Sleep did not come easily to Kyle that evening. Despite the weariness that dragged at his arms and made his legs feel like lead weights, despite the fatigue that kept his eyes closed, his mind was abuzz with activity. Though normally not a problem, he could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. He tossed and turned, got up and stretched his legs for a moment, laid back down, and still found that he could not drift off.
Demons. Kyle shivered slightly as the word crossed his mind. Those foul creatures signified some of the most brutal acts of destruction imaginable. Long ago, their first invasion had ended in the sundering of the world and the creation of the Maelstrom. The Orc’s invasion of Azeroth was set in motion by the Burning Legion. His birth-nation of Lordaeron had fallen due to their meddling. Dalaran had been wiped from the face of Azeroth by one of their leaders. The greatest of Azeroth’s champions had only barely held their own as the Burning Legion pushed time and time again into the world.
And now they were here. In Equestria.
An image formed in Kyle’s mind of Canterlot consumed by a raging inferno, burning brightly against the pitch black night sky. The palace in the Crystal Empire breaking and crashing to the ground as demons swarmed through the city. Ponyville, now merely a crater upon a desolate, blackened landscape.
The Sha had been seconds away from annihilating all of Equus. While their power could not be disputed, it paled in comparison to the might of the Burning Legion. Countless worlds, trillions upon trillions of lives, had been consumed by their crusade. If Equestria had had that much trouble with the Sha…
Such thoughts continued to chase each other in a never-ending loop through Kyle’s mind as he tossed and turned in his bed. Already he could hear the birds chirping outside as they began their day. He groaned and rolled over again, shoving his head under his pillow to try to block out the sound. Alas, the sound penetrated the padding and soft material, rendering his defense useless.
Eventually, exhaustion did take its toll. As the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, Kyle finally drifted off into a restless sleep, filled with images from his past. The battle at the Stairs of Destiny. The countless skirmishes with demons at Honor Hold. The horrors unleashed upon the Isle of Quel’Danas. A clawed, red hand grasping at the edge of a pool of swirling yellow energy…
-----
Knock knock knock.
Kyle grumbled quietly and buried himself deeper under his blanket.
Knock knock knock.
He sighed and opened one eye sleepily. The sun was still shining in through his window, which meant that it couldn’t even be midday yet. Whoever was interrupting his sleep needed to go away.
Knock knock knock.
They weren’t going to go away.
Kyle let out another great sigh and pushed the blankets off of himself. Instantly, the chill of the autumn air made him regret his decision to leave the warm comfort of his blankets. Still, as another series of knocks on his door informed him, he wasn’t going to be allowed to return. He still had work to do. He could catch up on sleep later.
After a moment, and another series of knocks on his door, Kyle was fully dressed and outfitted in his usual armor. He moved towards the door and unlocked it, allowing it to swing inwards. Initially, he saw no one, but as he directed his gaze downwards, he was met with a familiar pair of pink pigtails.
“Oh… good morning Commander,” Filwin stammered slightly. She was wringing her hands nervously, as if expecting an angry response from him. Which, he realized, she probably was, given his actions last night.
“Good morning Filwin,” Kyle half-slurred as he continued to shrug off the last vestiges of sleep. He stifled a yawn and shook his head to clear it. “I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”
As it became clear that he wasn’t going to yell at her, Filwin’s expression began to lift. “Oh, no problem sir,” she smiled. “I understand, you were tired and under a lot of stress. I know you wanted to rest for a bit, but unfortunately there is still work to do today.”
“And even more now than I had when I left last night,” Kyle muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes and sighed. “Alright. So what’s the damage from the attack last night?”
“No fatalities, thankfully,” Filwin replied. “But one of the guards did receive a particularly bad burn. He’s currently in the Ponyville Hospital being cared for. As well, the entire eastern wall needs replacing, which factoring in the removal of the remnants and cleaning up the mess will likely take another week.”
“Right. That’s first priority. We need that wall up in case we’re attacked again. All other construction projects are on hiatus until that wall is back up.”
“I’ve already informed the foremen as such.” Filwin glanced over her shoulder. “They’re… not particularly happy about it sir.”
“They can be not happy about it all they want,” Kyle scoffed. “If they’ve got any better ideas they’re welcome to bring them to me personally. Otherwise, my orders stand.”
“Of course, sir.”
“By the way… what time is it?”
Filwin glanced down at a cog-filled device strapped across her wrist. “You’ve been in your room for six hours, sir.”
“So about three hours of sleep.” Just the thought forced Kyle to stifle another yawn. “It’ll have to do. Please have someone bring me some coffee. Extra strong. I’ll be in the office filling out those request forms in a few minutes. And I’d also better send a letter to King Varian. He’s not gonna be happy about this…”
The rest of the morning passed in a blur for Kyle. He didn’t remember walking to his office and sitting down. He didn’t remember filling out the paperwork for seven more shipments of stone and wood, nor for an extra labor crew. He didn’t remember receiving and drinking the coffee that he had requested. The minutes just seemed to blur together through his sleep-deprived haze.
It wasn’t until he heard a loud knock at the door that he broke out of his stupor. He glanced down at his desk to find a pen in his hand, hovering just slightly over a half-finished letter addressed to the King. He couldn’t even remember the words that he had written down. Glancing over the paper quickly, he let out a breath of relief as he found that the message, though grim, was at least comprehensible. “Come in,” he called out as a second knock echoed through the room.
The wooden door swung open, and Filwin stepped inside. In place of her usual clipboard, she instead had a scroll clutched tightly in her hand.he door swung closed behind her, and she moved across the room towards him. Kyle felt his heartbeat quicken slightly as he noticed the worried expression that filled her eyes.
Filwin scrambled up into the seat on the opposite side of the desk and sat down. “Commander.” Even her voice sounded tense. “I’ve been going over the roster of troops and adventurers stationed in Ironwall.” She reached out and deposited the scroll onto the desk. “I’ve compiled a list of people I think may be potential suspects in the attack last night.”
Kyle unfurled the scroll and glanced at the names scribbled upon it. Nearly two dozen names adorned the document, along with other writing that described their location and actions the night before. He took a sharp intake of breath as his eyes widened. "This many?"
“I’m afraid so, sir.” Filwin wrung her hands together nervously. “I’ve already been to all of them and told them that they are not to leave the garrison walls until further notice, but that’s going to leave us quite short-staffed for patrols.”
“No kidding…” Kyle raised one hand to his forehead to massage his temples. “Well let’s start with the most obvious suspects - Warlocks and other dark magic users. Are there any on this list?”
“Two, sir.” Filwin attempted to lean forward over the desk, but her legs were too short to allow her. Instead, Kyle got up and moved around to the other side, kneeling down next to her chair. Filwin pointed at a name on the list. “Dinmack Darksteel. Gnome Warlock, specializing in Demonology. He’s an adventurer unassociated with the Alliance Army. He claims to have been in Ponyville last night, but none of our troops can confirm this. He was spotted entering the main gate not long after the attack.”
Filwin moved her finger up the scroll to a name near the top. “Corporal Evan Balthier. Worgen Priest in the 284th division. Currently listed as specializing in preventative healing, but records show that this was a recent transition. During the Pandaria campaign, he trained extensively in Shadow magic, and used it to great effect to help us secure Lion’s Landing. He was assigned to guard duty along with a hunter atop that particular section of wall last night, but he was not there when the explosion occurred. The Hunter was caught in the blast and injured, and is currently in Ponyville being treated for burns. An eyewitness claims to have seen Balthier running towards the scene not long after the blast went off, coming from the main gate.”
“Right. That’s where we’ll start.” Kyle stood straight and moved back around to the other side of his desk. “Send a courier to Ponyville. I’d like Twilight Sparkle to be here for this, just in case things turn nasty. After that, fetch a pair of guards and have Corporal Balthier escorted down to the holding cells below the barracks. I’m going to finish this letter to King Varian. I’ll join you when I’ve finished.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Kyle added as Filwin hopped down from her seat. She took a few steps back so that she could meet Kyle’s eyes over the desk. “Remember that he is in fact a member of the army. Don’t rough him up too much unless he resists. I don’t want to alienate him if he is in fact innocent.”
“Understood sir.” Filwin saluted sharply before turning around. Kyle watched as she walked across the room, opened the door, and shut it behind her. As the sound of her footsteps faded away, Kyle returned his attention back to the letter in front of him. He scanned the writing once more to make sure he hadn’t left out anything important. He lowered his pen to the paper again and began to finish his letter to the king.
As he signed his name at the bottom, Kyle was forced to stifle another yawn. The few hours of sleep he had struggled for the night before were simply not enough. He rolled up the paper and tied it up as a scroll before stamping it with his seal and setting it off to the side. Now all that was to be done was wait for Twilight to arrive. His eyes grew heavy and slowly began to shut. Maybe he could catch a little rest before she showed up…
“Kyle?”
Kyle slowly opened his eyes as a lavender head poked its way through his door. He glanced over at the clock. It had been over half an hour since Filwin had left his office. He sighed and stretched his arms, grunting as his back popped. “Hey Twilight,” he said as he stood up and moved over to her.
Twilight’s expression fell as he approached. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked. “You don’t… look so good.”
“Had a rough night last night,” Kyle half-yawned. “Didn’t fall asleep until the sun was already coming up. Plus dealing with everything that’s happened… did the courier tell you what’s going on?”
Twilight shook her head. “Only that you wanted to see me. But we did get an injured soldier admitted to the hospital last night. He said something about an infernal and an explosion… and an outhouse for some reason...”
“Right. I’m assuming you noticed the big hole in the side of the garrison right?”
“I did. Twilight glanced over her shoulder before returning her attention to Kyle. “Was that the explosion? What happened?”
“I’ll tell you about it on the way.” Kyle squeezed past Twilight into the hallway and began to move towards the exit, with Twilight right behind him.
As Kyle stepped out into the sunlight, he noticed the usual level of activity that always seemed to be present in Ironwall. But there was an air of tension, a haze of suspicion that clouded everyone’s eyes. As with last night, guards walked around with weapons openly drawn, and never wandered too close to one another. Even the builders gripped their tools just a little tighter as they began repair work on the wall, and Kyle saw that one or two had clipped daggers to their belts.
“Ponyville wasn’t the only place that got attacked last night,” Kyle explained as he and Twilight angled themselves towards the barracks. “Someone planted explosives inside the garrison and blew the wall open from the inside, and they also summoned an Infernal - that’s another demon. Basically living flame bound to cursed stone. Very powerful, very dangerous.”
“Do you have any idea who did it
“We’re almost certain this was an inside job. Someone within Ironwall planted the bomb. We’ve got a list of potential suspects, and we’re going to have a little chat with one of them right now.”
“Wait, what?” Twilight’s head snapped towards him. “So why am I here?”
“Because we could be dealing with an agent of the Burning Legion,” Kyle explained. “Someone who could potentially be deeply entrenched in dark magic. But I’m pretty sure you’re stronger. If he tries anything, of anyone in the area, you’re the best suited to helping us deal with him.”
“Alright… I guess…” Twilight fell silent for a moment as she looked around the garrison. Kyle sensed her feathers bristling slightly as a Dwarf with a massive two-handed axe marched past them. The entire garrison was on edge, and she could tell.
“So… who are we going to see?” Twilight finally asked. “What can you tell me about him?”
“We’re going to see a Priest,” Kyle replied. “Normally known as healers, though they can also specialize in dark shadow magic. This one is listed as a preventative healer, working mostly with shields, but has used shadow magic quite a bit in the past. He’s a Worgen - a Human that’s been cursed to take on the form of a bipedal wolf. We suspect him because he was stationed atop the destroyed wall last night, but was not at his station when the blast went off.”
A shadow fell over the pair as they stepped out of the open air and into the white stone brick of the barracks. From the outside, the building looked massive. The inside, however, was far more cramped. Bunk beds lined every wall, and tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly around the middle, some still containing cards or meals. The few soldiers still in the barracks saluted as Kyle and Twilight moved past them towards the stairwell in the back corner. Taking the stairs down, the pair passed another guard. The Pandaren gave a small bow, being careful not to poke anyone with the sword clutched in his hand, before continuing up the stairs. Kyle and Twilight reached the bottom and stepped past an open wooden door into the room beyond.
The room on the other side was not small, but it certainly felt small considering its contents. It was divided into three segments - an entrance, and two holding cells separated from each other and the entrance by iron bars. Four figures occupied the area. In the main area were two guards with swords openly drawn, along with Filwin pressed up against the wall. One of the holding cells was occupied by a large Worgen in a flowing white robe - The Priest, Evan Balthier.
“Commander,” The Worgen nodded curtly. Kyle could hear anger and indignation in his gravelly voice, along with the slightest hint of unease.
“Corporal Balthier.”
“To what do I owe this… change of scenery?”
“No doubt you are aware of the attack which took place last night.” It wasn’t a question.
Still, the Priest decided to answer. “Yes sir.”
“You were stationed upon the eastern wall,” Kyle continued
“Yes sir.”
“You were not at your post when the wall was attacked and destroyed.”
“... No sir.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”
“I was in the outhouse, sir.” To Evan’s credit, he did not allow his expression to change. “I had been up on the wall for nearly three hours. I told my partner - some Hunter, I can’t remember his name - I told him I was going for the loo. As soon as I stepped out of the latrine, I saw the flash of light and heard the explosion and came running. Got there just as the Infernal was dragging itself outta the crater.”
“If I may, sir?” One of the guards next to Kyle spoke up.
Every head snapped towards the guard as he took a deep breath. “I was guarding the gate last night,” he continued. “I can confirm Corporal Balthier’s story. He walked out of the gate and towards the outhouses. When the explosion went off, he came running back.”
“Is that so?” Kyle slowly turned his head back towards the holding cell. Any trace of nervousness had left the Worgen. “I’ll want to confirm this with Smith - the Hunter stationed with you last night. He got caught in the blast.”
Instantly, the Worgen’s expression fell. “Is he alright, sir?”
“Being treated for burns in Ponyville, but he’ll survive.” Kyle closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. He rubbed his chin for a moment, and finally let out a small sigh. He pulled the keyrin off of the hook next to the door and move towards the cell. “I’ll send a courier to him once he’s able to accept visitors. Until then, you’re free to wander the garrison, but you are to remain within the walls.”
As the door swung open, Kyle steppe back to allow Evan some room. The Priest said nothing, but only nodded curtly before exiting the room. Twilight flinched the door slammed shut behind him, nearly extinguishing the torches upon the wall with the wind it created. “He’s not happy, is he?”
“And I don’t exactly blame him.” Kyle murmured. “Time will tell, but if he’s innocent, he’s just been treated essentially as if he’s guilty of a crime he didn’t commit. That’d make anyone angry. Once we’ve ousted the traitor I’ll have to make it up to him… Maybe some time off…”
“We can worry about that later, sir.” Filwin tugged at Kyle’s arm, drawing his attention. “We should go get the other one - the Warlock. Since Princess Twilight is already here to help…”
Kyle nodded. “Dinmack Darksteel, was it?”
“Yes sir.”
Kyle turned his head towards Twilight. “Do you mind sticking around for another one?” he asked. Twilight shook her head. “Alright, let’s go find this Warlock.”
A moment later, the trio walked out of the barracks flanked by the two guards. Much of the garrison was quiet now - most of the workers were in a long line stretching out of the door of the mess hall and wrapping around the building. Only a few scattered guards could be seen patrolling around the roads.
“So, any idea where we’ll find this Warlock, sir?” Filwin asked. “Ironwall isn’t exactly small.”
“Well I don’t think there are too many Gnomes around here,” Kyle murmured. “Mostly Humans. Look for one in a dark robe and it’ll probably be him.”
“You mean like that one?”
Kyle turned his head to follow where Twilight’s hoof was pointing. There, lying underneath a large tree next to the mess hall, was a Gnome dressed in a simple black hooded robe. He didn;t appear to have noticed them yet, for his face was buried in a book. Though Kyle couldn’t read the title, it was clearly ancient if the cracked leather binding was anything to judge by.
A sense of unease washed over Kyle as the Gnome flipped a page in his book. He never liked dealing with Warlocks. Maybe it was a requirement to wield that kind of corrupt power, or maybe it was a side effect, but every Warlock he had ever met had been unpleasant to deal with. At the very least, a disregard for what others cared seemed standard among them, as well as an unquenchable thirst for power.
Kyle took a deep breath to calm himself. Despite his misgivings, it wasn’t his place to judge where this Warlock derived his power from. All that mattered was talking to him and finding out what had happened the night before. With this thought in mind, he took a step forward towards the Warlock. “Mister Darksteel, I presume?”
The Warlock glanced up as Kyle’s voice reached his ears. Kyle’s posture stiffened as Dinmack narrowed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. A shiver ran down Kyle’s spine that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. He watched as the Gnome reached for a black feather lying on the ground next to him and slid it between the pages of his book before snapping it shut. He rose to his feet, which did little to increase his height. He opened his mouth…
And froze as a large Felguard materialized between him and Kyle.
Twilight and Filwin both yelped and took a step backwards as the Felguard let loose a horrific roar. Instantly, the line near the mess hall scattered as the workers fled for cover and the soldiers scrambled for their weapons. Dinmack, meanwhile, took off like a rocket away from Kyle and the Felguard, running towards the entrance with his book left forgotten behind him.
As the soldiers of Ironwall fell upon the Felguard, Kyle took off after the fleeing Gnome. The Warlock glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes locked with Kyle’s. Terror was clear upon his face, and his eyes only became smaller as he realized that he was being pursued. His legs were mere blurs as he pushed himself even faster, faster than one would expect a Gnome capable of.
As the Warlock reached the main gate, a pair of guards flanking the exit jumped in his way. He jumped over one as the guard dove for him, and sidestepped the second, but the brief moment that it had taken him to dodge the guards gave Kyle enough time to shorten the distance between them. The Warlock glanced behind him again as he took off once more. “S-stop! I didn’t d-do anything!” he yelled out.
Had he not been so intent on his target, Kyle would have snorted. Like summoning a Felguard to attack them was not doing anything. Instead, he kept chasing after the Gnome as they exited the main gate and turned right onto the main road leading to Ponyville.
The Gnome was fast, there was no question of that. But with his longer legs, Kyle was quickly closing the distance. Occasional bursts of green flame could be seen from the Warlock’s feet as he attempted to speed himself up, but it did little to keep him ahead of his pursuer.
Just as Kyle got in range to catch him with a Flying Serpent Kick, a loud bang pierced the air. The Gnome’s head jerked awkwardly to the left as a shower of blood erupted from the right side of his skull. His body followed suit, and he collapsed unmoving onto the cobblestone road.
Kyle skidded to a halt as the sound echoed away into the distance, and he slowly approached his target. Blood gushed from a large wound in the Gnome’s head. Bits of bone and brain matter were flecked here and there across the side of his head. There was no doubt that the Warlock was dead. Someone had shot him in the head.
But whom?
As if to answer the unspoken question, the sound of footsteps from his right reached Kyle’s ears. He turned his head as a Dwarf approached, covered in chain armor and sporting a large rifle slung across his right shoulder. A satisfied smirk could be seen behind his thick ginger beard.
“Ain’t so quick with his brains outside his head, eh Commander?” The Dwarf chuckled.
Kyle returned the smirk and gave a small salute. “Excellent shot, mister…”
“Private Firebeard, sir,” the Dwarf replied with a salute of his own. “Saw the whole thing from up on the wall. Figured ye could use a hand.” He spat on the grass on front of him. “Shoulda figured the traitor would be someone already cohorting with those foul demons.”
Kyle returned his attention to the slain Warlock. “Aye. Very predictable,” he agreed. “Looks like that’s one less threat to our safety. Private, please bring the corpse back to Ironwall so that we may dispose of it. Once you’re done, report to my office.” The Dwarf salute and strapped his rifle to his back. Kyle set off at a brisk jog towards Ironwall as the Dwarf moved towards the dead Gnome.
As he passed back through the main gate, the scene was far less chaotic than he had been expecting. The Felguard’s smoldering corpse lay still and unmoving underneath the tree, with multiple wounds riddling its body. The line into the mess hall had reformed, and Twilight and Filwin seemed to have kept order in the aftermath of the attack. The two were standing off to the side of the road across from the mess hall, and were speaking to each other in hushed whispers. Filwin appeared to be explaining something, for she was gesturing with her hands and Twilight was nodding repeatedly.
Their conversation quickly died as Kyle walked up to them. “Looks like things are under control in here,” he commented.
“It didn’t take long for the guards to bring the demon down,” Twilight replied. “But what about Darksteel? What happened to him?”
“Dead. One of the Hunters on the wall saw the attack and shot him in the head as he was running towards Ponyville. He should be coming back any moment with the body.”
As if on cue, Private Firebeard strode through the main gates into Ironwall with the Gnome’s body slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The corpse still leaked blood from the large hole on the side of his head, spilling the red liquid on the stone street. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she quickly averted her eyes as her cheeks took on a slightly green hue.
If Filwin noticed Twilight’s discomfort, she didn’t mention it. “So, with the traitor found and dealt with, hopefully we can fix this place up and get things back to normal.”
“Assuming that Darksteel’s partner doesn’t come back looking for revenge,” Kyle countered. “Remember that there’s still another Warlock out in the forest. Just because the internal threat has been dealt with doesn’t mean we can relax. Until Zinju has joined Darksteel in death, we must remain vigilant.”
“Of course, sir.”
“So Dinmack Darksteel was the traitor,” Kyle murmured. “Filwin, please inform the others on your list that the restrictions on their movements have been lifted. I’d still like to screen them just in case there’s more than one traitor in our midst, but I seriously doubt that our security is that lax. Also, please find Corporal Balthier and have him report to my office in half an hour. I believe I owe him an apology.”
“Yes sir.” Filwin saluted quickly and took off towards the mess hall in search of the people on her list.
Kyle watched as Filwin vanished into the large building and turned to Twilight. Though she still eyed the trail of blood with a look of disgust, she seemed to be settling from the shock of the dead Gnome. “You should probably-”
“Get someone to clean that up,” Kyle interrupted. “I know. It’s on my list.” He sighed and flopped down onto the grass on the side of the road. “Sorry about all that,” he added. “I didn’t actually think anything like that would happen. Didn’t think it would be that easy to figure out who did it.”
“I suppose a bit of excitement every now and then is good,” Twilight shrugged. An instant later, she sighed, and her shoulders drooped. “It got my mind off of the gala for a bit, anyway.”
“The gala?”
“The Grand Galloping Gala.” All Twilight got in response was a confused look. “It’s a royal ball up in Canterlot, and it’s coming up in a month or so. It’s held every year to celebrate the day that Canterlot was finished being constructed.”
“Well that doesn’t sound too bad,” Kyle said. “Maybe not the most exciting thing in the world, but still. But you don’t exactly sound happy about it. What’s up?”
“My friends and I went to the gala a couple of years ago.” Twilight closed her eyes and shuddered. “It was absolutely awful. We ended up accidentally destroying most of the party because it was just not at all what we expected. Quite frankly, only hanging out with my friends afterwards made the whole ordeal bearable, and I don’t want to go back without them.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Then don’t go?” he suggested. “Or ask them to come with you?”
Twilight snorted. “Please. I doubt they want to go back any more than I do. I couldn’t ask them to go through all that again. But even if they did want to go, you need an invitation from Princess Celestia to get in. And I have to go because I’m a Princess now. Everypony will expect me to be there.”
“Well…” Kyle’s voice trailed off as he tried and failed to think of something to say. “Well… it’s only one night a year, right?” he finally said. “We’ve all gotta do stuff we hate. Like going to boring royal balls, or paperwork… so much paperwork…”
“Yeah, I guess.” She glanced up at Kyle and opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again and averted her gaze. She sighed and rose to her hooves. “Well, I’d better get back to Ponyville. I need to ask Rarity if she can fix up my dress from the last gala. I think it’ll still work…” She gave a short wave before taking to the air and flying away.
Kyle watched as she disappeared over the stone walls and rose as well. He motioned to a pair of off-duty soldiers and instructed them to begin cleaning up the blood stains left behind by the dead Warlock before moving past the mess hall and up towards the town hall. As he did, he noticed that the Gnome’s body had been deposited on top of a small hill next to the town hall. He’d have to have it burned soon. But for now, he just needed a moment to rest.
Inside the town hall, the Dwarf Hunter was already sitting outside his office. Kyle nodded at him as he walked past. “Give me just a few minutes,” he said. “I’ll be with you shortly.” With that, he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.
As he sat down at his desk, his face formed into a small frown. Though everything was where he had left it, there was one item on his desk that had not been there before. A small white envelope with a red wax seal on the back. He picked the envelope up and examined the stamp, noting that it was the Royal Seal of Equestria. He tore the envelope open, which revealed a letter written in flowing, elegant text.
For a moment, Kyle’s eyes danced back and forth over the page. As they reached the bottom of the page, he set the letter aside. He closed his eyes and laid his head down on his desk before letting out a large sigh. “Well, at least she won’t be suffering alone,” he murmured as he picked up the envelope. Inside was a second, much smaller piece of golden paper. He pulled it out and examined the text upon it.
CONGRATULATIONS
You are cordially invited to this year’s
GRAND GALLOPING GALA!
Hosted at PRINCESS CELESTIA’S palace
in CANTERLOT!
~Formal Attire Only~