//------------------------------// // Chapter 22 // Story: Beyond the Portal II: Flames of War // by Firestar463 //------------------------------// For the fifth time since he had entered the library, Kyle’s head shot up as the large clock in the center of the rotunda rang out a series of chimes - six this time. Sure enough, as he looked up at the clock, it read six o’clock. Through the windows, Kyle could see the sun already beginning to lower. Kyle glanced back down at the book he had been reading - The Ballroom: A History of Equestrian Dance. The actual history part had been of no use to him, as he had quickly discovered. Instead, the chapters on modern dance had caught his eye. Equestrian dance seemed almost identical to the styles found on Azeroth, especially ballroom dance. The waltz was particularly popular at high-society events, and so Kyle had brushed up on that particular style. In doing so, he’d also discovered how Ponies would dance. While dancing, Ponies would stand on their hind hooves and balance themselves against their partners, allowing them to move about the dance floor as a Human would. It would almost be like dancing with a Human… except for the wings and lack of fingers. Kyle closed the book and stowed it back on the shelf where he had originally found it. He’d found out what he needed to know for the evening, but now he was done. The guests for the Gala were likely even now beginning to arrive, and he knew that he needed to be present. It wouldn’t do for him to be stuck up in a library until the last minute. And so Kyle made his way out of the large library. A pair of guards flanked the doors, awaiting his departure. A quick conversation later, and the two stallions were leading Kyle away from the library and down the corridor. It appeared that part of becoming a guard involved learning the twisting routes and corridors throughout the palace, for the two guards had not lost their way for even a moment as they had led Kyle to the library. Likewise, they now strolled back down the hallways with confidence. Before long, they arrived at the entrance hall staircase. Kyle thanked the pair, and they turned away to walk back through the palace. Kyle turned and looked out over the entrance hall. Straight ahead of him, down the short series of steps, Celestia and Luna both stood at the top of the larger grand staircase that led down to the main entrance, each one dressed in their usual royal regalia They each also sported a dress - Celestia’s being gold and white with a sun emblazoned upon her back, and Luna’s being a mixture of black and purple with a silvery moon on her back. Two Humans stood next to them in identical black tuxedos. It took Kyle a moment to recognize them, and he couldn’t help but grin as he realized that the one next to Celestia was none other than King Varian. Next to Luna was a smaller, blonde-haired man… no, boy, Kyle realized. Prince Anduin had come to the Gala as well. And if Kyle was reading things correctly, it looked like he and his father would be dancing with the princesses. Near the bottom of the staircases stood the other two princesses. Cadence was on the left side of the staircase, wearing a dress that was a mixture of purple and light gold. Twilight was looking back and forth on the other side of the staircase in her own dress - the same one he had seen partially-finished in Rarity’s shop. The vast majority of it was a royal blue, the same color as Kyle’s shirt, with a light blue trim and stars near her hind hooves. A light blue saddle-like feature covered the middle of her back, though a good portion of it was hidden behind her wings, and the dress was clasped around her neck with a silver star brooch. She also wore a set of glass slippers with stars running up her forelegs. It seemed that no one had noticed Kyle yet. All at once, his nerves came rushing back to him. The time was actually upon him. No more hiding, no more delaying. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself before stepping down the stairs towards the princesses. Show time. As soon as his shoe touched the staircase, Twilight’s head snapped up towards him, with the others looking over more slowly. “There you are!” she exclaimed. “We were beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost,” Celestia added with a light giggle. “No no, your guards saw to it that I found my way back.” Kyle stopped next to Varian and gave a quick salute. “Good evening, sir.” “Commander.” Varian’s voice was even as he nodded towards Kyle. “I hope you’re ready for this. We’re hoping to make a good impression for the upper society here in Equestria. And hopefully soothe some fears that the other kingdoms might have.” “Aye, I’m ready,” Kyle lied. He gave a quick nod to Anduin as he walked down the stairs towards Twilight. As he approached, he couldn’t help but notice the effort she had gone to while preparing. Not a single hair in her mane was out of place, and her fur was immaculately groomed. She almost seemed to shine in the light of the setting sun as he stepped off the stairs and came to a stop next to her. “And now, we are only missing Prince Shining Armor,” Celestia noted. “He said he’d only be a minute or two longer…”Cadence murmured. “What’s keeping him?” “Perhaps we had best begin to let the guests in,” Luna suggested. “Agreed. Twilight, Kyle, if you would please head to the ballroom.” Celestia looked over towards them. “See to it that everything is going smoothly until it is time for the dance.” Twilight and Kyle both nodded, and together they turned and walked out of the entrance hall. They rounded the first bend leading towards the ballroom in silence. Once they were out of earshot of the entrance hall, Twilight turned her head towards Kyle. “So, how do I look?” she asked with a faint hint of red on her cheeks. Kyle turned his head towards her and took in her appearance. Once again he noted her flawless mane, her beautifully-crafted dress, her silky-smooth fur… He took a breath. Was that… lavender? A sort of piney floral smell. He blinked and looked back at Twilight. “You look great,” he said truthfully. “Like a princess.” That seemed to be what she wanted to hear, for Twilight’s smile grew wider and she let out a tiny titter. Kyle also let out a small chuckle, more out of nerves than anything. He shook his head to clear it and pushed the doors to the ballroom wide open, locking them open to allow the other guests easier entrance. The pair then stepped forward into the ballroom. With the sun now setting, much of the room was cast in a brilliant blood-red light as the sun shone in through the stained glass windows. Kyle and Twilight appeared to be the first ones in the ballroom - not surprising, considering that the other guests were only just now entering through the front door. Kyle twisted and turned his neck as he looked around the enormous room once more. “So… where shall we sit?” Twilight asked. She glanced around the room, her eyes locking onto various locations. “Not there, too dark… Ponies will be constantly moving past us there, we’ll never get to sit still…” “How about over there?” Kyle asked, pointing towards the semi-circle area set off from the rest of the room. He moved over towards the area, and stood next to a table next to one of the pillars running around the room, about halfway between the wall and the dance floor. “Here?” “Sure.” Twilight walked over to the table as well, and she and Kyle sat down opposite each other. Twilight’s horn lit up, and the candelabra in the center of the table was ignited. For a long moment, an awkward silence hung in the air between the two as they waited for the other guests to begin to arrive. “So… I guess we should talk?” Twilight finally broke the silence. “Sure. Talk about… stuff, I guess,” Kyle agreed. “So... “ Twilight glanced away and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “Uh… Do you have any… stories? Anything exciting that’s happened to you?” “Yeah, I’ve got a… few stories,” Kyle replied slowly. “Though I doubt most of them are good to tell in polite company.” Indeed, as he had been told before, a good many of his tales would end in the beheading of some foul enemy, or another particularly gruesome death. “I’d like to hear one,” Twilight said. She leaned in closer ever so slightly. Kyle closed his eyes and cast his mind back. “Well…” he began before chuckling. “I suppose I could tell you about a few of the adventures me and Morkie got ourselves into.” “Morkie?” “Gnome Rogue,” Kyle explained. “Great friend, incredible fighter. We were in the same squad for years. You’ve seen him before. Back at the battle of the Crystal Empire, he killed that Changeling Queen right before the Alliance showed up. I could tell you a few tales about the two of us, if you’ll tell me some of the adventures you and the girls have gone on.” “Deal.” “Alright. So… I guess I’ll start with our first little misadventure.” Kyle’s lips curved upwards. “Stranglethorn Vale. That’s where we first met in our squad. We were down there investigating rumors that the Gurubashi Troll Tribe had been driven from their home of Zul’Gurub. A group of extremists, the Atal’ai, were trying to summon a powerful blood god, Hakkar the Soulflayer, into the physical world. It turns out the rumors were true, but that’s a story that we weren’t a part of.” “So we were travelling through the forests, right? Turns out, the Trolls aren’t exactly fond of outsiders. So we got ambushed by the Skullsplitters, another Tribe of Trolls. Only Morkie and I were able to avoid being captured, ‘cause we were both rogues and able to hide pretty easily. Everyone else was taken back to the Skullsplitter camp.” “So, Morkie and I stalked the ambush back to their camp. Which turns out, was pretty big. Like… as big as Ponyville, probably. Now, you can probably guess how everything turned out, but it wasn’t easy. Nearly got caught ourselves more than once, and we did end up having to bash a few skulls in, but we got the rest of our squad out of there before most of the Trolls realized what was going on.” Twilight smiled and nodded. “Good to hear. And you and Morkie…” “Well, that was our first big adventure together,” Kyle explained. “There’s a few things that people can’t experience together without becoming friends, and sneaking into the largest Troll Camp that side of Stormwind to liberate over a dozen prisoners is one of those things.” “So, there’s my story,” Kyle finished. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “So, what have you got?” “Let’s see... “ Twilight rubbed her chin again. “Well, there was that one time my friends and I took on a Dragon.” Kyle blinked. “You have my attention.” “Well, it all started when we got a letter from Princess Celestia…” The awkwardness between the two was quickly dispelled by the sound of their voices. Their thoughts about the Gala, the dance, it all faded away. They were friends, exchanging stories, sharing jokes, trading some light ribbing… Kyle felt the tension between the two vanish into thin air. He only vaguely noted that the ballroom was slowly becoming more and more full of Ponies. Their conversation kept going for nearly an hour and a half. They were talking as they hadn’t been able to in weeks. No tension, no awkwardness. Just two friends talking. “Wait, it gets better,” Kyle grinned as Twilight calmed herself from her latest round of laughter. “So Morkie actually accepted that dare and wandered off into the forest.” Kyle fell silent for a moment, as Twilight leaned forward. “He showed back up three days later, wearing nothing but a loincloth, covered from head to toe in claw marks and feathers!” Kyle and Twilight both burst into laughter for what felt like the thousandth time that evening. “Wow… Twilight giggled as her laughter died down. “You have some of the most interesting stories. I had no idea being in the army could be so… well, you make it sound fun.” “When you tell all the fun bits, that’s the impression that tends to come across,” Kyle nodded. “I still can’t believe that you all actually dressed up as a superhero Pony to pull Rainbow Dash’s ego back. And that it actually worked” “Well, only after she figured us out,” Twilight admitted. “And I can’t believe that you actually let Morkie wander into a Harpy nest all alone,” she half-scolded, half giggled. “Aye,” Kyle agreed. “Poor little Gnome. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel bad after that one. You even mention the word Harpy to him now and he breaks out in a cold sweat. But he’s gotten me back a few times.” “Oh?” Twilight’s eyes glinted mischievously. “How so?” “Well, there was that time with the Kalu’ak…” “Commander. Princess.” Kyle blinked and turned his head. He hadn’t even noticed the armored stallion approach their table. Apparently Twilight hadn’t either, for her head whipped towards the newcomer as well. And yet there he was, just a few feet away. “My apologies for the interruption,” the guard continued, “But your presence has been requested in the entrance hall by Princess Celestia.” Kyle glanced across the table towards Twilight, looking for answers. She seemed to have none, for she seemed just as confused as Kyle. Still, they rose from the table, and Kyle turned his head towards the stallion. “Right. Thanks,” he said. The guard nodded and turned away, and Kyle and Twilight made their way away from their table, past the still-growing crowd of Ponies, and out of the ballroom. The entrance hall was as calm as when they had left it. Indeed, it seemed that the Princesses, Varian, and Anduin hadn’t moved since Kyle and Twilight had left them. The only change in the room was the addition of another stallion. Shining Armor was standing by Cadence’s side, dressed in a blue suit with a light-gold undershirt. As Kyle and Twilight entered the hall, his eyes met with Shining Armor’s - only a brief connection, but long enough for Kyle to feel uneasy. Cadence had been right - Shining Armor was going to want to have a word with him. And it seemed like he might have more to worry about than he had originally anticipated. “Good. You’ve arrived,” Celestia smiled as the pair approached the stairs. “I trust things are going smoothly in the ballroom?” Kyle and Twilight exchanged a quick glance. Truth be told, they’d barely been paying any attention to the happenings in the other room. They’d been too busy swapping jokes and sharing stories. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” Kyle replied as he turned his gaze back towards Celestia. “Good. You’re probably wondering why I’ve called you back.” Kyle and Twilight both nodded in unison. “The representatives of the United MInotaur Tribes and the Griffonian Empire will be arriving soon. The eight of us will be meeting them and their selected guests for the evening for a time, before we return to the ballroom to begin the Gala. And now that we are all here, if you would all follow me…” Celestia walked down the stairs and turned to her right, down the corridor opposite the one that led to the ballroom. The other seven present also turned to follow her.However, Kyle noticed that Shining Armor seemed to trail behind Cadence, drawing closer and closer to the back where Kyle and Twilight were. The group rounded the bend, but before Kyle could follow, Shining Armor threw out a hoof to stop him. A quick glare silenced Kyle’s protests, and the two resumed walking a distance behind the rest of the pack. “Alright Slater,” Shining Armor began. The hostility in his tone could not have been more apparent if he had tried. “What do you think you’re playing at?” “Seriously?” Kyle sighed and shook his head. “I swear I’ve had to explain this like a hundred times now. Look, I know how this looks. But Twilight and I are just friends, okay? Nothing more.” Shining Armor didn’t seem to buy it. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off as a soft blue glow enveloped his ear and yanked on it, drawing a sharp hiss from him. Sure enough, as Kyle glanced back down the hall, Cadence was peering over her shoulder and glaring daggers at Shining Armor. The latter turned his head back towards Kyle, his expression no less angry. “You watch your step tonight,” he muttered as he poked Kyle in the chest. “Because I’ll be watching you. And if you hurt her, I can promise you that I’ll pay it back double.” “Noted,” Kyle replied coolly. To be fair, as a former captain of the guard, Shining Armor could likely hold his own against Kyle in a one-on-one fight. But he knew that that was not going to happen. He had no intention of further provoked Shining Armor’s anger. Instead, he increased his pace and fell into step next to Twilight. Shining Armor strode past a few seconds later and slowed down next to Cadence, who began muttering quietly to him. Twilight moved over closer to Kyle and glanced up at him. “What was that all about?” she whispered. Kyle looked down at Twilight. He glanced down the hall towards Shining Armor and shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied quietly. “Your brother and I just had a bit of a chat.” Twilight seemed to understand, for her brow furrowed as she glanced down the hallway at her brother. She had no time to reply, however, as Celestia suddenly turned and walked into a room on the left side of the hallway. The group slowly funneled their way into the room behind her. It was a simple waiting room, decorated in much the same style as the rest of the castle - purples and light gold colors; a couple dozen velvet-padded seats, lining the walls on all sides; an oil painting of a Unicorn mare with a mysterious half-smile that Kyle could not identify the emotion behind, with a golden plaque identifying it as the Pony Lisa. The four couples sat themselves with a few seats in between themselves, making sure to leave room for the two ambassadors arriving. The other three pairs began talking amongst themselves, and so Kyle followed suit and turned his head towards Twilight. “So, do you know who’s coming from Griffonia or the Minotaur tribes?” he asked. “Or their guests?” Twilight shook her head. “No idea,” she replied. “They’re obviously going to be influential individuals, since they’re essentially representing their kingdoms here. And I’m certain that they’re here to do more than impress us. They’re going to be observing, seeing how things are in Equestria now that we’ve sided with the Alliance.” “And how do you think that’s going to go over?” “Hard to say…” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought and hummed softly for a moment. “I don’t see the Minotaur Tribes having much to complain about. Our pact with the Alliance wouldn’t affect any of our trade agreements or anything like that. Griffonia, however… Well, I don’t know much about them. The last book I read about the history of the Griffons ended with the coronation of their fourteenth king, King Guto. But that Kingdom ruled deep within the Macintosh Mountains centuries ago, and the empire is overseas. The book doesn’t mention anything about an Empire, so I’m assuming it formed afterwards. I haven’t been able to find much else out about the Griffons.” “So they’re a wild card.” “Essentially, yes.” At that moment, a series of three knocks echoed from the door throughout the room. The double doors swung open, and a pair of armored guards on the other side stepped to the side. Past them strolled a pair of Griffons. One of whom was quite familiar to Kyle. “Ah…” Kyle murmured quietly. “Iron Wing.” Indeed it was. The battle-hardened Griffon, even now, wore a suit of shining steel armor across his torso, and he still bore his numerous medals and badges. He and his guest (Wife perhaps? Kyle honestly couldn’t tell) moved towards Princess Celestia, where Iron Wing gave a brief bow. “Princess,” he greeted shortly. “Secretary Iron Wing,” Celestia greeted back. “It has been a while since last we met. The meeting to do with the Sha, I believe?” “Yes, your highness.” “How fares the Emperor?” “Busy as always.” Iron Wing’s chest puffed out with pride. “Which is why, as usual, he has sent me to represent the Empire of Griffonia here at the Gala.” “We are pleased to have you here,” Luna smiled - a rather forced smile, Kyle noticed. She gestured with her wing towards a set of open seats to her right. “Please, sit and relax. The Minotaur ambassador should be arriving shortly.” As Iron Wing and his guest took their seats, his eyes locked with Kyles. They narrowed ever so slightly, and Kyle returned the look. Their last encounter, as Celestia had noted, had been at the meeting between the great powers of Equestria to discuss the threat of the Sha. Kyle had only just stopped himself from breaking Iron Wing’s jaw at that meeting. The Griffon was arrogant, boastful, and had been condescending towards Kyle the entire time. He had little reason to believe that Iron Wing’s attitude had improved at all since their last meeting. Twilight seemed to notice Kyle’s agitation, for she scooted even closer to him. “You okay?” she murmured. “It’s nothing,” Kyle replied. “Iron Wing and I have met before, and… well, let’s just say we didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye.” Kyle closed his eyes and let out a tense breath. “If he’s the Griffonian ambassador, I’ve a feeling tonight just got a bit more difficult.” “Hey, relax,” Twilight soothed as she wrapped one wing around Kyle. “You don’t have to deal with him at all if you don’t want. Let Princess Celestia and King Varian deal with him. I doubt the King will let himself get too bothered.” “Yeah,” Kyle sighed, more relaxed this time. “You’re right. Thanks.” Twilight slowly retracted her wing. “No problem…” A second series of three knocks echoed through the room, though these were far louder. The oak doors were flung open once more, but rather than revealing two armored guards, it instead revealed two hulking figures, both dressed in large black suits. Both bore black horns that curved out and downwards. Both had long black hair that ran down the back of their necks. One bore a smoking pipe, while the other did not. In an instant, Varian and Kyle were both on their feet, while Anduin’s face was a mixture of pure shock and barely-masked apprehension. Varian growled angrily and pointed at the figure who did not bear a pipe. “You,” he all but snarled. “What are you doing here?!” “He is my guest.” The other figure stepped into the room and blew a small smoke ring from his nose. He locked eyes with Varian, his face remaining calm even against the King’s legendary glare. “I am Longhorn, Chief of the Redtail tribe, and ambassador for the United Minotaur Tribes here. And I’d like to introduce my guest for this evening.” He gestured to the other figure, who stepped into the room as well, allowing the light to more fully reveal him. “High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof.”