//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Beyond the Portal II: Flames of War // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// Dear Twilight Sparkle, Please report to Commander Slater’s garrison as soon as possible. There are several matters of some importance which the three of us must discuss. I will be joining you within the hour.         Princess Celestia. Kyle glanced down at the note again as he leaned forward in his chair, as though expecting it to change. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness run through him. Celestia’s message had been short and to the point, with no details or hints as to the nature of their meeting. He had no idea what to expect from this. Across the table from him, Twilight seemed a bit less nervous than him. As soon as Spike had delivered the message, the pair had set out for Ironwall once more. That had been half an hour ago now, and in the time since then they had done little but wait. It was a bit frustrating, Kyle noted, that he hadn’t even managed to escape the confines of his office for an hour before being dragged back. That was the worst part of the job. He had decided that very early on in this endeavor. He wanted to be out there, doing things. He liked watching the progress as the walls and buildings went up. He enjoyed the opportunities he got to actually get his hands dirty and help with the odd jobs around Ironwall. He knew that most commanders, in their pristine shining armor, would never lower themselves to doing such tasks. But he did, and the men stationed with him noticed and appreciated it. But those opportunities were few and far between. More often than not, he found himself in this damned office, pouring over paperwork or some other useless garbage. It didn’t help that his nerves were acting up. He knew Celestia fairly well, well enough to know when something was wrong. Her writing tended to be more long-winded, getting to the point in its own time. The fact that her message to Twilight had only been three short sentences highlighted to him the urgency with which she had written the letter. And urgency generally meant either very good news or very bad news. And from past experience, it tended to be the latter. Kyle glanced over to his left. A large wooden clock rested against the wall, counting away the seconds that had passed since they had arrived. The slow, methodical tick-tock echoed loudly through the room, the only reprieve from the silence. The noise of the clock was suddenly drowned out by a sharp knock at the door. Without waiting for permission, the Night Elf on the other side opened the door. The warrior stepped in, covered from head to foot in heavy, gleaming plate armor. A two-handed warhammer rested across his back. “Commander.” The Night Elf saluted sharply. “Princess Celestia has arrived.” “Finally,” Kyle muttered under his breath. The waiting had been stressful for him. Come to think of it, it seemed like nearly everything in the past few days had been stressful. He glanced up at the door once more to see the warrior still there, staring at him. “Well let her in,” he instructed, a hint of impatience tinging his voice. The Night Elf saluted once more and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Kyle could barely hear the sound of muffled voices from outside the door. A few seconds later, the door was flung open again. This time, it was Celestia who strode into the room. She had to duck to prevent her horn from banging against the doorway. And speaking of her horn… “Princess Celestia.” Kyle dipped his head in greeting. His eyes turned to her horn once more. Whereas the last time he had seen it it had been covered in a cast, now it was free once more. “So your injuries are fully healed now?” “Hello Kyle,” Celestia smiled warmly. “Yes, my injuries from the Sha of Cruelty have finally faded. Though I will admit, my horn is still a bit sensitive.” “I’d imagine so.” Kyle’s mind flashed back to that day in Canterlot park, when Celestia had flown into direct combat with the Sha of Cruelty. How the Sha had swatted her out of the sky like a fly, how her horn had been overloaded when the Sha broke through her magical shield. He still remembered the horrible feeling of running over to the crater in the ground, her unmoving body... But that was all in the past now. “Well, let’s get straight to it, shall we?” Celestia's voice broke Kyle out of his thoughts. She had already moved to stand next to Twilight on the other side of the desk, and sat down on the wooden floor. “As I said in my letter, there are a few matters that we must discuss.” Kyle remained silent as Celestia continued. “As you know, the portal between our two worlds has been made permanent now. Numerous enhancements have been placed upon the crystals in order to prevent them from being stolen, as they were in the past. In addition we know that the other side of the portal is kept under heavy watch. For this reason, among others, we have, until now, elected to leave our side of the portal relatively unguarded.” “Until now?” Kyle tilted his head slightly. “What changed?” “We have received word from Stormwind,” Celestia explained. “Apparently, the Stormwind side of the portal was not as secure as we had hoped. Several intruders, on separate incidents, made their way through the portal before one was caught in the act. Intruders that, to our knowledge, are enemies of the Alliance. “What?!” Kyle heard his own voiced echoed by Twilight’s, each exclaiming their disbelief. “So our enemies are now wandering unchecked through Equestria?” “I’m afraid so. The Royal Guard is already searching for the invaders, but if they were able to sneak into Stormwind and through the portal, it will be nigh-on impossible to find them on our side.” Kyle let out a great sigh and leaned back in his chair. This was not what he had been expecting, and certainly worse news than he had been fearing. “Do we… I mean, who was caught?” he finally asked. “Could we interrogate them? Find out what they’re doing here?” “It was a grey-skinned Orc, according to King Varian.” Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head. “We cannot say who they worked for. As soon as he was captured, he killed himself with magic.” “An Orc.” Twilight glance over towards Kyle. “The Horde?” Kyle hesitated for a moment. “Maybe…” he began slowly. “Most of the Orcs in the Horde have green skin, but I know that some have grey skin instead. Then again, apparently the Blackrock and Shattered Hand Clans in Draenor have grey skin as well…” “It doesn’t matter, either way.” Kyle’s voice became slightly louder more confident. “An Orc is an Orc in my book. Whether that one be from the Horde or the Iron Horde, they’re both enemies of the Alliance. We’ll make sure to keep an eye out for any sign of Orc activity, Princess, and I’ll step up the patrols around here.” “And though the damage has already been done, we have stationed guards around the portal on our side so that no other unwelcome visitors can sneak through.” Celestia returned her gaze to Kyle once more, and her expression lifted. “But thankfully, my news today is not all bad.” “Glad to hear it. What else is going on?” “My sister and I have finished performing our examinations on the Crystal Heart.” Celestia’s lips curved upwards in a smile. “I am happy to say that we found no traces of the Sha’s energy left within it. It is safe to use it to protect the Crystal Empire once more.” “Excellent!” Kyle found his own lips forming into a grin as well. “The Crystal Ponies will have a lot of work to do, rebuilding after the battle,” Twilight nodded. “But at least now they can begin to pick the pieces back up.” “All that is left is the task of transporting the Crystal Heart back to the Crystal Empire,” Celestia continued. “With most of the Royal Guard busy hunting the intruders, guarding Canterlot, or recovering from their injuries, I’m afraid there are few to spare in escorting the artifact back. If you would be willing, Mr. Slater, I would ask that you and Twilight return the Heart back to the Crystal Empire.” Kyle felt his grin grow wider still. A trip to the Crystal Empire would take a couple of days at least. A couple of days during which he would be away from Ironwall. Away from this office that at times felt more like a prison. Surely the garrison would be able to work without him for a couple of days. And he had an excuse delivered right into his lap. “I’d be happy to,” he replied. “Excellent. I will have the Heart delivered to you tomorrow morning. The train will leave at noon tomorrow.” “Was there anything else, Princess?” “One more small thing. I understand that you are still training Scootaloo as a Monk.” Celestia glanced back towards the door before returning her gaze to Kyle. “Please do not forget about her. I know how difficult it is to be a new, inexperienced leader. But remember your personal commitments as well.” Kyle nodded. “Of course. I’ve not forgotten about her. We just did some practice the other day.” “Very well. In that case, I will leave you to prepare for your journey.” Celestia turned and walked towards the exit. s the door swung open, she turned her head back towards Kyle. “Oh, and one last thing,” she said. “Thank you.” With that, she exited the room and closed the door behind her. Kyle sighed and leaned back in his chair as Celestia left the room. Her news had certainly left him with a lot to think about. “I’m going to have to step up security while I’m away,” he murmured to himself. “And find someone to manage my duties for a few days…” “Still, this is great!” Twilight’s voice pierced through Kyle’s thoughts, making him jump. He had almost forgotten that she was here as well. He quickly recovered his composure and glanced over at her. She didn’t appear to have noticed his surprise, for she carried on. “We get to put the Crystal Heart back and restore the Crystal Empire!” “Yeah. Kind of poetic, in a way.” Kyle chuckled softly. “We took down the Sha of Hatred and purged the Crystal Heart. Now we get to fix the last of the damage that it did. Almost like the last step in the journey.” “And the first steps into a new one.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The small room felt even more cramped now than it had when Yxia had first entered it. Before, only a single chair had occupied the area underneath the glowing crystal. Now, a small table and a second chair had been squeezed into the confined space, leaving very little room for getting comfortable. Not that she could have been comfortable anyway. Not with this… Troll here. “You weave a very interesting story, Mr. Troll,” she said evenly. Mr. Troll… she had taken to calling him this, for he had declined to give her a name. She had hoped it would have lured him into revealing a name, but instead the title seemed only to amuse him, much to her annoyance. “And what you offer is indeed tempting. Many would agree to this alliance you propose.” “But I do not bind myself to false lies hidden behind honeyed words.” “False? What ya mean, mon?” The Troll asked. She had to admit, his act was good. His voice carried just the right amount of surprise, with just the slightest hint of indignation. “I not been anyting but true wit’ ya.” “You can drop the act.” Her voice became hard and commanding as her own facade of tolerance faded. “Or need I pick apart your argument hole by tiny hole?” “I don’ know what ya talkin’ about, mon.” There it was. The age-old non-confession confession of guilt. Perhaps his act was not as good as she had thought. “Option B it is then,” she hissed. “You have claimed the Alliance is my enemy,” she began. “That they seek to destroy us. This I know to be false. If they had wanted us destroyed, we would all be dead right now. They pierced into the heart of this hive to usurp the false empress, and then left. If they had wanted us destroyed, they would not have left without annihilating us.” “You claim that Equestria would see my Changelings starve. And perhaps you are partially correct.,” she admitted. “Many Ponies fear the Changeling Empire for the actions of my predecessor, and would see us eradicated. But Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight have willingly and knowingly ensured that my infiltrators can return to gathering food. They know that I do not seek to harm them, and they do not seek to harm us in return.” “You have lied to me and attempted to make me fear that which does not need to be feared in order to further whatever plans you have. But I am not so easy to manipulate. Return to your masters. Tell them that the Changeling Empire will not join them. We remain neutral in your war against the Alliance.” “Tink carefully ‘bout dis choice, mon.” The Troll’s voice and face took on a far more serious tone, almost threatening. “Ya be turnin’ down a great gift. Join wit us, and ya be getting access to powers beyond recokin’. Ya -” “Enough!” Yxia snapped. The Troll froze as Yxia leaned over the table, bristling in fury. “Do you think me a fool as Chrysalis was?” she hissed. “She dabbled in ‘powers beyond reckoning’. Where is she now?” Yxia was silent for a moment as she stared the Troll. She could have sworn she saw a hint of fear form in his eyes, and a small bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Finally, she pulled herself back into her chair. “Chrysalis nearly destroyed my kind with her reckless allegiance to a power she had no understanding of. I will not repeat her mistakes. The Changeling Empire is recovering under my care, and I will not risk everything we have done to bring us back from the brink. We will flourish as we did under my father’s rule. As we did for so many millennia. As we always will.” Yxia’s face hardened. “Leave Hive Regali and never return. Tell your masters there will be no deal.” The Troll slowly stood and squeezed his way out from the chair, moving towards the door. It swung open, allowing him and Yxia to step out. As the door slammed closed behind them, the Troll turned to her once more. “Ya gonna regret dis decision, mon,” he hissed. Yxia felt herself tense up at his words. “Is that a threat?” she asked, her voice deadly quiet. Behind her, she could hear the guards adjust their stances - only slightly, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but enough to respond to an imminent threat. “No. It be a promise. Dis world gonna be ours. And when it is, der gonna be no place fer ya in it.” With that, the Troll turned and walked away, up the sloping halls towards the surface. He soon rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Yxia growled as she watched the Troll leave. “Follow him,” she ordered. “Make sure he leaves the Hive. If he attempts to infiltrate again or gives any resistance, kill him.” The guards behind her silently moved past her and walked around the same corner as the Troll. Yxia stood there for a moment, staring after the Troll. Now that he was gone, she was left alone with her thoughts. He had been creepy, to say the least. His eyes had never left her during their entire meeting. And she didn’t buy that he had figured out their plight in only two days. Most of Equestria still didn’t know most of the details of what had happened to the Changeling Empire. No, something was definitely up with that Troll. As she turned to return to her quarters, her hoof brushed against something cold and hard. She glanced down to see what it was. There, lying next to her hoof, was a small bit of polished metal. her horn lit up, and the object was surrounded by a green glow as it floated up towards her face. A small smirk formed over her lips as she realized what exactly she had found. “A badge,” she murmured. The brass badge had clearly once been well polished, but that was long ago. Now, the right side of the badge was heavily tarnished, obscuring a large portion of the writing inscribed into the metal. Yxia squinted down at the badge and the writing upon it. “Zinju S…” The rest of his last name had been consumed by the wear and tear upon the badge, making it unreadable. Still, she had a name to go by now. A small smile formed over Yxia’s lips at the small victory. A smile that almost immediately vanished. So she had a first name now. So what? How would she find anything out based on a first name? She still had so many questions about that Troll. Who was he? What master did he serve? What interest did they have in the Changeling Empire? And how in the world had he found Hive Regali without any outside help? Had the Ponies helped him find the hive? But he had spoken of them as if they were his enemies... These questions chased each other through her head, circling each other in a never-ending loop. Yxia knew she should not be this preoccupied with the intruder. He was gone, and she had made it very clear that he was not welcome back. But something about him… there was something odd. Something wrong. And if he had already snuck in once, who was to say that another could not do so again? Another with a more sinister intent for her... No. She needed to find out more about this Troll. With a quick thought, Yxia summoned a Changeling to her throne room. She immediately felt the Changeling offer a mental acknowledgement of the command. She turned and walked down the hallway once more towards the throne room. There was only one creature on the planet that she would trust with this knowledge who could help her. One creature who she knew had any knowledge of trolls whatsoever. One who could help her determine the answers to her questions. Kyle Slater.