Beyond the Portal

by Firestar463

Chapter 21

“Hey Twilight.”

“Yeah, Kyle?”

“What’s it called? That feeling you get when you’re doing something, and you feel like you’ve done it before?”

“Deja Vu?”

“Yeah. That’s it. Got a major sense of Deja Vu here.”

Twilight sighed and turned her head back to the crystal she had been examining. She and Kyle were sitting in the hospital waiting room, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Of their group, only they had escaped that morning’s battle unscathed.

Kyle glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall. “Seven o’clock,” He thought to himself. “We’ve been here for six hours. Thank the Light that doctor thought to bring me a pillow this time.” He turned his head back towards Twilight. “Any idea when we’ll be let in to see everyone?”

“The answer hasn’t changed since the last time you asked,” Twilight replied curtly. “No idea.”

“No need to get all huffy there, princess,” Kyle scoffed. He punched Twilight lightly on the shoulder, earning him a glare. “Alright alright, I’ll leave you alone,” he grumbled.

Kyle turned his head towards the other two Ponies in the room. Rainbow Dash was curled up against the wall with her eyes closed. Clearly she would be no help in alleviating Kyle’s boredom.

“You holding up alright, Fluttershy?” he asked.

Fluttershy peaked over the magazine that she had been reading. “Hmm? Oh, yes. I mean, I’m worried, of course, but I’m okay.”

There was a moment of silence. Kyle looked back up at the clock. “Seven o’ two,” he grumbled to himself. “Whatcha reading there?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s the latest issue of Home and Garden Monthly.” Fluttershy replied. “I’ve found a great article about how to keep my squirrel friends from taking the food from the birdhouses.”

“Uh… Interesting?” Kyle raised an eyebrow. “So… what does…”

“Kyle, please,” Twilight sighed, poking him with her hoof. “I know you’re tired of waiting. We all are. But please, hush. I want to see how Cruelty’s Crystal differs from Deceit’s Crystal, and I can’t do that if you’re talking.”

“Well then what am I supposed to do?” Kyle demanded. “I’ve already been through at least a dozen of those magazines there, including the one Fluttershy’s reading, and I don’t even like that Home and Garden crap!”

“Why don’t you meditate then?” Twilight asked. “Based on what you’ve told me, it seems to pass the time quickly for you. And it’ll give us all a break from your whining,” she added as she turned back to the crystal

“I’m not whining,” Kyle muttered, crossing his arms. He checked the clock again “Seven o’ five,” he sighed. Twilight’s suggestion was starting to sound pretty good, especially considering what they had just dealt with that morning. Kyle removed the pillow from under him and adjusted himself so that he was sitting upright, and not against the wall. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the Chi around him, and…

Opened one eye as the door to the hospital rooms opened up. A Unicorn Mare stepped through the double doors, looking at the group scattered around the waiting room. “I assume you all are Princess Twilight Sparkle, Kyle Slater, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s us,” Twilight replied, pushing herself to her hooves. “How is everypony? Are they okay?”

“They’re a bit worse for wear, but they’ll all live,” the doctor replied. “They’re all stable now, so if you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you to see them.”

Kyle leaned over and gave Rainbow Dash a nudge. The pegasus snorted once before raising her head, her eyes still half-shuttered. “Wha’s up?” she mumbled, shaking her head.

“It’s time to go into the back,” Kyle replied, pushing himself to his feet and following the doctor through the door. “Unless you’d rather snooze out here,” he added with a smirk.

“No way!” Rainbow Dash yelped, springing to her hooves. She stumbled once before catching herself and rushing after her friends.

The group followed the doctor through the hallways, making a few turns before stopping in front of an open door. “Applejack’s waiting for us,” she announced before stepping inside. Kyle had to duck down to fit under the door frame as he followed.

Applejack was lying on a bed, covered with a white blanket. Her right rear leg was sticking out from under the covers and covered in a cast. As Kyle stepped in, she turned her head and grinned. “‘Bout time ya’ll got here,” she called out.

“Sorry Applejack. The doctors only just now let us in,” Twilight replied as she stepped inside behind Fluttershy. “So, how are you doing?”

“I’ve had worse than this,” Applejack scoffed.

“You were very lucky, Mrs. Applejack,” The doctor said, looking down at her clipboard. “Very lucky indeed, that your leg wasn’t broken. As it is, several muscles were severely strained. Normally, it would take several months for such an injury to heal. You are very fortunate that we have a Zebra among our staff. His concoctions are a bit unorthodox, but effective. That cast of yours is infused with a powerful healing poultice. You should be able to walk again sometime tomorrow, and be fully recovered by the end of the week.”

“Thank Celestia,” Applejack sighed. “Here I was worried about havin’ t’ miss Applebuck Season. I dunno if Big Mac can handle the harvest all on his own.”

“As it is, we’re going to have to keep you overnight,” The doctor continued. “You’re in no state to walk right now, and we want to keep an eye on that leg to make sure the poultice is working, and that there aren’t any further complications.”

“Ah well… them’s the brakes,” Applejack sighed again. “Thanks fer comin’ t’ check on me, ya’ll. But way I hear it, ya’ll might wanna take a look at Discord. Doc said that he was a problematic case.”

“Not because of his injuries, but because… well, you’ll see,” The doctor sighed, shaking her head. “Come with me please. I’ll take you to him now.”

The group followed the doctor out of the room and down the hallway some more. Kyle glanced over his shoulder and saw Fluttershy. Her eyes were dilated slightly, and her tail was swishing back and forth in a manner that betrayed worry and unease. Kyle slowed his pace to walk beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s Discord,” he said reassuringly. “Dude’s an Old God. I reckon he can take a couple of punches.”

Fluttershy gulped and nodded quickly as the doctor stopped outside of another room. “Well, it’s not that… I mean, I know he’s tough. It’s not his health I’m worried about…”

The doctor turned and frowned at the group. “I’ll wait out here for you all,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can deal with that one anymore.”

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head, a slight smile creeping onto her face. “It’s his behavior,” she finished before pushing the door open and stepping inside. Kyle raised an eyebrow as he followed behind her. The room was pitch black as he entered, so Kyle reached for the wall, fumbling for the light switch. Finally, he found it and flicked it on.

“YARRRR! Avast, me hearties!”

Kyle’s head whipped towards the interior of the room. Standing in front of the bed was Discord - or at least, Kyle assumed that was Discord behind his costume. He was decked out in a full-blown pirate outfit, complete with an eyepatch, a bandana, a peg-leg to replace his lizard leg, a wooden sword in his eagle claw, and a wooden parrot perched upon his shoulder.

“Discord… what in the name of all that is holy are you doing?” Kyle asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Arrr! There be no Discord here! There be only Captain Entropy!” Discord jumped up on the bed and struck a heroic pose. “Now, let’s set sail, me hearties, for there be adventure ahe -”

“Discord, what are you doing?” Fluttershy repeated. Even though there was no hardness in her voice, Kyle still felt her words command the attention of the Draconequus. He paused mid-speech and looked down at Fluttershy.

“Why, I’m a pirate, of course,” He replied with a grin.

“Yes, I see that, but why?”

“Well, I was laying in bed while the doctors poked and prodded at me,” Discord explained, hopping down from the bed. “It was soooooo boring. And irritating, if I’m being honest. I mean, having four or five unicorns poking me with their horns? Ugh! So of course, the first thing they did after they finished examining me was to drone on incessantly about what exactly was wrong with me.” Discord’s voice adopted a high-pitched, mocking tone. “ ‘Your eye has been injured in your fight. You should be more careful. How could you get hurt going against a monster that nearly destroyed the city?’ “ His voice returned to normal. “You know how it goes.”

“But that doesn’t explain the getup,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering over the group to get a better look.

“Well, they all went away for a bit and left me to my thoughts. Then one of them came back with an eyepatch and told me to keep it over my injured eye for a few days until it healed. Well, by that point, I was incredibly bored, and I needed some way to keep myself entertained. So I thought to myself ‘Discord, old chap, how can we amuse ourselves in this situation?’ and I replied ‘By using our newfound prop as a basis for a new look!’. So here I am!”

“And did you let the doctors take care of your other injuries before you put on that costume?” Fluttershy asked.

“Pfff. Well of course I did,” Discord scoffed.

“No he didn’t!” The doctor called from the hallway.

“...not,” Discord finished with a meek grin.

“Discord,” Fluttershy frowned. Though her voice was still gentle, it was clearly reprimanding. Discord’s face fell, and he clicked his claw and paw together timidly. “These doctors are trying to help you. If you don’t let them, then you might get worse. What if a cut gets infected?”

“But I’m an immortal spirit of chaos,” Discord whined. “I don’t get infections.”

“Even so, the doctors are just trying to do their jobs,” Fluttershy chided. “Now, you hop on up in that bed again and let them take a look at you.”

Discord grumbled as he dragged himself back into bed and pulled the covers over himself. He snapped his claws, and his costume vanished, leaving only the eyepatch and the parrot. “Can I at least keep Chipper?” he asked, holding the wooden parrot out towards Fluttershy with a sad expression.

“Yes, you can keep Chipper,” Fluttershy smiled.

“And… and my sword?” Discord asked, pulling the wooden sword out from under the blankets.

“Discord…”

“Okay okay, I’ll get rid of it,” Discord grumbled. He snapped his claws once more, and the sword vanished as well. “So, unless you’d like to take any more of my fun, I believe we’re done here,” he huffed, crossing his arms.

“We can play pirate when we get back to Ponyville,” Fluttershy smiled gently. She waved her wings in farewell as she backed out of the door behind her friends.

The doctor let out a large sigh as she closed the door behind her. “Thanks for that. Maybe we can make some progress with him now,” she muttered as she scribbled on her clipboard. “Let’s see… Senator Wordtwist is still unconscious, but his vitals are stable. I doubt you’ll be having much of a conversation with him. Which leaves… Princess Celestia.”

The doctor turned once more and trotted down the hallways. The group followed the doctor through another set of double doors labeled “RESTRICTED”. Finally, they stopped in front of another door, flanked by two royal guards

“I must warn you before you enter,” The doctor sighed. “The Princess is in… quite a state. Of all the Ponies - And Draconequi - that fought today, she has suffered the most serious physical injuries. I must ask that you keep everything that happens in that room, in that room. We do not want Ponies to see our ruler like this and begin to panic.”

Twilight and Kyle exchanged a nervous glance as the doctor opened the door. Twilight stepped in first, followed by Kyle, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear. As the bed came into view, Twilight gasped.

Celestia was sitting on the bed, reading a book as if everything was normal. However, her injuries were obviously quite extensive. The entire right half of her body was covered in bandages, hiding her normally snow-white coat. Her right wing had lost many feathers, leaving the flesh below exposed. Additionally her horn was tightly wrapped in a cast. As the group entered, Celetia grunted, and the book that was held in her magical grasp dipped towards the ground before floating back up to her.

“Princess!”

Celestia looked over and smiled gently, allowing the book to fall to the bed. “Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you again,” She replied, nuzzling her former student. “I only wish you did not have to see me in such a state.”

“What happened to you?” Kyle asked, circling around to Celestia’s other side. “You didn’t look that bad off when you teleported away.”

“My encounter with the Sha of Cruelty was… draining,” Celestia sighed. “I barely had the strength to get us to the hospital. When the Sha struck me, I attempted to shield myself. Its power was too great though. It broke through the shield and sent me to the ground. That’s when this happened.” She raised her right wing and watched as yet another feather broke off. “When the Sha broke through my shield, it overloaded my horn as well. It’s not permanent, but my magic is significantly weakened for now.”

“So… how is the sun going to rise now?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking worried.

“Fear not. The movement of the sun is my special talent,” Celestia replied. “It does not require much magical effort on my part. Not after so many centuries of doing it every day. However, all the rest of my magic is much more difficult. It is an effort to even lift a book to read it,” she sighed, glancing down at the book she had been reading.

“And unfortunately, there is little more that we can do,” The doctor added. “The poultice we have used for your bandages does not help in re-growing feathers on wings, nor on repairing damage caused by a magical feedback shock to the horn. Only time can heal those injuries.”

“I will recover,” Celestia waved a hoof dismissively. “My concern is for everypony else. Particularly Senator Wordtwist. How is he?”

“It is hard to tell,” The doctor admitted, shuffling her hooves. “He has not yet awoken. His vitals are stable, but he refuses to regain consciousness. We will not be able to see how the Sha has affected him until he is awake again.”

“Then I suppose there is no sense in worrying about it,” Celestia sighed. “In that case, are we done here?”

“We need to take one last look at you to make sure that we didn’t miss anything, and another doctor is already patching Discord’s cuts and scrapes up, but afterwards, yes, you two shall be free to go. We need to keep Applejack overnight, however, to let her leg heal.”

“Very well,” Celestia sighed, laying back down on the bed. “Twilight, if you and your friends will wait out in the lobby, I will be out once Discord and I are finished.”

“Alright. We’ll be waiting,” Twilight replied, backing out of the room. Kyle gave a slight bow as he followed her out of the door and back down the hallway. They pushed through the set of double doors once more and sat down. Twilight pulled out Cruelty’s Crystal once more, while Rainbow Dash curled up again and Fluttershy picked up her magazine.

Kyle glanced up at the clock. “Seven thirty seven,” he groaned internally.

“Hey Twilight?”

“Yeah Kyle?”

“What’s it called? That feeling you get when you’re doing something, and you feel like you’ve done it before?”

“Don’t get started.”

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Kyle felt the double doors open, more than heard them. He forcibly dragged his mind back to his body and opened one eye, feeling slightly sick from the sensations that meditation brought on. As his stomach began to settle, he glanced up at the clock. “Nine twenty nine,” he thought, looking down towards the doors.

Celestia and Discord were stepping through the doors. Celestia still looked weary and beaten, though her smile helped to alleviate the appearance. Discord had put his pirate costume back on, though he had forgone the wooden sword, most likely at the request of the hospital staff.

“I believe we’re ready to go,” Celestia announced as her guards stepped through the doors. “Bulwark, has the carriage arrived?”

“Yes, m’lady,” The guard replied. “It pulled up not two minutes ago.”

“Excellent.” Celestia looked back at the group waiting on her. “I must ask that you attempt to conceal me. It is bad enough that many of the hospital staff have seen me in such a weakened state, even though they have all sworn to secrecy. If the greater public learns that I was injured so easily by the Sha, they will begin to despair and panic.”

“Not a problem,” Twilight replied. “The staff has been keeping Ponies out of this area for about an hour now. It should be a clean run to the front entrance.”

“Then we should hurry, while we have the chance.” Celestia took another look around the waiting room before covering herself with a trench coat.

Kyle couldn’t help but let out a snort as he watched. Celestia’s attempted disguise wouldn’t fool anyone. The coat was several sizes too small for the Alicorn Princess, leaving part of the cast on her horn exposed, as well as her legs and tail. Still, it had to be better than nothing. The group quickly set off down the hallway, with Kyle and Twilight making sure intersecting corridors were clear before Celestia crossed them.

Soon, the group exited the hospital through the rear entrance. As promised, a large carriage was waiting for them, pulled by six Pegasi coated in golden armor. Celestia took a quick look around before bolting into the carriage. Kyle, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Discord, and Fluttershy all followed. The door slammed closed behind them, and the carriage jerked into motion.

“A royal carriage drawn by six armored Royal Guards,” Kyle scoffed. “That won’t draw any attention.”

“It is, unfortunately, the only way to safely transport us through the city without anypony seeing me in this state,” Celestia sighed. “I would not care, if my Ponies did not hold me so highly. Seeing their ‘indomitable’ Princess in such a state would be disastrous for morale.”

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Kyle glanced out of the windows at times and saw many Ponies staring as they passed, but none could see into the carriage. Soon, they were passing through the gates to the castle.

As the carriage stopped in front of the castle doors, Kyle spotted a figure running from the doors. He pushed the door open and stepped out as the figure moved into the light, revealing itself to be Shade.

“Mr. Slater. Lady Luna has requested your presence in the dungeons,” Shade announced. “Queen Yxia has been questioning your whereabouts since about two hours after you left.”

“No doubt she has felt the death of the Sha,” Twilight smiled as she stepped out of the carriage as well. She levitated the Crystal of Cruelty into Kyle’s hands. “Show her, but make sure to keep it.”

“Of course,” Kyle replied as he took off after Shade.

A few moments later, Kyle once more found himself in the dungeons. As they rounded the corner, Kyle could see Princess Luna standing outside of the Changelings’ cell, accompanied by four ShadowGuards.

“Excellent,” She sighed as Kyle stopped in front of her. “I assume your mission this morning was successful?”

“Yes. The Sha of Cruelty is dead.” Kyle announced, pulling the crystal from his pocket. “It wasn’t easy. Nor painless.”

“Are you injured?” Luna asked, her eyes suddenly filled with worry.

“Not me, no. But Applejack is in the hospital for the night, and Discord nearly got an eye put out. And your sister… You should go see her. I have a feeling she’ll be relying on you a lot for the next few months.”

Luna’s eyes were filled with concern as she closed them. “Yes… I shall go see her once our business here has concluded,” she agreed. “Until then, Queen Yxia has requested an audience with you. I believe she too has sensed the fall of a terrible evil here in Canterlot.”

“I think everyone did, to some degree,” Kyle agreed as he stepped past Luna. “I’ll try not to be long,” he added as he opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him.

Every head turned towards Kyle as he walked into the room. Immediately, the tension broke as the Changelings recognized him. Most returned to the conversations they had been having. One, however, rose and approached.

Kyle raised an eyebrow as Yxia sat down in front of him. Her appearance had changed in the few short hours that he had been absent. Her horn was more jagged and curved than it had been, and she now clearly stood several inches taller than the others.

“You have done it,” she said. Her voice was filled with a sense of hope that Kyle had yet to hear from her. “The Sha is dead.”

“Two of the six are, yes,” Kyle nodded, producing the crystal once more. “This is all that remains of the Sha of Cruelty.”

“A mighty trophy,” Yxia praised. “You should bear it with pride, Mr. Slater. Few can say that they have stood against the Sha, and lived to tell the tale.”

“It wasn’t me,” Kyle admitted. “I told you before, the Sha only have one weakness - the Element of Harmony that they stand opposite to. In this case, the Sha of Cruelty was weak to the Element of Kindness. Fluttershy, the bearer of said Element, was the one to destroy the Sha, not me.”

“So… you have not defeated any of the Sha yourself?” Yxia asked, her tone shifting to a more inquisitive mood.

“I took part in the slaying of the Sha of Anger on Azeroth,” Kyle replied. “And I have slain countless lesser Sha. But the Prime Sha of Equestria? No. I have faced two in combat, and in both cases, I was nearly killed in the process.”

“Yes, I have heard about the incident between you and the Sha of Deceit,” Yxia murmured. “Well then, what purpose do you serve in this conflict?”

“What do you mean?”

“You have shared all you know about the Sha with the Princesses and those closest to them,” Yxia continued. “You have also admitted that, when it comes to fighting the Prime Sha, you are a distraction at best. The only ones who can destroy the Prime Sha permanently are Ponies. So, without the ability to fight them head-on, and without any further knowledge to bestow upon the Ponies, what is your role now?”

Kyle blinked, but did not respond. Yxia had raised a good question, one that Kyle could not answer. “What is my role now?” He thought to himself. “I’m not the one to destroy the Sha, and I can’t tell them anything else about the Sha… so… what do I do now? Where do I fit into the picture?”

Kyle glanced over at Yxia and saw her mouth moving. He realized that he had stopped paying attention, and quickly began listening once more. “... four more remain. You called them Treachery, Hatred, Greed, and Misery. We already know that Treachery is working with Chrysalis. Based on how the assassin’s last night called on Hatred to empower them, it can safely be assumed that Hatred is working with the False Empress as well.”

“Y-yeah,” Kyle stuttered slightly. He cleared his throat to cover himself. “Which leaves the whereabouts of Greed and Misery unknown.”

“I would suggest that you make a concerted effort on locating those two,” Yxia commented. “Once they have been slain, we can work towards pushing into the Hives to destroy Hatred and Treachery, and to end the False Empress’s reign.”

As Kyle was about to reply, a knock from the door cut him off. The door opened, and one of the ShadowGuard stuck his head in. “Mr. Slater, Princess Luna has requested a word with you. Please wrap things up. Quickly,” he added before shutting the door behind him.

“Go on.” Yxia nudged Kyle. “I’ve nothing further. Do not forget to forward my request for an audience with Princess Celestia.”

“I’ll make sure she knows,” Kyle replied as he exited the cell.

Kyle turned his head to see Luna motioning to him with her wing. She stepped around a corner, out of sight from Kyle. He poked his head around the corner as well before following her.

The two walked for a moment, traversing the corridors in silence. Finally, Luna stopped in front of an empty cell. “Mr. Slater. I have heard what was said between you and Yxia.”

“So you know what our goal is now,” Kyle replied.

“That is not what I am talking about, and you know it,” Luna countered. “Yxia questioned your purpose in this fight of ours. I can tell her question hit you hard. You have had a few minutes to think to yourself of an answer. As have I. So tell me, Mr. Slater. Do you know your purpose here in Equestria?”

Kyle sighed and shook his head. “Honestly, no, I don’t. I’m unable to stand against the Prime Sha alone, and I have nothing else to tell you about them. It feels like my role in this whole thing is over.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

Kyle sighed once more. “I don’t like it.” he replied. “Out there, in the Park, watching Princess Celestia fight the Sha, watching Discord fight the Sha… I felt like I should have been out there too. I know I wouldn’t have stood a chance, but… I just felt so… useless.”

“And do you know why?” Luna asked.

Kyle shook his head.

“Because that’s how you’ve been trained. You’ve said it yourself - you were a soldier. And you assumed that when a new foe came to light here, that you’d be on the front lines, fighting it yourself. But that’s not your purpose now.”

“Then what is?”

“Scootaloo. You have begun to teach her the ways of the Monk. As we have discussed, my sister and I wish for you to continue.”

“May I ask why?”

“These techniques you have begun to teach Scootaloo are very interesting. We have never seen anything like this before, and they are clearly very beneficial. Scootaloo, in particular, has become stronger and calmer since you arrived.” Luna closed her eyes. “Ever since I first met that filly, I could tell she had a great destiny ahead of her. I could not place my hoof on it, but she was special. Perhaps this is what her greatness will be. But she still needs somepony to guide her.”

Kyle grinned. “Someone like me?”

“Yes. But, pray tell, why do you say ‘someone’? The proper term is ‘Somepony’.”

“Back in Azeroth, the term is ‘someone’ or ‘somebody’.”

“Most curious. But yes, Somepo- er, someone like you. Your priority now is to train Scootaloo. That is your purpose, Mr. Slater. Are you up for it?”

Kyle saluted crisply. “She’ll be the best Monk Equestria - or Azeroth - has ever seen.”

Comments

[The Twisted Shadow]

Am I the only one who can imagine a changeling with a Draenei accent

[Argo Invid]

Misery founds Sombra's horn and ressurects him.
Greed team ups with Ahuizotl.

[Firestar463]

4897416 Remember that the Sha are all working together to empower the Changeling Empire. Deceit struck out on its own, and the others mock it for that failure.

Cruelty was certainly on a mission pertaining to that plan (Though the desired outcome may or may not have been realized - no spoilers!). Greed and Misery will also be working towards that end.

[Firestar463]

4900505 Yeah, I'm a big fan of RotD. I know mine isn't quite as good, but I like to think it's not bad for a first fic attempt.

[Oubliette]

4901444 yeah, if this is your first fic, it is one of the best "first fics" I've seen. Some of them are good, but yours actually started well, which is a trait few of the "first-timers" share.
Current critic rating: 8.5/10 Vampire Cheerilees. (the best rating I've given really was a 9.5/10 for Equestrian Blitz, and most of the stories I read rate around 5-7 Vampire Cheerilees, so Great Work. Keep it up!

[Just another hoerse love]

4897369
no

[Europa]

Ya know, I kinda want Pinkie, when she meets up with Misery, to Harmony-Touch it so hard Misery turns into the Sha of Happiness. No joke, that would be awesome.

[develdragon13]

4955155 since it is pinkie that might happen