//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Beyond the Portal II: Flames of War // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// “Alright squirt. Got everything you need?” “Yep!” “Food, water, everything?” “Got it all.” Kyle looked Scootaloo up and down. Her bags didn’t look very full. Not nearly as full as his was. Still, he had told her it would only be a day or two, and he was the one hauling all of the survival and medical equipment. “Alright then. You’re sure you can fly that far? Appleoosa isn’t exactly close by.” “We’ll be there by sunset, you said,” she replied. “And I’ve been practicing. I’m good to get there.” Kyle was still skeptical, but he gave his apprentice the benefit of a doubt. “Alright then.” He placed one hand on the beak of the hippogryph he was standing next to and gave it a few strokes to calm it. He and King Varian had both agreed that, considering the fact that intelligent Gryphons already lived in Equestria, using the Azerothian Gryphons for transportation in Equestria might not be the best idea. Instead, Ironwall had been given a flight of hippogryphs. The hippogryph snorted lightly, but lowered its head. Kyle recognized the act of submission, and he climbed onto its back to sit in the saddle. He looked down on the other side of the hippogryph towards the short figure standing a safe distance back. “Filwin, you’re in charge while I’m gone. Just hold the fort down.” “Got it, boss!” she saluted. Kyle looked to his left and nodded at Scootaloo. He tapped the hippogryph’s side twice with his boots, and the beast spread its wings and shot into the sky. Kyle quickly grabbed the leather belt in front of him that kept the saddle in place as he adjusted to his new airborne condition. Once he had steadied himself, he tapped the hippogryph on the back of the neck and pointed out over the forest. The hippogryph gave another light snort and started flying over the walls of Ironwall, over the small field beyond, and out over the Everfree Forest. A glance to his left told him that Scootaloo was flying just alongside him. She angled herself and flew in closer. “So that Nobrul guy… what did you call him?” she asked. “A Draenei?” “No no no, the other thing.” “Oh. He’s a Paladin. They’re powerful fighters who utilize a power called the Holy Light. Priests also use the Holy Light for most of their power. Paladins are most well known for their ability to punish their foes with strong attacks that are further strengthened by the Light, whereas Priests are more well known for using the Light to heal others. Paladins can, however, call upon the Light to heal their allies as a Priest would, or even to strengthen their defenses to guard allies, and Priests can… I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but some Priests have found a way to ‘twist’ the Light into Shadow, and use that to fight their foes.” “Right,” Scootaloo murmured. “So… what other kinds of powers are out there? I mean, I know we use Chi, and those Paladins and Priests use the Light, but what else is there?” “Well, there’s the arcane, for starters,” Kyle began. “That’s the stuff the mages and Unicorns are most adept at. They use the mana and the leylines of the world to fuel their spells as raw arcane energy, or else they can shape it into something more specific like fire or ice.” “Of course, you can’t mention arcane magic without mentioning fel.” Kyle’s voice took on a darker tone. “The dark side of arcane magic. Fel magic is another term for demonic magic - the stuff the Burning Legion uses. It’s a very corrupting branch of magic, fel. Many who turn to it end up losing their minds or their lives. Warlocks are particularly adept at this, and many of them were once mages who delved deeper into the arcane arts than they should have. Not all Warlocks are evil, but it’s certainly a fine line to tread, using such horrific magic against your foes. Fel magic often utilizes pacts and bonds with powerful demons, and these bonds can easily tear you apart if you make them too recklessly. Warlocks generally either specialize in commanding powerful demonic servants, incinerating their foes with corrupted felfire, or drawing out their opponents’ death with agonizing pain.” “Fel magic is universally considered the most unnatural of magics, for living creatures instinctively avoid its taint. Nature magic, on the other hand, is considered the most harmonious branch. From what I understand, all Pegasi are born with an innate knowledge of nature magic, and with its energy coursing through their veins. It’s what allows them to fly, and also what allows them to manipulate the weather. On Azeroth, an affinity for nature magic among the sentient races is far rarer, most common among the Night Elves and the Tauren. Those who study and practice it are known as Druids. They can use their power to shapeshift into various animal forms to suit their needs, or even into a walking tree to mend grievous wounds. Some Hunters also study into this branch of magic to enhance their bonds with their animal companions.” Kyle paused for a moment to catch his breath, since speaking over the rush of the wind caused him to have to speak louder. “Alright. So next up are the Shamans. Shamanism originates from the world of Draenor. The Orcs were the original Shaman, and they ended up teaching the rest of Azeroth about shamanism, including the Draenei. Shaman are looked to as spiritual leaders, for they have the ability to commune with the spirits of the dead and receive visions from them. In combat, they are also able to strike deals with powerful elementals in order to utilize the power of the elements. Elemental magic, we call it. This is far different from a mage twisting arcane magic into fire or ice - a Shaman will conjure fire directly from the Firelands, or a tornado straight from Skywall. Or, they could summon a healing rain right from the heart of the Abyssal Maw to restore their allies to full strength. Very powerful, very potent. Like a Warlock, a Shaman must be careful when striking these deals, though Elementals are less likely to double-cross you than a Demon is.” “And finally, there is Shadow magic. This comes primarily in two flavors - deceptive and necrotic. Deceptive Shadow magic is primarily used by Rogues, though Hunters have been known to use a variation to camouflage themselves. Rogues use their mastery of the shadows to hide in plain sight, even in the middle of the day in an open field. They can step through the shadows to appear behind an opponent, vanish from sight, or even cloak themselves to stop an incoming attack. I used to use this kind of magic back when I was a Rogue myself. I can’t harness it anymore - I’ve fallen out of practice, and I’m happy to keep it that way. But those who do use it can pull off some very dirty work.” “Necrotic Shadow magic, also known more loosely as necromancy, is primarily used these days by the Death Knights. Before, it was the prefered magic of the Scourge, whom the Death Knights were members of. This branch of magic harnesses the power of Death itself. Those who wield it can infect their opponents with deadly plagues, spread those diseases around to other enemies, blast their opponents with frigid winds, heal themselves by harming their foes, and even resurrect the dead. It’s a very, very dark branch of magic, and one that no living creature should tap into by choice. Death Knights are former heroes once slain by the Scourge then resurrected by this Necrotic magic. They now utilize the same power that brought them back to undeath, fighting alongside those of us who still live.” Kyle fell silent as he finished his explanation. He allowed the silence to continue as Scootaloo soaked in what he had told her. He glanced over his shoulder as the edge of the forest finally disappeared behind them. Now the only thing that they could see was Canterlot Mountain rising high in the north. Everything else was a sea of green leaves. “So… what exactly are we doing?” Scootaloo asked. “What kind of markings did they find? And where?” “I don’t know,” Kyle replied. “That’s what we’re going to find out. Check out the markings, see what the locals think, investigate around a bit. Pay the Changelings a visit, since they’re close enough to it all.” “Any idea what it is?” “Could be any number of things.” Kyle sighed and shook his head. “Could be nothing to worry about. Changelings chopping down lumber, one of the Minotaur tribes doing the same, some Pony in Appleoosa sneaking some extra firewood. Or it could be Zinju up to no good again. Though I doubt it, unless he’s operating a lot further south than we believe. I doubt he’d go that far for firewood when the Everfree Forest is just full of perfectly good trees. Or it could be something we haven’t anticipated. Could be anything.” “So we need to be prepared for anything.” “Exactly. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” --- Just as Kyle had predicted, the town of Appleoosa came into view in front of them just as the sun was beginning to dip down past the horizon behind them. Compared even to Ponyville, it was a small town. It seemed to be comprised primarily of a single street lined on each side with wooden buildings, with a few houses scattered around the outskirts. At the far end of the main road, Kyle could see the station and train tracks that would eventually take a rider to Ponyville. Just beyond the train tracks lay a massive apple orchard. Though not quite as big as Sweet Apple Acres, the orchard still sprawled out as far as the eye could see. The trees were bare now, their fruit picked long ago and their leaves brown and falling away as the winter months approached. Kyle and Scootaloo slowly descended into the main street. True to her word, Scootaloo had managed to fly the entire distance on her own. But unsurprisingly, she was breathing heavily as they circled the main street. She was able to make the trip, but it certainly wasn’t easy for her. The pair finally landed outside what appeared to be a saloon, earning them stares from nearly every Pony around them. Kyle paid them little mind, and instead tied his hippogryph’s reins around the railing outside of the saloon. He turned towards the nearest Pony - a light-gold stallion with a dual-color yellow-and-orange mane. “You there,” he called out. “What’s your name?” The stallion stood more upright as Kyle addressed him. “Uh… name’s Braeburn,” he replied in a drawl very reminiscent of Big Macintosh’s voice, if a bit higher. “And yers?” “Kyle Slater,” he replied. “And this is my apprentice, Scootaloo.” “Well… welcome to Appleoosa Kyle, and you too Scootaloo,” Braeburn smiled. “Not often we get new folks ‘round here. It’s gettin’ a bit dark, but I can still give ya the tour if’n we hurry.” Kyle held up his hand. “Sorry, we don’t have time for a tour right now.” Braeburn’s smile fell slightly, but Kyle pretended not to notice. “We’re here on business. Could you please take us to your mayor?” “Well… We don’t got a mayor ‘round here,” Braeburn admitted. “But if you wanna talk t’ the guy in charge, you’ll wanna talk to Sheriff Silverstar. C’mon, I’ll take you to him.” “Thank you.” Kyle and Scootaloo fell into step behind Braeburn as he turned and began to walk down the street. “So like I said, not often we get new folks ‘round here. Where’re you two from?” he asked. “Ironwall,” Kyle replied. “It’s a new outpost set up by the Grand Alliance just outside of Ponyville.” “Ah, yep. We’ve heard tell of some new Alliance with some new planet or somethin’,” Braeburn nodded. “Guessin’ yer one of those… Hoomans?” “Humans, yes.” “Gotcha. So this outpost of yers, it’s next to Ponyville you say?” Kyle nodded. “Guessin’ you’ve met some of the Ponies ‘round there, yeah? You run into Applejack?” Kyle nodded again. “Yes, I have. She’s a pretty good friend of mine.” “Well shoot. She’s my cousin. Any friend of Applejack’s a friend a’ mine.” “Guess I should have figured as much,” Kyle smirked. He pointed to Braeburn’s cutie mark. “Applejack always said she has a big family, and near enough every one of you all that I’ve seen so far has an apple-related cutie mark.” “Yep. We got an Aunt and Uncle Orange up in Manehatten, but… well they don’t hang around with us all too much. Got all high-society-like up in the big city. But the rest of us, yeah, we’re called the Apple family fer a reason. My dad was an apple farmer, just like Applejack’s, and we both ended up doin’ it too.” “So… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?” Beside him, Kyle heard Scootaloo snort. “It ain’t quite as funny after you’ve heard it a hundred times,” Braeburn chuckled. “But enough ‘bout me. What brings you two here?” “Official business,” Kyle replied. “The Princesses sent us here. We’re going to discuss it with this Sheriff Silverstar guy.” “Is it about those trees that got cut down?” Kyle hesitated for a moment before nodding. “You heard about that, huh?” “Ain’t a soul in Appleoosa that ain’t heard about that,” Braeburn scoffed. He turned and angled himself towards the last building on the street, on their left. “My aunt, Apple Munchies, she’s the one that first spotted the stumps. Just a bit south of our orchards, where the desert ends and the mountains begin.” “Got it. Well, we’ll be talking with the Sheriff here about it soon enough.” “Someone call my name?” A voice called out. Kyle turned his head to see a well-built stallion walking out of the building in front of them. He had a sand-tan coat with a dark brown mane and tail and an impressive black moustache across his face. He was wearing a black hat similar to Applejack’s, along with a red bandana around his neck and a blue denim vest. If his cutie mark was anything to judge by, this had to be the guy they were looking for. Kyle cleared his throat and stepped forward as the stallion stared at him. “Sheriff Silverstar, I presume?” The stallion raised an eyebrow. “Who’s askin’?” “Commander Kyle Slater, from the Grand Army of the Alliance.” “So yer the one the Princesses said was comin’ down to help out with our tree problem, eh?” Silverstar eyed Kyle up and down. “One of those new Humans I’m guessin’. But she didn’t mention no little filly comin’ with ya. Who is she?” “Scootaloo, my apprentice,” Kyle gestured towards her. “Ain’t gonna get in the way, is she?” “Not a chance,” Kyle assured him. “Right then. Thanks for bringin’ ‘em to me, Braeburn.” Braeburn gave a quick nod and trotted away, leaving Kyle and Scootaloo alone on the porch with Silverstar. “Come on in, you two. Let’s get down to brass tacks.” The sheriff’s office was pretty small, Kyle noted as they stepped in. It seemed to consisted almost entirely of a single table with three chairs surrounding a small wooden table, which held a rolled-up scroll and a pack of playing cards. The only other feature was a holding cell behind iron bars in the back. Silverstar took a seat in the corner behind the table, and Kyle and Scootaloo drew up their own chairs. Silverstar unrolled the scroll and spread it out, revealing a map of the Badlands. The central and western regions were almost entirely bare, though a red x near the middle was labeled ‘Changeling Hive’. Appleoosa was on the eastern end of the map, with its apple orchard sprawling to the south. A red dotted line cut through the middle of the orchard, labelled ‘stampede path’. The southern end of the orchard reached almost all the way to the north edge of the mountain range that separated the Badlands from the southern reaches of the continent, where Minotaurs and Dragons were known to roam. Only a small stretch of desert separated the orchard and the mountains. Just on the other side of that stretch of desert, a large black x had been circled. Silverstar pointed towards the circled x. “Apple Munchies noticed the missing trees a few days ago,” he began. “Right there, where the mountain forest begins. Just a little bit into the forest, a decent sized area was just completely cut down. Nothin’ but stumps left. Folks in town are worried that if whoever cut those trees down comes back, they might take down a few of our apple trees next time. They didn’t cut none of ‘em down this time, but that might’ve just been dumb luck.” Kyle nodded and looked across the table. “Or they might have deliberately avoided them. Or just not wanted to cross the desert. It’s hard to tell at this point. I’d like to see the area for myself.” “I’ll take ya in the mornin’. Too dark out right now to get a good lookin’. ‘Specially if you wanna get a look at those markings. Not to mention that nights this time of year in the Badlands can get mighty cold.” “Agreed. Got any place for us to rest for the night?” “O’ course.” Silverstar reached into one of the pockets in his vest and pulled out a slip of paper before sliding it across the table. “Show that to the guys down at the saloon. They’ll hook you up with a room. No charge.” “Thanks, Sheriff.” “No, thank you for comin’ to sort this whole mess out.” Silverstar rose to his hooves, and Kyle and Scootaloo rose as well. “We’ll set out at dawn.” “We’ll be ready.” With that, Kyle and Scootaloo turned and walked out of the building. Already, the chill of the night was starting to set it. The two made their way back down the street towards the saloon, where the hippogryph was still tied up to the fence. Kyle reached into his bag and pulled out the blanket he had brought with him before throwing it over the hippogryph. Hopefully that would help to stave off the cold of the desert night. The two then turned and pushed their way into the saloon. Kyle raised an eyebrow as they walked in. The saloon was almost entirely empty, save for the lone stallion standing behind the bar. Kyle approached and placed the slip of paper that Silverstar had given him on the bar. The stallion leaned down for a moment before nodding. He reached under the counter and pulled out a key before sliding it over the counter. “Upstairs, third door on your left.” “Thank you.” Kyle and Scootaloo moved towards the stairs that wrapped around the back side of the bar and made their way down the hallway towards their room. Kyle unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind Scootaloo. The room was fairly modest - two single beds, a nightstand with a clock and a lamp in between them, and a chair in a corner. Just inside the door, on the right side, was a small bathroom. Kyle slung his bag beside the bed closer to the door and sat down upon the bed. A loud creak informed him that Scootaloo had likewise hopped into her own bed. She looked over at him as he laid down. “So what’s going to happen tomorrow?” she asked. “Well, Silverstar’s gonna come get us at dawn,” Kyle replied. “We’re going to go check out the disturbance, see what’s going on down there, investigate those markings, and go from there. Maybe pay a visit to Empress Yxia while we’re in the area. I’m hoping we’ll at least be on the way back to Ponyville this time tomorrow.” “But as I said, the Sheriff is going to be getting us at dawn. So I’d suggest we get some shut eye. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, and I doubt we’re going to be getting a nap break.” “Right. I’ll see you in the morning. G’night Kyle.” “‘Night Scoots.” Kyle  laid his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes. He sighed and smiled. It had been a long time since he and Scootaloo had gotten to do much besides their increasingly scarce training sessions. Even if this was a mission and not just hanging out, it was a nice change of pace. Plus, this trip had, at least for a time, gotten his mind off of his problems. His more strained friendships with both Lyra and Twilight, and the Gala. Especially the Gala. His smile faded as the word entered his mind. That stupid party was turning out to be far more trouble than he had expected. Well, only five more days until then. At least then it’d be behind him, and things could go back to normal. Kyle snorted sleepily. “Normal,” he yawned softly. “Like anything’s ever normal in this crazy world.”