t had much time to get those roads set up again.” “So we’re walking?” Kyle asked. “Our destination lies just over those hills,” Luna interjected, pointing her hoof to the north. A faint pink glow could be seen against the blinding white snowstorm. “It will only be a few minutes by hoof.” “A few minutes that could kill me,” Kyle grumbled. “It’s bloody freezing out here.” “Perhaps this will help,” Celestia said. Her horn lit up and flashed brightly. Kyle instantly felt his body heat up, as though someone had lit a fire on top of him. The cold wind still whipped fiercely past him, but no longer chilled as deeply or cut as harshly. “Thanks,” he nodded his appreciation. “We should move quickly,” Luna announced as the train began pulling back out of the station. “The Crystal Empire lies just over these hills, but there is nothing between here and there. We are completely exposed out here.” The group quickly moved away from the relative shelter of the station and out into the wasteland. Kyle hissed as the wind intensified, bringing on a fresh blast of frigid air. Celestia’s spell had staved off the cold for a time, but it still slammed into Kyle, causing his shivering to intensify. “W-w-what the h-hell is with t-t-this c-c-c-cold?” He stammered through chattering teeth as they reached the peak of the hill. He turned his head towards the Princesses “Why w-would anyone l-l-live up here?” “Because that,” Luna explained, pointing with her wing, “Keeps the cold at bay.” Kyle turned to look at what Luna was pointing at. At the bottom of the hill, standing out brightly against the pure-white plains behind it, was a massive dome of pink energy. Kyle squinted, but was unable to see through the dome to the other side. “Just like Dalaran,” Kyle murmured, his mind flashing back to the grand city of the Kirin Tor. “At l-l-least before the Northrend C-Campaign…” "Dalaran?" Twilight asked, her ears perking up. "Big c-city on Azeroth," Kyle explained through chattering teeth. "F-floats in the air. Ruled b-by the K-k-kirin Tor. Big g-group of p-p-powerful mages. You'd l-love it th- OOF!" Kyle grunted as he walked straight into Celestia. Celestia had stopped moving, rooted to the spot. Her entire body was tense, and her ears were perked up. Everyone else slowed to a stop and looked over at her. Kyle moved so that Celestia was between him and the wind, thankful for the slight relief from the bitterly cold wind. “W-what is it?” he asked. Celestia held up a hoof, silencing him. A few seconds, and all that could be heard was the howling of the snowstorm. Suddenly, Kyle heard it. A terrible sound echoed over the plains. A guttural moan, laced with torment and agony. If the cold had not already given him goosebumps, the sound would have made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "W-w-what was that?" Fluttershy squeaked. Her voice was not trembling from the cold, but from fear The sound echoed over the plains once more, much closer this time. Luna hissed, her eyes going wide with alarm. "Windigo." Twilight’s pupils shrank, and Fluttershy let out a small eep!, cowering behind her wings. Kyle, however, simply raised an eyebrow. “Windigo?” he asked. “I swear, I’ve heard that name before…” “We will explain when we reach the city,” Celestia replied, her voice urgent. “We have to move. Now.” She and Luna broke into a gallop and ran for the pink dome. Twilight and company followed and Kyle broke into a run after them. “Wait up!” Kyle looked over his shoulder. Scootaloo was lagging behind, her smaller body getting caught in the snowdrifts. Kyle made his way over to her and grabbed her around her midsection, hoisting her under his arm. “Hold on t-tight,” he chattered, turning around and running towards the dome as well. As he approached, he noticed that Twilight was still outside the dome, waiting for him. “Cmon, Kyle, hurry -” she began. Her eyes went wide, and her wings snapped open. “DUCK!” Many people at this point would have questioned the need to duck, or looked over their shoulder. Kyle, on the other hand, had learned through hard experience that when someone told you to duck, you should listen first and ask questions later. Thus, when he was told to duck, he instantly dropped to the ground, engulfed by the snow. Scootaloo fell into the white powder beside him. A loud moan rattled his ears as something soared over him, flying through the air where he had been standing a fraction of a second before. There was a sizzle of energy and a flash of purple light, and the moan turned into a loud screech. Kyle poked his head out of the snow and looked up. Flying through the air above him was a horse. Or, rather, something shaped similarly to a horse. It glowed sky blue as it flew through the air, its eyes burning white. The front half of its body did indeed resemble that of a horse, but the back half appeared more like a flame. Another flash of energy seared into the sky, barely missing the creature. Twilight’s horn glowed, and she launched yet another blast at it. “Come on, get in!” she yelled as the creature swooped back down, aiming for Kyle again. Kyle scrambled to his feet and bent down, dragging Scootaloo from the snow again. He darted out of the way as the creature slammed into the ground where he had just been laying, sending a wave of snow flying into the air. Kyle heard it moan again as it gave chase, flying through the air after them. Twilight ducked back into the dome as Kyle and Scootaloo approached. A creeping chill grew over Kyle as he ran, slowing his movement and his mind. He knew that if he kept running, he would not reach the dome in time. Instead, he reached out, grabbing what little Chi there was around him and concentrating it into his feet. He pushed off and launched himself into a Flying Serpent Kick, barely avoiding a blast of frigid wind that erupted from the creature’s mouth. He landed and dove into the dome with Scootaloo just as the creature caught up with him. It slammed into the dome, and screeched as the dome blasted it backwards with a jolt of energy. Kyle groaned as he pushed himself off of the ground. He shook the snow from his hair and bent over, picking Scootaloo up and placing her back on her hooves. She seemed a bit shaken, but otherwise unharmed from the attack. “That was close,” he murmured, brushing the snow from her mane onto the grass. “Too close for my comfort…” Wait a minute. Grass? Kyle blinked and looked down. Sure enough, rather than standing in calf-deep snow, his boots were resting upon a lush lawn of green grass. Kyle turned his gaze upwards and found that, rather than staring at a snowstorm through a pink shield, he was looking upwards at a clear, bright day. “Uh… what…” “Welcome, Mr. Slater, to the Crystal Empire.” Kyle looked down to see Luna looking at him with a smile. “What… how… But out there it’s…. and in here there’s no…” he stammered “The dome protects the city from the harsh cold of the Frozen North,” Celestia explained. “Outside, the weather is too harsh for Pegasi to safely control. In here, however, weather acts as it would anywhere else in Equestria. “What… what was that thing?” Kyle asked, looking back over his shoulder. Though he couldn’t see through the dome, he was certain that that… thing… was still out there. “A Windigo,” Twilight replied. “A winter spirit that feeds off of fighting and hatred. The more hatred that a Windigo feels, the colder it becomes.” “Of course!” Kyle snapped his fingers. “That’s where I’ve heard that name before. In that Hearth’s Warming story! Well I guess that explains all the snow out there.” Kyle glanced back over his shoulder once more as the Windigo’s moan reached his ears again. “Not really,” Twilight said. “It’s called the Frozen North for a reason. It’s always cold and snowy out there.” “But I must say, the weather is far worse than usual,” Luna mused. “One Windigo alone could not have caused the weather to turn this foul. There must be several more of them.” “But what are they all doing here?” Scootaloo asked. “I mean, I thought they were just an old Pony’s tale told at Hearth’s Warming, and now we’ve got not one, but a whole bunch of them? Why did they show up? And why here?” “I’d think that would be obvious,” Discord’s voice echoed through the air. He appeared next to Fluttershy with a loud popping sound. “Where have you been?” Twilight demanded. “I’ve been here waiting on you all,” Discord replied. “Honestly, you took your sweet time, didn’t you?” “But how did you get here so fast?” “I teleported.” “What?!” “I’m sorry you all didn’t think to do it yourself,” Discord laughed. “But why didn’t you take us with you? It would have saved us a lot of time and trouble” “You never asked.” “Hold it!” Kyle exclaimed. “What do you mean, it should be obvious why those Windigos here?” “Tell me, Human, why are we here?” Discord asked. “To fight the Sha, of… course…” Kyle trailed off. Discord’s grin grew wider, and he snapped his claws. A lightbulb appeared over Kyle’s head, and suddenly lit up. “Of course,” Kyle groaned. “The Sha of Hatred must be nearby. They’re feeding on it.” “Exactamundo!” Discord exclaimed. “Well done! Perhaps there’s hope for you yet!” “Can it, Discord,” Kyle growled, causing the smile to fall off of the Draconequus’ face. “We’ve got work to do.” “Fine. Be that way,” Discord scoffed, turning his back. “I’ll be taking a nice relaxing bath in the castle,” He snapped his claws and vanished with another loud pop. “And no, I’m not teleporting you all with me!” his voice echoed through the air. “Bloody chaos spirits…” Kyle growled. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “Whatever. Where are we off to?” “To the castle,” Luna replied, already walking away. “Princess Cadence is waiting for us.” “Couldn’t we just teleport there?” “I’d assume you’d like to see the city,” Luna replied. And so the group set off, walking away from the edge of the dome and towards the city. As they stepped off of the grass and onto the cobblestone street, Kyle, got a good look at the city. The buildings appeared to be made of pure crystal, shimmering in the sunlight. Kyle also noticed one structure that stood out from the rest. It looked like a tower made from the same crystalline material, jutting high into the sky. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing towards the building. “That’s the palace,” Twilight replied. “Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are waiting for us there.” “Who’s Shining Armor?” Twilight stared at him. “I’ve never mentioned Shining Armor to you?” she demanded. Kyle shrugged. “I’ve heard his name, but I don’t remember anything about him,” he replied. “He’s Cadence’s husband, Prince of the Crystal Empire, and my BBBFF.” “BBBFF?” “Big brother, best friend forever.” Kyle blinked. “Uh… right.” “You’ll like him,” Twilight assured him. “He used to be Captain of the Guard in Canterlot.” “Ah, a fellow military man,” Kyle chuckled. “Well, I’ll either like him, or hate his guts.” As they proceeded down the street, Kyle began to see signs of life. Ponies began passing by, talking amongst each other or going about their daily business. However, these Ponies seemed to shimmer and sparkle in the light. Kyle squinted as one walked close to them. They appeared to be made out of… “Crystal?” he asked. “Hmm?” Twilight glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, the Ponies. No, they’re not made out of crystal, though they do have the nickname ‘Crystal Ponies’ for their appearance. Their coats look that way due to their proximity to the Crystal Heart.” “The Crystal Heart?” Kyle asked, chuckling. “Is there anything in this city that doesn’t have something to do with Crystals?” “Well, it’s called the Crystal Empire for a reason dude,” Rainbow Dash called out from in front of them, earning a few giggles from her friends. “Shoulda figured,” Kyle chuckled. “So, what is this Crystal Heart?” “It’s a powerful relic from long ago,” Twilight explained. “Some say it’s been around since the world began. It feeds on the love of everypony around it. This love powers the heart, keeping the shield up and protecting the city from the weather outside. It also repels creatures of pure evil.” “Like the Sha?” “Like the Sha.” As the group approached the castle, Kyle could see that it was raised up off of the ground, standing on three legs so that Ponies could walk underneath it. Directly below the castle was an object floating between two crystal pillars, hovering between their tips. The object appeared to be made out of a sapphire-blue crystal, and was shaped like one of the boxes of chocolates Kyle remembered seeing whenever Love is in the Air rolled around. “The Crystal Heart?” he asked as they walked past “Yep.” “It’s a lot… smaller than I expected.” “Not every object of power is big,” Luna replied as they stepped through the door and into the castle. “The Elements of Harmony are small enough to be worn as necklaces, and yet their power has destroyed the spirit of an Old God.” “Point taken,” Kyle nodded as they ascended a set of spiral stairs. They reached the top and proceeded towards a set of double doors, where a Pony was waiting for them. Her wings and horn identified her as another Alicorn. Her coat was pink, though not quite as bright as Pinkie’s, and her mane was made up of three streaks of dark purple, lavender, and a very light gold. Her cutie mark was an image of the Crystal Heart Twilight ran up to the Pony, who smile widely as she approached. Twilight stopped in front of her and embraced her before pulling back. The two then began to dance and sing a strange song, one that nearly made Kyle burst into laughter. “Sunshine Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They two Ponies both giggled as the others approached. “Cadence, it’s so good to see you again!” Twilight exclaimed “It’s good to see you too Twilight,” Cadence replied warmly. “Though I wish we could meet under better circumstances for once. Maybe I should stop by Ponyville on my next day off.” She looked up and scanned the group as they stopped before her. Her eyes lingered on Kyle for a moment. “I’m guessing this is your Human friend you’ve told me about?” she asked. “Kyle Slater, at your service,” he replied with a bow. “Please, dispense with the formalities,” Cadence waved her hoof. “We’re all friends here.” “We’ve much to discuss,” Luna stepped forward. “And little of it pleasant, I’m afraid” “One moment, Luna,” Celestia interrupted. She looked over at Kyle, frowning. “Mr. Slater, you still look a bit pale. Are you alright?” “I’ll recover,” Kyle replied. “Oh dear, what happened?” Cadence asked, walking over to him. Up close, Kyle could tell that she was somewhere between Luna and Twilight in terms of size, with the tip of her horn coming up to his forehead. “A Windigo chased me and Scootaloo as we were running for the city,” Kyle explained, motioning to the filly by his side. “Plus, we Humans don’t have that coat you Ponies do. The cold affects us much more strongly. “Oh my,” Cadence murmured. “Well in that case, I’ll have a guard draw up a warm bath for you. You go warm up, and we’ll discuss the situation over dinner. Flash!” she called over her shoulder. An orange pegasus clad in gold armor approached from the doors behind Cadence. Kyle noticed him looking over the group. His eyes lingered on Twilight for a moment, and Kyle could have sworn that he saw her cheeks redden slightly. He stopped before Cadence and saluted sharply. “M’lady?” “Please go and draw a bath up for Mr. Slater. Room 325 please.” “Right away,” The guard saluted once more before turning around. His eyes flashed over to Twilight again as he spread his wings and took off, soaring down the halls.” “If you’d like to follow Flash Sentry, you can go relax in your room until dinner,” Cadence smiled warmly. “Uh… This isn’t the same layout as Canterlot Castle is it?” Kyle asked. “It’s a nightmare to get through that place…” Cadence laughed. “See Celestia, I told you your castle was confusing!” she teased before returning her attention to Kyle. “No, it’s fairly straightforward. Go up these stairs two floors,” she begun, pointing towards the stairs they had just ascended, “Down the hallway, take the second right, and it’ll be on your left. Room 325.” “Sounds easy enough.” “And if you get lost, feel free to ask one of the guards.” “Thank you, Princess Cadence,” Kyle bowed once more before turning and walking away towards the stairs. Behind him, he could Hear Celestia and Cadence talking once more as he ascended the spiral staircase once more. As Kyle stepped onto the third floor, he froze. A crash could be heard in the distance, as well as the telltale sound of thundering hooves. He slowly crept forward and peered around the left corner as the hoofsteps got louder. Voices could be heard, yelling unintelligibly. Suddenly, a dark-green Unicorn erupted from one of the corridors branching off of the hallway Kyle was peering down. Kyle ducked back behind the corner as the Unicorn spun and ran in his direction, fear clear in her eyes. “Stop that Unicorn! Changeling!” Kyle felt his heart leap into his throat as a loud voice rang down the hallway. The thunder of hooves grew louder and louder as the Unicorn-Changeling approached. Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearing his mind. He slowly began to count backwards to himself as the hoofsteps grew even louder. “3… 2… 1…” “NOW!” Kyle jumped out from behind the corner and extended his arm. The Unicorn was looking over her shoulder as she approached, and did not see her new challenger. Her neck slammed into his arm as he clotheslined her, knocking her hooves out from under her and sending her tumbling to the ground. The Unicorn’s disguise faded, revealing her to indeed be a Changeling. Kyle was on the Changeling in an instant, locking its rear hooves in place with his legs. He grabbed its throat with his right hand and pinned it to the ground. His left hand crackled with jade lightning, and he held it above his head. "No funny business, unless you wanna get zapped," he threatened. The Changeling struggled for a moment, but as it saw the lightning in Kyle’s hand, its eyes shrank in fear. “Stay your blow! I yield!” it shrieked, cowering away from its captor. Another set of hooves pounded the ground, stopping just beside Kyle. He looked up to see another Unicorn. This one had a pure-white coat, with a dual-shade blue mane. His cutie mark depicted a shield with a small purple star in the center. “This way!” he called over his shoulder. A moment later, two Pegasi soared around the corner. Kyle slowly got off of the Changeling, keeping the lightning in his hand as the Pegasi placed a ring over the Changeling's horn and locked its wings into place with shackles. “Take it to the dungeons,” the Unicorn ordered. The two Pegasi saluted and prodded the Changeling, leading it away. The Unicorn then turned to Kyle. “Thank you, stranger,” he said. “Without your help, that Changeling likely would have escaped. What is your name?” “Kyle Slater,” Kyle replied. “And yours?” “Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire,” The stallion replied. “Ah, so you’re Shining Armor,” Kyle smiled. “Twilight told me you’d be here.” “You know Twily?” Shining asked. “Twily?” Kyle snorted, earning a frown from Shining Armor. “Sorry, sorry. Yes, I know Twilight. I’m the Human from Azeroth.” “So you’re the alien Twily’s been telling me about.” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “And who’s been staying in her home,” he added, his frown deepening into a scowl. “I hope you’ve not been… bothering her.” “Don’t worry, I’m not into Ponies in that way,” Kyle reassured him. Shining Armor’s face relaxed. “Right right. Sorry.” “I get it. Big brother instincts.” “Yeah,” Shining glanced down the hallway as the guards and Changeling rounded the corner. “Well again, thanks for your help. I’ve gotta go find Cadence and sort this whole mess out.” “She’s on the first floor just down these stairs,” Kyle replied, pointing down the stairs he had just come up. “Or she was five minutes ago, anyway. “Thanks,” Shining said as he ran past Kyle down the stairs. Kyle turned and made his way down the hall. He took the second right, and found his room ready, with the door already open. He stepped inside and dumped his pack onto the bed before walking towards the washroom. He stepped into the bath and sighed as the warm water heated him and relaxed his muscles. And yet, he found himself unable to relax his mind. He sighed once more and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Changelings were already here? How many had already infiltrated the city? And how many more were waiting out in the wasteland? Not to mention the Sha that they served, and the Windigos that fed on the energy of the Sha of Hatred. His list of enemies and threats seemed to be growing at an alarming rate. And what did the Ponies have? A handful of guards that, by all accounts, had been next to useless during every crisis that had sprung up in recent years. With their enemies growing in strength and all converging on them, their odds were becoming increasingly dire. “We’re gonna need help,” Kyle murmured. “And we’re gonna need it fast.”