> Beyond the Portal II: Flames of War
>  by Firestar463
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ … And so you can clearly see why building an inn here would be far superior to constructing a lumber mill.”

Kyle sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, barely resisting the urge to reach over the table and slap the buffoon who stood across from him. For two hours now he had sat and listened to this man ramble on and on about the benefits of having an inn stationed in his garrison rather than a lumber mill. And to be fair, a lot of his points were perfectly valid.

Just not valid enough.

“Your arguments have been noted,” he began, barely able to keep his voice steady. “But bear in mind that Ponyville is less than fifteen minutes away. An inn here would be redundant when any traveller could head into town and rest there. Meanwhile, we’re still constructing our fort here, and we need all the wood we can get.”

“But sir, think about -”

“Enough.” Though his voice did not increase in volume, it reverberated harshly through the room. “We are not building an inn here. We need resources, not extra relaxation. You are dismissed.”

The man in front of him scowled, but offered no further argument. “Yes sir,” he mumbled, giving a half-assed salute before turning and walking away. The door slammed closed behind him, leaving Kyle alone at his desk.

“Finally,” he groaned, sliding down slightly in his seat. He had been back in Equestria for only a couple of days, and already the stresses of managing his own garrison were beginning to catch up to him. He had thought that managing the army camp the month prior had been difficult, but this - building a permanent outpost from the ground up - this was tiring, even if he wasn’t the one actually building it. He knew that managing it once everything was set up would be far less effort, but for now, the tasks before him were never-ending, and oftentimes both conflicting and vitally important.

His men, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy their work. Perhaps it was the sense of ease that permeated the air of this world, or perhaps it was the excitement of building the first Alliance structure in Equus, but the workers and foremen and architects all threw themselves at their work with vigour. Thankfully, this made Kyle’s job a bit easier, as he very rarely had to deal with worker morale. The men had even come up with a name for the garrison - Ironwall.

And of course, there were plenty of upsides to his new position. His garrison was only a few minutes away from Ponyville, so the friends he had made had dropped in to visit him several times already. Even Princess Celestia had stopped by the day before to see how progress on the garrison was coming. She had assured him that stone for the final walls was being procured even as they spoke, but until then they had had to make do with wooden walls.

Scootaloo, too, had been by to visit nearly every day after school. Though Kyle was often busy managing Ironwall, the two had found time to continue their training. With the Sha threat over, Kyle had toned back their combat training significantly, focusing instead on the core principles of being a monk - self-control, not allowing emotions to control actions, and serenity even under stress. Kyle had to admit, he had slacked a bit with her in these areas before, but now he was beginning to patch the holes in her training.

And in his own training as well. His realization during his battle with the Sha of Hatred - that he had never truly controlled himself, but merely learned to shove his emotions temporarily aside - had shaken him for a time, but now he was determined to re-learn. He studied and trained just as hard as his apprentice, and though he still had not rid himself of his old habits, he was certain that he would soon enough.

A knock at the door drew Kyle from his musings. He opened one eye and glared irritably at the source of the offending noise, hoping that whoever was interrupting his peace would go away. Alas, his hopes were dashed by a second knock, louder this time. He sighed and pushed himself upright in his chair, setting his face in a neutral expression. “Enter,” he called out.

The door swung open to reveal a short, female Gnome. Kyle’s irritation melted away as Filwin Springfizzle stepped in, clutching a clipboard in one hand and a pencil in the other. Though slightly taller than most Gnomes, Filwin still only came up to Kyle’s waist. Her pink hair was tied back in its usual pigtails, and her green eyes were hidden behind the goggles she always wore. She handled many of the day-to-day operations around Ironwall, greatly easing the workload on him. Good-humored but at the same time hard-working and efficient, Kyle had instantly taken a liking to Filwin as she had helped him set up the garrison, and he had quickly named her his prime assistant.

“Ah, Filwin, come in, come in,” he called out, ushering her into his office. The Gnome smiled a knowing smile and closed the door behind her as she stepped into the room. She scrambled up into the chair on the other side of the desk and placed her clipboard down on the desk. “How can I help you?”

“Just the daily progress report, sir,” Filwin announced. She slid the clipboard over to him, and he picked it up to bring it to eye-level. “Along with a few - ah, other things.”

“Just a second,” Kyle murmured as he gazed down at the progress report. The southern wall, which stood between Ironwall and the Everfree Forest, was nearly complete, and would likely be finished by the end of the day. Construction on the barracks was underway, though it would likely take a while yet for them to be inhabitable. Three other plots of land had been set aside for future buildings - one of them, he already knew, for a lumber mill - while construction on the third of his three small research stations had been completed. Strangely, there was no report on either the other two small buildings.

Kyle flipped to the second page of the report. A small smile crept across his face as he read the reports his men had filed on their missions out in the field. So far, they had managed to take down a Manticore that had been creeping around the outskirts of the forest near Ironwall, and begun harvesting some timber from the designated locations that Celestia had given to them. It wasn’t much, but it was a solid start.

“Excellent. Thanks Filwin,” he said as he set the clipboard back down on the desk. “Now, what were these ‘other things’ that you mentioned?”

“Well firstly, I assume you noticed the engineering works and enchanter’s study both lacked a report there,” the Gnome began. Kyle nodded in response. “Well, there isn’t much to report from them. They’re both busy with their current researches, but otherwise nothing worth noting on a report.”

“However, there was something else,” she continued. “A few of the guards have reported seeing a large, serpentine creature sneaking around at night. They say it resembled a Cloud Serpent, but… well, strange, for lack of a better word.”

“How so?” Kyle asked, leaning forward.

“According to one report, its limbs seemed mismatched,” FIlwin explained. “Another said it had two mismatched horns.”

A flash of recognition ran through Kyle, and he grimaced slightly. “I’m… guessing you know about this, sir?” Filwin asked.

“Yeah, I know what they’re talking about,” Kyle murmured. “His name is Discord. Very powerful creature of pure chaos. Not exactly good, not exactly bad. He helped us in our war against the Sha. If they see him again, he’s to be treated as an ally, but also with caution. I don’t think he’ll give us any real trouble, but he’s known to cause mischief wherever he goes.”

“I’ll pass on the message, sir.”

“Was there anything else?”

“Just a personal suggestion sir, but you might want to take a look at the progress yourself,” Filwin commented. She glanced around and leaned in close, standing on her chair to reach over the desk. “I know how much you hate being stuck in a stuffy old office like this. Go out and get some fresh air.”

This brought a grin to his face. “An excellent idea,” he agreed. “Just let me finish these last few papers and I think I’ll call it a day.”

Filwin grinned as well as she lowered herself down from the chair. “Any instructions for the foremen, sir?” she asked.

“One of those medium-sized plots of land should be reserved for a lumber mill,” Kyle replied, pulling a small stack of papers in front of himself. “We’re gonna need the wood badly, and any excess can go back home for the war effort. Other than that, no further instructions.”

“Got it.” Filwin grabbed her clipboard and pencil off of the desk and turned away. She stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her, leaving Kyle alone once more.

Kyle turned his attention to the stack of papers in front of him. The top one made him groan in dread. “Command wants another update?” he muttered under his breath. “I just sent them one last night!” Still, if the commanders back in Stormwind wanted an update, he had to provide one. He reached over for his mug of coffee, which had helped to stave off the brisk autumn air for the past hour or so. Now, however, it was barely lukewarm. He quickly drained the mug of its contents and picked up his pen, ready to rid himself of this load of paperwork

Thankfully, the progress report didn’t take him too long. It ended up essentially becoming a summary of the update that Filwin had provided him, along with the usual requests for more rations and other supplies. He set his pen aside and sighed as he set the report off to the other side of his desk, making a mental note to send it off to Stormwind when he returned. For now, however, the office seemed far too cramped and claustrophobic for his liking. He pulled a leather jacket over himself before throwing the door to his office open. He closed it behind him and followed the hallway, soon emerging outside of the town hall.

Filwin’s report, he noted, had barely done justice to the amount of progress that had been made. The wall standing between Ironwall and the forest looked essentially done, with only a few pieces of scaffold remaining to indicate that it was not yet fully complete. Most of the other walls were taking shape as well, though a few were still nothing more than hastily-erected wooden barricades. The barracks were well underway, and Kyle could begin to see the interior of the building beginning to take shape as he wandered past it.

As he wandered through the garrison, many of the workers stopped to salute or greet him, and he in turn would greet them. They had all heard of his adventures in Equus, heard of his battle with the Sha, heard of his brush with death. They respected him, and he in turn respected their dedication to their work.

Still, after the fiftieth “Greetings, commander” (Or was it the hundredth? He had lost count), he had begun to tire of the formalities. A quick word with the watchman on duty, and Kyle was walking away from his garrison, leaving it and the work behind. Instead, he turned his feet towards Ponyville.

Within minutes, he found himself walking down the familiar streets. Here, too, the passerby greeted him. But their greetings were less formal and more friendly, as one would greet a neighbor rather than a superior officer. He found himself smiling as he passed Sugarcube Corner, and his mouth watered slightly as he smelled the delicious scent of fresh-baked pastries.

But rather than stop for a bite to eat, Kyle decided to at least accomplish something of use while he was in town. He abruptly turned off of the main street, and soon found himself in front of the library. He raised his hand and knocked before turning the knob and entering.

“Hello?” a voice called out from upstairs as he shut the door behind him. A very familiar voice, one which brought a smile to Kyle’s face. Seconds later, a purple head poked itself out from around the corner next to the stairs. “Kyle!” Twilight exclaimed. She nearly tripped over herself in her haste to run down the stairs. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well, thanks for asking,” Kyle smiled. “And you?”

“Same as always. What are you doing here? I thought you were busy with your garrison.”

“I found a bit of time to slip away,” Kyle replied with a chuckle.

“So what’s the news from Azeroth?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing much. We found out what happened to Garrosh though.” Kyle found his smile turn slightly bitter. “The Warchief before him, Thrall, challenged him to the Mak’gora - the duel of honor. To the death.”

“Oh my.” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “And Garrosh is the one that started this whole mess on Draenor, right?”

“One of the pair, yes. He’s also caused plenty of suffering on Azeroth on his own. So the two fought in one-on-one combat. Garrosh was the stronger warrior, but Thrall is a Shaman. He summoned the elements, and killed Garrosh. He’s finally dead.”

“I never thought I’d approve of the killing of another sentient creature...” Twilight began slowly. “But if what you say about Garrosh is true… then I suppose it was for the best.”

“Yep. Now it’s just a matter of cleaning up the mess he made. Easier said than done though.”

Kyle plopped himself down onto one of the couches in the middle of the library, situated in front of a crackling fireplace. “So what about you?” he asked. “How’re things going here in Ponyville?”

“Quiet,” Twilight replied. She chuckled lightly. “A nice change of pace, if you ask me.”

“Agreed,” Kyle nodded. “Let’s hope they stay that way.”

“Twilight!” Another voice called from upstairs. Kyle looked towards the stairwell just in time to see a short, purple figure rush past him. Spike paused in front of Twilight, holding a bound scroll in his claws.

“It’s a letter from Princess Celestia,” he explained. “And it sounds urgent.”

Kyle and Twilight exchanged a glance. “... Or not.” he sighed.

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The corridors were far emptier than she had remembered them. Before, they had been filled with a mass of bodies, jostling to get past each other, Now, only a few scattered individuals wandered here and there, many with distant, vacant expressions glazing over their faces.

Not that that was surprising. Not after what they had been through.

Yxia pushed the door to her throne room open and stepped inside. Even the massive room, usually empty, somehow felt far less inviting than it had before Chrysalis’s takeover. Even now, nearly a month afterwards, Yxia could still sense the foul taint of the Sha’s twisted energies. Though she suspected that they were harmless by this point, their mere presence this long after the defeat of the source spoke volumes about how deeply their corruption had spread into the hive.

Still, things were better today than they had been even last week. She had sent a silent prayer of thanks (though to whom she didn’t know) as she found security all across Equestria loosen. No doubt the work of Twilight and Kyle. She knew that they would have suggested to Princess Celestia to relax the anti-Changeling measures that had been so stringently enforced during Chrysalis’s reign. Now, her infiltrators had once again rooted themselves into cities all across Equestria. Many had wanted to continue Chrysalis’s work, but Yxia had made it clear - they were not to start another campaign against the Ponies. 

Instead, the infiltrators were ordered to gather as much love as possible to feed the Empire, which had been slowly dying of starvation. Her subjects were now satiated, and no longer hungered constantly. Their supply of love had begun to fill up once more. Compared to the previous Empress, this was a time of great bounty, and most of her Changelings seemed to acknowledge this.

But that didn’t mean that all were content. Already, three warriors had stepped forward to challenge her to a duel to the death. All three of them had been young upstarts, whose first battle had been the conflict against the Alliance army outside of Hive Regali. None of them had lasted more than a minute against the battle-hardened Empress, and the head of her most recent opponent was still mounted upon a spike next to her throne. 

Still, others voiced their displeasure in less direct means. They had been Chrysalis’s biggest supporters, those who had joined the false empress out of choice rather than coercion. Much of Yxia’s energy was spent keeping these malcontents in line and preventing them from instigating another rebellion.

Yxia sat heavily upon her throne and let out a great sigh. How she longed to simply retire to her quarters and sleep. But alas, her day was not yet complete. A sheet of parchment rested upon the arm of her chair, and she levitated it in front of her face to read it.

As she read the hastily scrawled note, her expression became far more focused. She glanced around the throne room before igniting the parchment, incinerating it and the message upon it. She hopped back off of her throne and exited the room once more, turning back up the hallway which she had just travelled down

A few moments later, and Yxia was standing before another set of double doors. Two Changelings stood guard outside, with a third awaiting her arrival. “Empress,” the Changeling greeted her with a bow.

“What is this about, commander?” Yxia asked. She still found the transition from a common Changeling to a Queen jarring - her voice had finally changed the week before, becoming similar to Chrysalis’s but with a distinctly higher pitch. 

“As my message stated, an intruder was found in the Hive,” the commander began. “A strange creature we have not seen before. We found him wandering through the halls. He did not attempt to hide or flee, and did not resist capture. He did not say how he located our hive, or what his purposes are. He demanded only that he meet with you.”

“Did he say what about?”

“No, Empress. I’m sorry, but he refused to speak any further.”

Yxia frowned. “Double the patrols,” she instructed. “I don’t want another intruder getting in here while we’re still so vulnerable. In the meantime, I’ll see what this creature wants and deal with it accordingly.”

“Yes, Empress.” The commander saluted once more and galloped away. 

Yxia watched as he rounded the corner before turning her attention back to the doors in front of her. “Guards, remain out here. Nothing comes in, and nothing comes out without me.” The guards saluted as well, and one opened the door to allow Yxia inside, closing it behind her.

The room was completely barren save for a simple wooden chair in the center. A single, glowing crystal protruded from the ceiling, illuminating the figure sitting in the chair. Yxia noted that the creature, though covered from head to hoof in a long flowing robe, was bipedal, similar to Kyle. However, it clearly was not a Human - it seemed far too hunched over and too tall.. Besides which, the commander had said he had never seen a creature like this before, and he had clearly encountered Humans in the past.

“You have requested my presence, intruder,” Yxia began, keeping her voice even yet with the threat of punishment heavy upon her words. “State your business.”

The creature slowly raised its arm up towards its face. It’s robe fell down, revealing three thick, blue fingers. The fingers wrapped themselves around the hood which concealed its face. Slowly the hood was lowered, revealing a sharp, angled face; bright-green hair tied up into multiple braids; and a pair of sharp fangs jutting from its lower jaw. One of its tusks had been pierced, and a golden ring inserted through it.  But most unnerving of all were his eyes, which glowed a deep, blood red.

The creature looked up at Yxia with its deep red eyes and stared directly at her. For a long moment, neither side spoke, simply staring at each other in a battle of wills. Finally, the strange creature smirked slightly. Slowly, it opened its mouth.

“Greetin’s, mon.”

> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Please report to Commander Slater’s garrison as soon as possible. There are several matters of some importance which the three of us must discuss. I will be joining you within the hour.

        Princess Celestia.

Kyle glanced down at the note again as he leaned forward in his chair, as though expecting it to change. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness run through him. Celestia’s message had been short and to the point, with no details or hints as to the nature of their meeting. He had no idea what to expect from this.

Across the table from him, Twilight seemed a bit less nervous than him. As soon as Spike had delivered the message, the pair had set out for Ironwall once more. That had been half an hour ago now, and in the time since then they had done little but wait. It was a bit frustrating, Kyle noted, that he hadn’t even managed to escape the confines of his office for an hour before being dragged back.

That was the worst part of the job. He had decided that very early on in this endeavor. He wanted to be out there, doing things. He liked watching the progress as the walls and buildings went up. He enjoyed the opportunities he got to actually get his hands dirty and help with the odd jobs around Ironwall. He knew that most commanders, in their pristine shining armor, would never lower themselves to doing such tasks. But he did, and the men stationed with him noticed and appreciated it. But those opportunities were few and far between. More often than not, he found himself in this damned office, pouring over paperwork or some other useless garbage.

It didn’t help that his nerves were acting up. He knew Celestia fairly well, well enough to know when something was wrong. Her writing tended to be more long-winded, getting to the point in its own time. The fact that her message to Twilight had only been three short sentences highlighted to him the urgency with which she had written the letter. And urgency generally meant either very good news or very bad news.

And from past experience, it tended to be the latter.

Kyle glanced over to his left. A large wooden clock rested against the wall, counting away the seconds that had passed since they had arrived. The slow, methodical tick-tock echoed loudly through the room, the only reprieve from the silence. 

The noise of the clock was suddenly drowned out by a sharp knock at the door. Without waiting for permission, the Night Elf on the other side opened the door. The warrior stepped in, covered from head to foot in heavy, gleaming plate armor. A two-handed warhammer rested across his back.

“Commander.” The Night Elf saluted sharply. “Princess Celestia has arrived.”

“Finally,” Kyle muttered under his breath. The waiting had been stressful for him. Come to think of it, it seemed like nearly everything in the past few days had been stressful. He glanced up at the door once more to see the warrior still there, staring at him. “Well let her in,” he instructed, a hint of impatience tinging his voice.

The Night Elf saluted once more and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Kyle could barely hear the sound of muffled voices from outside the door. A few seconds later, the door was flung open again. This time, it was Celestia who strode into the room. She had to duck to prevent her horn from banging against the doorway.

And speaking of her horn…

“Princess Celestia.” Kyle dipped his head in greeting. His eyes turned to her horn once more. Whereas the last time he had seen it it had been covered in a cast, now it was free once more. “So your injuries are fully healed now?”

“Hello Kyle,” Celestia smiled warmly. “Yes, my injuries from the Sha of Cruelty have finally faded. Though I will admit, my horn is still a bit sensitive.”

“I’d imagine so.” Kyle’s mind flashed back to that day in Canterlot park, when Celestia had flown into direct combat with the Sha of Cruelty. How the Sha had swatted her out of the sky like a fly, how her horn had been overloaded when the Sha broke through her magical shield. He still remembered the horrible feeling of running over to the crater in the ground, her unmoving body...

But that was all in the past now.

“Well, let’s get straight to it, shall we?” Celestia's voice broke Kyle out of his thoughts. She had already moved to stand next to Twilight on the other side of the desk, and sat down on the wooden floor. “As I said in my letter, there are a few matters that we must discuss.”

Kyle remained silent as Celestia continued. “As you know, the portal between our two worlds has been made permanent now. Numerous enhancements have been placed upon the crystals in order to prevent them from being stolen, as they were in the past. In addition we know that the other side of the portal is kept under heavy watch. For this reason, among others, we have, until now, elected to leave our side of the portal relatively unguarded.”

“Until now?” Kyle tilted his head slightly. “What changed?”

“We have received word from Stormwind,” Celestia explained. “Apparently, the Stormwind side of the portal was not as secure as we had hoped. Several intruders, on separate incidents, made their way through the portal before one was caught in the act. Intruders that, to our knowledge, are enemies of the Alliance.

“What?!” Kyle heard his own voiced echoed by Twilight’s, each exclaiming their disbelief. “So our enemies are now wandering unchecked through Equestria?”

“I’m afraid so. The Royal Guard is already searching for the invaders, but if they were able to sneak into Stormwind and through the portal, it will be nigh-on impossible to find them on our side.”

Kyle let out a great sigh and leaned back in his chair. This was not what he had been expecting, and certainly worse news than he had been fearing. “Do we… I mean, who was caught?” he finally asked. “Could we interrogate them? Find out what they’re doing here?”

“It was a grey-skinned Orc, according to King Varian.” Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head. “We cannot say who they worked for. As soon as he was captured, he killed himself with magic.”

“An Orc.” Twilight glance over towards Kyle. “The Horde?”

Kyle hesitated for a moment. “Maybe…” he began slowly. “Most of the Orcs in the Horde have green skin, but I know that some have grey skin instead. Then again, apparently the Blackrock and Shattered Hand Clans in Draenor have grey skin as well…”

“It doesn’t matter, either way.” Kyle’s voice became slightly louder more confident. “An Orc is an Orc in my book. Whether that one be from the Horde or the Iron Horde, they’re both enemies of the Alliance. We’ll make sure to keep an eye out for any sign of Orc activity, Princess, and I’ll step up the patrols around here.”

“And though the damage has already been done, we have stationed guards around the portal on our side so that no other unwelcome visitors can sneak through.” Celestia returned her gaze to Kyle once more, and her expression lifted. “But thankfully, my news today is not all bad.”

“Glad to hear it. What else is going on?”

“My sister and I have finished performing our examinations on the Crystal Heart.” Celestia’s lips curved upwards in a smile. “I am happy to say that we found no traces of the Sha’s energy left within it. It is safe to use it to protect the Crystal Empire once more.”

“Excellent!” Kyle found his own lips forming into a grin as well.

“The Crystal Ponies will have a lot of work to do, rebuilding after the battle,” Twilight nodded. “But at least now they can begin to pick the pieces back up.”

“All that is left is the task of transporting the Crystal Heart back to the Crystal Empire,” Celestia continued. “With most of the Royal Guard busy hunting the intruders, guarding Canterlot, or recovering from their injuries, I’m afraid there are few to spare in escorting the artifact back. If you would be willing, Mr. Slater, I would ask that you and Twilight return the Heart back to the Crystal Empire.”

Kyle felt his grin grow wider still. A trip to the Crystal Empire would take a couple of days at least. A couple of days during which he would be away from Ironwall. Away from this office that at times felt more like a prison. Surely the garrison would be able to work without him for a couple of days. And he had an excuse delivered right into his lap. “I’d be happy to,” he replied. 

“Excellent. I will have the Heart delivered to you tomorrow morning. The train will leave at noon tomorrow.”

“Was there anything else, Princess?”

“One more small thing. I understand that you are still training Scootaloo as a Monk.” Celestia glanced back towards the door before returning her gaze to Kyle. “Please do not forget about her. I know how difficult it is to be a new, inexperienced leader. But remember your personal commitments as well.”

Kyle nodded. “Of course. I’ve not forgotten about her. We just did some practice the other day.”

“Very well. In that case, I will leave you to prepare for your journey.” Celestia turned and walked towards the exit. s the door swung open, she turned her head back towards Kyle. “Oh, and one last thing,” she said. “Thank you.” With that, she exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Kyle sighed and leaned back in his chair as Celestia left the room. Her news had certainly left him with a lot to think about. “I’m going to have to step up security while I’m away,” he murmured to himself. “And find someone to manage my duties for a few days…”

“Still, this is great!” Twilight’s voice pierced through Kyle’s thoughts, making him jump. He had almost forgotten that she was here as well. He quickly recovered his composure and glanced over at her. She didn’t appear to have noticed his surprise, for she carried on. “We get to put the Crystal Heart back and restore the Crystal Empire!”

“Yeah. Kind of poetic, in a way.” Kyle chuckled softly. “We took down the Sha of Hatred and purged the Crystal Heart. Now we get to fix the last of the damage that it did. Almost like the last step in the journey.”

“And the first steps into a new one.”

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The small room felt even more cramped now than it had when Yxia had first entered it. Before, only a single chair had occupied the area underneath the glowing crystal. Now, a small table and a second chair had been squeezed into the confined space, leaving very little room for getting comfortable.

Not that she could have been comfortable anyway. Not with this… Troll here.

“You weave a very interesting story, Mr. Troll,” she said evenly. Mr. Troll… she had taken to calling him this, for he had declined to give her a name. She had hoped it would have lured him into revealing a name, but instead the title seemed only to amuse him, much to her annoyance. “And what you offer is indeed tempting. Many would agree to this alliance you propose.”

“But I do not bind myself to false lies hidden behind honeyed words.”

“False? What ya mean, mon?” The Troll asked. She had to admit, his act was good. His voice carried just the right amount of surprise, with just the slightest hint of indignation. “I not been anyting but true wit’ ya.”

“You can drop the act.” Her voice became hard and commanding as her own facade of tolerance faded. “Or need I pick apart your argument hole by tiny hole?”

“I don’ know what ya talkin’ about, mon.”

There it was. The age-old non-confession confession of guilt. Perhaps his act was not as good as she had thought. “Option B it is then,” she hissed.

“You have claimed the Alliance is my enemy,” she began. “That they seek to destroy us. This I know to be false. If they had wanted us destroyed, we would all be dead right now. They pierced into the heart of this hive to usurp the false empress, and then left. If they had wanted us destroyed, they would not have left without annihilating us.”

“You claim that Equestria would see my Changelings starve. And perhaps you are partially correct.,” she admitted. “Many Ponies fear the Changeling Empire for the actions of my predecessor, and would see us eradicated. But Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight have willingly and knowingly ensured that my infiltrators can return to gathering food. They know that I do not seek to harm them, and they do not seek to harm us in return.”

“You have lied to me and attempted to make me fear that which does not need to be feared in order to further whatever plans you have. But I am not so easy to manipulate. Return to your masters. Tell them that the Changeling Empire will not join them. We remain neutral in your war against the Alliance.”

“Tink carefully ‘bout dis choice, mon.” The Troll’s voice and face took on a far more serious tone, almost threatening. “Ya be turnin’ down a great gift. Join wit us, and ya be getting access to powers beyond recokin’. Ya -”

“Enough!” Yxia snapped. The Troll froze as Yxia leaned over the table, bristling in fury. “Do you think me a fool as Chrysalis was?” she hissed. “She dabbled in ‘powers beyond reckoning’. Where is she now?”

Yxia was silent for a moment as she stared the Troll. She could have sworn she saw a hint of fear form in his eyes, and a small bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Finally, she pulled herself back into her chair. “Chrysalis nearly destroyed my kind with her reckless allegiance to a power she had no understanding of. I will not repeat her mistakes. The Changeling Empire is recovering under my care, and I will not risk everything we have done to bring us back from the brink. We will flourish as we did under my father’s rule. As we did for so many millennia. As we always will.”

Yxia’s face hardened. “Leave Hive Regali and never return. Tell your masters there will be no deal.”

The Troll slowly stood and squeezed his way out from the chair, moving towards the door. It swung open, allowing him and Yxia to step out. As the door slammed closed behind them, the Troll turned to her once more. “Ya gonna regret dis decision, mon,” he hissed. 

Yxia felt herself tense up at his words. “Is that a threat?” she asked, her voice deadly quiet. Behind her, she could hear the guards adjust their stances - only slightly, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but enough to respond to an imminent threat.

“No. It be a promise. Dis world gonna be ours. And when it is, der gonna be no place fer ya in it.” With that, the Troll turned and walked away, up the sloping halls towards the surface. He soon rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Yxia growled as she watched the Troll leave. “Follow him,” she ordered. “Make sure he leaves the Hive. If he attempts to infiltrate again or gives any resistance, kill him.” The guards behind her silently moved past her and walked around the same corner as the Troll.

Yxia stood there for a moment, staring after the Troll. Now that he was gone, she was left alone with her thoughts. He had been creepy, to say the least. His eyes had never left her during their entire meeting. And she didn’t buy that he had figured out their plight in only two days. Most of Equestria still didn’t know most of the details of what had happened to the Changeling Empire.

No, something was definitely up with that Troll.

As she turned to return to her quarters, her hoof brushed against something cold and hard. She glanced down to see what it was. There, lying next to her hoof, was a small bit of polished metal. her horn lit up, and the object was surrounded by a green glow as it floated up towards her face. A small smirk formed over her lips as she realized what exactly she had found.

“A badge,” she murmured. The brass badge had clearly once been well polished, but that was long ago. Now, the right side of the badge was heavily tarnished, obscuring a large portion of the writing inscribed into the metal. Yxia squinted down at the badge and the writing upon it. 

“Zinju S…” The rest of his last name had been consumed by the wear and tear upon the badge, making it unreadable. Still, she had a name to go by now. A small smile formed over Yxia’s lips at the small victory.

A smile that almost immediately vanished. So she had a first name now. So what? How would she find anything out based on a first name? She still had so many questions about that Troll. Who was he? What master did he serve? What interest did they have in the Changeling Empire? And how in the world had he found Hive Regali without any outside help? Had the Ponies helped him find the hive? But he had spoken of them as if they were his enemies...

These questions chased each other through her head, circling each other in a never-ending loop. Yxia knew she should not be this preoccupied with the intruder. He was gone, and she had made it very clear that he was not welcome back. But something about him… there was something odd. Something wrong. And if he had already snuck in once, who was to say that another could not do so again? Another with a more sinister intent for her... No. She needed to find out more about this Troll.

With a quick thought, Yxia summoned a Changeling to her throne room. She immediately felt the Changeling offer a mental acknowledgement of the command. She turned and walked down the hallway once more towards the throne room. There was only one creature on the planet that she would trust with this knowledge who could help her. One creature who she knew had any knowledge of trolls whatsoever. One who could help her determine the answers to her questions.

Kyle Slater.


> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The warmth of the coffee mug on the table before him contrasted greatly against the chill of the morning air, sending waves of steam rolling upwards. Kyle lifted the mug to his face and took a sip, thankful for its presence. The drink had become a staple of his morning routine now, the only thing that could rouse him from the last vestiges of sleep. He had to admit, he thought sleepily, that he had gone a bit soft in Equestria if he had to rely on a drink in order to begin his day.

Still, let it not be said that he was not a morning person. Early morning was actually one of his favorite times of the day. A time when most of the world still rested, when the frantic pace of day-to-day life was instead replaced by an air of peace and serenity. Even now, sitting out in the cold air with naught but his armor and a warm drink to stave off the chill, he found himself smiling.

The first rays of dawn were beginning to peek over the horizon as Celestia and Luna traded the positions of their celestial objects. As the sun slowly rose over the walls of Ironwall, the light fell upon the frost-covered grass, creating a dazzling display of lights from both the ground and the sky. Overhead, the first of the morning birds had already taken flight, preparing to continue their southward journey.

Kyle picked up his mug once more and drained it of its remaining contents, sighing as he set it back down upon the table. He glanced towards the worker’s hut, where most of the men constructing Ironwall were staying. Through the windows, he could just make out shapes moving on the other side. It would appear that he was no longer the only one awake.

The sound of wings overhead drew his attention. He turned his head towards the noise as a white Pegasus stallion circled overhead. The stallion slowly descended down to the ground and bowed his head as he faced Kyle. “Commander,” he said. “Package, from Princess Celestia.”

The stallion stuck his head into the saddlebags upon his back and emerged with a large package wrapped in brown paper, gripping it between his teeth by the string that encircled it. Kyle reached forward and took the package. “Thank you.” The Pegasus nodded once more before taking to the sky again, angling northwest towards Canterlot Mountain.

Kyle watched the Pegasus soar over the walls of the garrison before turning his attention to the package. It was square, about as long each way as the length from his wrist to his elbow, and far heavier than one would expect for its size. Even in the chill of the morning air, it had a faint warmth to it. There was no doubt as to what was within the package. The Crystal Heart. 

Kyle felt his own heartbeat quicken as he held the package in his hands. Separated from him by a thin sheet of paper and a small cardboard box was an artifact of incredible power. An artifact crafted and used by the Titans themselves, the originators of this world and indeed all worlds. The artifact that had almost rebuilt Alp’tauum, nearly unleashed the Old God in all of its terrible glory upon Equus.

The artifact that had saved his life.

Kyle found himself overcome by a sense of curiosity. A desire to see the Heart again. To lay eyes once more upon the thing that had saved him. He glanced back towards the worker’s hut. More movement could be seen within. Kyle tucked the package safely under his arm, grabbed his empty mug, stood up, and walked away. He entered the town hall and down the familiar hallway to his office. He stepped inside, shut the door, and turned the deadbolt before sitting down at his desk.

Within seconds, the rope had been removed from the package, and the brown paper discarded off to the side. He placed the now-exposed box upon the desk. For a long moment, he simply stared at the box. A faint ache formed in his chest, right over the spot where he had been impaled upon the Sha’s leg. He ignored the discomfort and extended his hands. Slowly, he removed the top from the box, revealing the artifact within.

Kyle had never had the opportunity to examine the Crystal Heart up close. The only times he had seen it before were from afar in the Crystal Empire, and during his battle with the Sha of Hatred. Now, he was able to see it in detail. It was a light shade of blue, similar to an aquamarine. The edges were not smooth, but instead had clearly been cut from a larger formation, and the crystal itself was flawless. Had a gem like this appeared on Azeroth, it would have been worth the entirety of the royal treasury, he was sure.

For a moment, Kyle simply stared at the Heart. Warmth rolled off of it in waves, and a bead of sweat formed upon his brow. Kyle found himself on the edge of his seat. The ache in his chest grew as he leaned in closer over the Heart, now drawing a frown of discomfort upon his face. Still, he continued to ignore the growing pain.

It was incredible, he thought. An artifact of such incredible power, and only one had ever tried to abuse it before the Sha had shown up. He found his hand hovering over the Heart now. Slowly it descended towards the surface. It was an inch away…

A knock at the door made Kyle jump backwards. As he sat back in his seat, the ache in his chest disappeared, nothing more than a memory. The heat that had rolled off of the Heart seemed to fade away into nothing. He glanced towards the door as a second knock resounded through the room, louder this time. “Commander?” Filwin’s voice echoed from the other side. “Are you in there?”

“Yeah. Yeah I’m in here,” Kyle called out, his voice sounding strained. He glanced back at the Crystal Heart before opening his mouth once more. “Just a minute.” He picked up the top of the box and covered the Heart once more before stowing it in a drawer in his desk. He walked over to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, and swung the door open. The pink-haired Gnome was waiting for him on the other side, and stepped inside, her usual clipboard gripped tightly in her hand.

“Good morning comma-” Filwin’s voice was cut off as she looked up at him. “Are you feeling alright, Commander?” She asked. “You seem a bit pale.”

It was at that point that Kyle realized that his forehead was drenched in sweat, despite the room being only marginally warmer than the outside. “Yeah. I’m alright,” he nodded. Thankfully, his voice sounded stronger and fuller than it had a moment before. “Just…” he opened his mouth and covered it in a fake yawn. “Just a bit tired is all,” he lied.

Filwin raised an eyebrow. For a moment, he feared that she would question him further. But instead, she simply closed her eyes and chuckled, shaking her head. “I told you that these late nights were gonna be the death of you,” she muttered. “Shall I fetch your coffee?”

“Already got it. Thanks though.”

“Alright then.” Filwin hopped up in the chair  across from Kyle as he sat down at his desk once more. His eyes fell upon the drawer in his desk once more, but Filwin’s voice drew his gaze away. “So, you told me you were expecting a package today from Princess Celestia -”

“Already received,” Kyle interrupted, beginning to fall back into the routine once more.

Filwin nodded and put a checkmark on the paper on her clipboard. “Right. So, let’s take care of business before your train arrives…”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The soft hum of energy died down as the green ring faded from around Scootaloo. She slowly fell back to the ground, landing upon the grass with a soft thump. A moment later, her serene visage was interrupted by a slight frown. Slowly, she opened her eyes and glanced around the clearing.

Kyle was leaning back against his usual tree. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. As Scootaloo turned her head to look at him, his eyes opened, and a small smile formed across his face. “Not bad,” he said as he pushed himself back to his feet. “Your emotional control grows stronger by the day.”

He bent down and picked up the package that he had brought with him. “I’m going to be out of town for a few days,” he announced. “I want you to keep working on the Ring of Peace technique while I’m away. I’ll be testing you when you return.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Got it.”

Kyle watched as the Pegasus spread her wings and took to the sky. It was hard to believe that just a month ago, she had barely been able to hover in the air for a few seconds. It wasn’t just her proficiency as a Monk that was growing - every day she seemed to be flying better than the last.

Kyle turned his gaze towards the sun. It was still on the eastern edge of the sky, but slowly making its way towards the apex of its journey. With a final glance back at Scootaloo’s retreating form, he grabbed the other bag he had brought with him and pushed his way out of the clearing and back into the main area of the park. As usual, he received a couple of odd stares from passing Ponies, but he ignored them and began walking towards the train station.

The treck through Ponyville was as calm and peaceful as always. It seemed far too rare these days that he had the opportunity to walk through the town, stuck as he was in Ironwall. As he made his way through the town, several passing Ponies waved. Kyle saw several familiar faces as he continued towards the Train station. Derpy sailing through the air, wobbling only slightly as she landed outside of Sugarcube Corner. Lyra, who flashed him her usual toothy grin. Big Mac, standing behind his apple stall with his usual stoic expression.

But it wasn’t just Ponies now living in Ponyville. Kyle spotted a small number of bipeds throughout the small equine town. Some of them, he knew, were troops from Ironwall taking leave to explore the new world. Others, however, were more permanent residents. Humans and Elves and Gnomes who had uprooted from Azeroth and moved to Equus. Whether to explore uncharted lands, tinker with new technologies, delve into unknown magics, or simply try to earn some coin, the trickle of Azerothians into Equus (And vice versa) had not slowed.

It didn’t take long for Kyle to arrive at the train station, where the Crystal Empire Express was already waiting.. A quick glance at the clock above the ticket booth informed him that he had ten minutes to spare before the train would depart. He moved towards the booth, but the stallion behind the counter shook his head and gestured for him to simply go in. 

Kyle stepped onto the platform and moved over towards one of the benches lining the wall. He sat down to wait for Twilight to arrive. Steam rolled away from the train in waves, as did the fog from his breath. Though it was now nearly midday, and the sun had been in the sky for several hours, its warming rays had done little to chase away the chill in the air. He couldn’t help but shiver as a cold breeze blew past him. Memories of his first visit to the Crystal Empire ran through his mind, and he grimaced slightly. It was sure to be far colder that far north than it was here. He glanced down towards his bag, thankful that he had managed to acquire some winter clothing from Azeroth. He hoped Twilight had thought to pack some warm clothing as well - he doubted that a Pony’s coat would be sufficient to shield them from long-term exposure to that kind of cold.

A small amount of warmth from his lap caused Kyle to look down. The package which contained the Crystal Heart had begun to radiate heat once more, and Kyle welcomed the reprieve from the cold, no matter how small it might be. Still, he frowned slightly as he stared down at the package. He still vividly remembered his experience that morning, and he didn’t like it. Something weird had happened with the Crystal Heart. Something that didn’t sit right with him. Something he did not intend to replicate in the future.

Still, it wouldn’t be a problem for too much longer, he thought. Soon the Heart would be back in the Crystal Empire. Soon the city would be shielded from the elements once more. Soon everyone would be able to return to their homes and begin to pick up the pieces that the Sha had left in their wake.

The sound of hoofsteps announced her presence a few seconds before she rounded the corner. Twilight stepped onto the platform, wearing a pair of saddlebags slung over her back. She glanced over and smiled as Kyle pushed himself to his feet once more. He gathered up his bag and the package and walked over to join her. “Hey Kyle,” she greeted. “You ready? Got everything packed? Got the Heart?”

“Yes to all three,” Kyle nodded as the pair entered the train. They moved through the coaches until they reached their compartment, near the back of the train. As they passed the other compartments, Kyle noticed that the train seemed to be deserted. Nor were there any other Ponies waiting out on the station to board the train. It seemed like they were the only ones headed to the Crystal Empire. Not that that was surprising, with the city now consumed by the snow.

Hopefully that would change very soon.

As they sat down, Kyle once more felt the Heart heating up through the thin cardboard. For a split second, he considered telling Twilight about what had happened that morning in his office. Just as quickly, he shoved the notion aside. Another experience like that was unlikely to happen if he simply kept the Heart out of sight, and once it was back in place everything would be just fine. No need to cause her to worry about something so minor.

Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get the Heart away from him. Just to be safe. “You got room in your bags to store the Heart?” he asked. “Hauling that thing around along with all this heavy clothing is kinda tough.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

“Sure thing.” Twilight flipped one of the bags on her saddlebags open, and levitated the heavy package into the sack. “Though I don’t think you’ll have to worry about clothing too much,” she added. “I’ve been practicing a spell that should keep the cold away from you until it wears off. You can just wear your armor up there.”

“Might be a good thing too, not having that heavy clothing bog me down,” Kyle said grimly. “Remember that the Sha and Changelings weren’t alone up there. They had Windigos backing them up, and I’m willing to bet that at least some of them decided to hang around.”

“Good point.” Twilight fell silent as the train whistled loudly. “And if they are up there, we’d better be re-” She found herself cut off as the train’s brakes squealed, and the train began moving with a mighty jolt that nearly threw both of them from their seats. 

“I thought Princess Luna said she was going to get these brakes looked at months ago!” Kyle grumbled as he pushed himself back into a sitting position.

“Well you’ve got to admit that these past few months have been crazy,” Twilight mumbled past the seat that her face was currently buried in. She too pushed herself back upright. “Fixing jerky brakes on a train has kind of been low on the list of things to do.”

“Point taken,” Kyle conceded. He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms up, content to stare out the window as Ponyville faded away in the distance. Soon, they were surrounded instead by green fields and rolling hills, broken up by the occasional wooded area or farm.

Twilight, meanwhile, had instead elected to take care of her wings. Kyle saw her in his peripheral vision as she hopped down to the ground, spread her wings and began preening her feathers, plucking loose ones out and making small adjustments to the positions of others. The process seemed slow and dull, with each feather requiring individual attention. He couldn’t help but feel glad that he didn’t have wings that needed that kind of care.

Still, eventually she did finish and hopped back up in her seat. Her horn lit up, and two large books floated out of her saddlebags and onto the table between them. Kyle chuckled silently as she flipped one open. Of course she would have brought books for the trip to pass the time. “Watcha reading?” he asked.

“A couple of books from Azeroth, actually,” Twilight replied, glancing over the top of her book. “This one is on magical theory from your world. Fascinating stuff. You all took magic in a completely different direction than we did. And this other one is a history of the Alliance, from its formation up until about a year ago. I’ve not had a chance to read it yet.”

“Right, I’ll leave you to it.” Twilight returned her attention back to her book as Kyle glanced out the window again. The hills and fields continued to roll past the window, with little else to look at. Already, he was beginning to feel boredom set in. And the ride to the Empire would last for a good while longer. He found himself sighing as he closed his eyes.

“This is going to be a long trip…”



> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A slight jolt stirred Kyle, bringing him from his sleep. The sound of movement could be heard nearby, as well as a soft rustling. He frowned and shut his eyes tighter, hoping to stave off the inevitable. Alas, his efforts were in vain, as sleep would not return to him. Sighing in defeat, Kyle slowly opened his eyes.

The lights in the car were dimmed, bathing the room in a soft light. Kyle found that his head was leaning up against the side of the car, right next to the window. His breath had created a heavy layer of fog over the glass, but that did not stop him from seeing the subtle glow in the east, signaling dawn’s approach. Outside, a thick layer of white snow rested upon the ground, with even more snow falling thickly through the air. More importantly, Kyle realized that the scene on the other side of the window was not changing. The train had stopped.

The same rustling sound found his ears again. Kyle turned his head slightly towards the noise. In the opposite corner of the car, next to the door, Twilight was rummaging through her saddlebags. As he watched, she pulled back. Her horn lit up, and a purple scarf that matched her coat floated out of the bag, wrapping itself around her neck.

Kyle covered his mouth as a yawn escaped his lips. He pushed himself fully upright and stretched his arms upwards. As he did so, something fell from his chest and into his lap. He looked down to see a small purple blanket. A blanket that he had not put over himself before dozing off the night before.

His boots touched down on the floor as he sat up, and the sound of tough leather against carpet resounded through the car - not a loud sound, but still noticeable against the relative silence. Twilight sat up straight and turned her head towards him. “Oh, you’re awake,” she said. The blanket that had collected in Kyle’s lap suddenly floated upwards and over towards Twilight, where it folded up and was placed inside one of the saddlebags. “I was just about to wake you up.”

“I’m guessing we’re here?” Kyle asked.

“Yes, the train stopped just a minute ago.” Twilight walked over to the window and wiped her hoof against the foggy glass, peering outside. “Looks like another storm is rolling in,” she murmured.

“Lovely,” Kyle muttered. He slide past Twilight and stood up fully, stretching as he did so. His bag was still resting in the corner where he had left it the night before. He pulled it open and reached inside before pulling out a pair of thick leather gloves. Though Twilight had said that he wouldn’t need any warm clothing with her cold resistance spell, rummaging through the snow and ice without any protection for his hands would simply be foolish.

“Ready?” Twilight asked. She turned her head to see Kyle standing back up, leaving his pack on the ground. “Good. Now, the train was sent up here specifically for our trip. It’s going to stay here until we’re done, so we’ll have an easy ride back home.”

“Well that’s one less thing to worry about.” Kyle moved his foot over and shoved his pack into the corner - bringing it with him would only slow him down. Instead, he had elected to only bring a few things with him - A small supply of rations; two flasks of water, which he attached to his belt; his usual flasks full of his various brews; and his staff, waiting over in the opposite corner. He picked it up and gave it a quick twirl, letting the polished wood glide through his fingers before stopping it and holding it still. “I’m all set.”

“Alright. Hold still.” Twilight closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow. A stream of some red-orange substance poured from the tip of her horn, rising into the air and pooling near the ceiling. It twisted and turned in the air, and to Kyle it looked almost as if it were fire that had been turned into liquid. As he watched, the liquid fire surged down from the ceiling, falling over him and Twilight. The substance flowed over his skin, and Kyle could feel heat radiating off of it, but it never made contact with him. Instead, it hovered over his skin, simply floating there. Slowly, the liquid faded away, as did a large amount of the heat. Still, some of the warmth from the spell remained as the substance disappeared from view entirely.

The light from Twilight’s horn faded away, and she opened her eyes. “There,” she said. “That ought to keep us safe from the worst of the cold for a few hours.”

Kyle nodded his thanks, and the pair moved over towards the exit. The door slid open, and they stepped into the hall outside their compartment. Even just a few feet outside of their compartment, the air was considerably cooler. The pair turned and moved towards the front of the train, passing two more empty compartments. The door to the next car stood waiting in front of them, and Kyle could hear the howling of the wind on the other side. He twisted the handle, and pushed the door open, exposing the interior of the train to the elements. He and Twilight quickly made their way outside and slammed the door behind them.

Looking around the frozen wasteland, Kyle realized that had it not been for the spell Twilight had cast on him he would not have survived five minutes. Thankfully, the spell proved as effective as they had hoped. Though he still felt the cold, the spell made it feel as though it were merely a cool morning breeze in late autumn - chilling, to be sure, but not dangerous. 

The pair hopped down from the train, and Kyle found himself ankle-deep in snow. The train station, abandoned since the fall of the Empire, had been overrun by the elements as well. Looking up towards the front of the train, Kyle saw a massive mound of snow piled up in front of the engine. Silently, he wondered how the train had been able to plow through all of this snow to even get to this point.

Twilight had spoken truthfully - it appeared as though a storm was brewing. Snow was falling heavily from the dark grey skies, and it seemed to come down even faster by the minute. The wind was already beginning to pick up. Unhampered by any trees or other obstructions, it ripped across the snow plains, an icy blast that sent shivers up Kyle’s spine even through the shielding spell.

The pair quickly turned their gazes northwards. Though they couldn’t see through the thick waves of snow pouring down around them, they knew that the city was not far away. Twilight hopped off of the station and into the snow, the white powder coming halfway up her legs now. With a final look back at the relative shelter of the train, Kyle hopped down and followed after her.

For several minutes, the two walked steadily to the north, with the ground slowly sloping upwards as they ascended a large hill. They soon lost sight of the train and the station as they were consumed by the approaching storm. The wind blew stronger and stronger, and Kyle found himself shivering despite the warmth that the shielding spell provided. Twilight seemed to be faring little better - her wings were snapped tightly against her body, and her feathers spread out to full extension.

Before long, Kyle felt the ground beneath him even out, and then slope downwards. This, he knew, was the same hill over which he had first glimpsed the dome which shielded the Crystal Empire from the cold. But now, the shield was gone. Instead, all he could see was the endless expanse of snow surrounding them. Still, they were headed in the right direction, and so they pressed on.

Within minutes, the first sign of civilization broke through the blizzard as they entered the southern reaches of the city. Here, the Changelings had begun their invasion, and the effects of their assault showed clearly. The streets, snow-covered as they were, were barely visible, and many of the buildings little more than ruins. Several seemed to have collapsed, whether due to magic or mortar fire, while others had clearly burned to the ground. Kyle felt a pang of sorrow run through him as he realized that these piles of shattered stone and charred wood had once been homes. For many of the returning families, the return to the Crystal Empire would be far from the end of their tribulations.

Despite the somber mood that hung heavy in the air, both he and Twilight welcomed the shelter the ruins gave them from the wind, which by this point had become a gale. It was not long, however, before they encountered their first obstacle - a large building which had collapsed directly into the street, blocking their path. Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but found that the roar of the wind overpowered his voice. Instead, he nudged Twilight and pointed towards the building on the other side of the road.

The pair walked over as Kyle examined the building. Unlike many of the surrounding structures, this one seemed to have survived the battle relatively unharmed, save for a few holes in the walls of the upper floors. Kyle moved towards the door and rattled the doorknob, but found the door locked. He stepped backwards and raised his staff, slamming it into the window to the side of the door. Even against the howl of the storm, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the street. Kyle reached through the broken window, thankful for his gloves, and quickly found the lock. A moment later, the door was open, and the pair walked inside, slamming the door behind them.

Kyle walked further into the building, entering a large, open room. He let out a sigh of relief as he slumped down against a wall. Twilight laid down next to him and shook a few clumps of snow from her tail. The steam from their breath rose from them in waves as they recovered their energy. Even the relatively short hike from the train station had been difficult due to the weather, and it didn’t look like things were going to get better anytime soon.

The shattered remnants of a wooden railing lay opposite the pair, broken free from the staircase it had once bordered. Kyle pushed himself upright again and gathered a few of the larger pieces, dragging them back towards where Twilight still lying. He gathered them up into a small pile and collapsed against the wall once more. A burst of green lightning erupted from his fingers, and the wood burst into flames before them. Though the shielding spell was still in effect, the warmth of the fire was still a welcome reprieve from the bitter cold.

For a long while, Kyle was content to simply sit there with his back to the wall. The crackle of the flames in front of him was a comforting sound against the howl of the wind outside. He reached down to his belt and pulled one of the flasks of water free, taking a few small gulps. He offered the bottle to Twilight, who took it in her magical grip and drank her fill as well.

Still, the storm was not getting any better, and the roads would, if anything, be getting worse and worse by the minute. Kyle stood up and scooped up a large armful of snow before hurling it onto the fire, killing it almost instantly. Twilight sighed in displeasure, but stood up as well. Together, they moved towards the side side of the large building.

They found their way to the exterior wall, and found that though a window was available for them to climb out of, they could not slip past the fallen building that way either. The ruined structure was blocking their entrance back onto the street. However, another window on the building next to them stood open and inviting, though the building itself looked to be in far worse condition. With a silent nod, Kyle threw their window open, and he and Twilight both scampered back out into the blizzard for a brief moment before climbing into the second building. From there, they moved to the front of the building, which had been completely blown apart, and moved back out into the main street.

Despite the storm raging around them, Kyle couldn’t help but smile. The ruined building had blocked their progress for a moment, yes, but otherwise their journey had gone fairly smoothly. The shielding spell still seemed to be holding strong, and the streets were becoming less and less destroyed as they moved closer to the heart of the city. His pace increased slightly, putting him just ahead of Twilight as they continued down the street

And then he saw it. Out of the corner of his eye. Just behind the building to his left. A flicker of movement that didn’t seem in line with the blizzard. His smile vanished. He held up his right fist to tell Twilight to stop. Instead, all it did was cause her snout to bump into his elbow. She looked up at him questioningly. He pointed towards where he had seen the movement. 

Kyle reached behind his back and drew his staff as he crept towards the corner. Though he couldn’t see movement anymore, he was certain that something had just been here. And it couldn’t hurt to check. He reached the corner and stopped. He took a deep breath and leapt around the corner, brandishing his staff in front of him.

A blast of icy-blue energy tore past him, narrowly missing his left shoulder. There, in front of him, was a horribly familiar creature. From its haunting, horse-like head to the ethereal trail that comprised its rear half, there was no mistaking it.

A Windigo.

The Windigo opened its mouth, and another blast of icy energy slammed into the wall next to Kyle. The stone instantly froze over in a solid sheet of ice as the bolt made contact. Kyle ducked beneath yet another attack and charged forward. The snow hindered his movements, but he still managed to duck and dodge around the Windigo’s attacks before finally catching up to the creature. A single thrust from the spear-end of his staff was enough to stop the barrage of energy, but not to silence it. As the blade bit deep, the Windigo opened its mouth once more. A loud, ghostly moan echoed around Kyle, clear even past the howl of the blizzard. Another swipe from his staff ended the Windigo’s existence.

But it was too late. A second haunting moan rolled through the streets. And a third. And a fourth. Soon, the noise seemed to be coming from everywhere, chilling Kyle deeper than even the blizzard could. He quickly made his way back out into the main street, where Twilight was waiting for him.

“That doesn’t sound good!” she yelled over the wind.

“Windigos!” Kyle replied. “And lots of ‘em, by the sound of it! We’ve got to get going! Now!”

As if to punctuate his statement, a bolt of blue ice slammed into the snow next to them, turning it to ice. The Windigos were already here. The pair turned towards the center of the city and ran as fast as they could, trying to put enough distance between themselves and their pursuers.

Kyle growled under his breath as another frozen blast howled past him. How could he have been caught so off-guard? He should have seen this coming. They knew the Windigos would be here. The echo of the Sha of Hatred’s presence would have certainly been enough to attract them, given their appetite for Hatred. But instead they were running for their lives with a pack of them swiftly closing in.

Up ahead, the gigantic spire that was the Crystal Palace loomed ever closer. Their destination lay at its base, underneath the struts that supported the massive structure. Despite the storm, despite the cold, despite the Windigos and the ice and the snow, Kyle felt a fierce grin cross his lips. They were almost there. Just a little bit further…

Two ice-blue shapes rose from the snow in front of them, moaning their ghostly moan. Kyle sensed, rather than saw, Twilight hesitate as the Windigos barred their path forward. Kyle did no such thing. He charged right at his foes, rolling and ducking underneath their frigid attacks. As he drew in for the strike, he heard the sound of hooves on snow, and spotted Twilight moving once more. She charged past him and the Windigos towards the Crystal Palace. 

His spear lanced out at his first enemy, biting deep into its ghostly form. Kyle found his staff ripped from his hands as the spear became wedged in the dying Windigo, and he had no time to retrieve it. The second one was already upon him. Kyle rolled underneath the first swipe of its ghostly hooves. They slammed into the snow with enough force to send the snow around them flying. another hoove barely missed his neck as he leaned backwards to dodge it. 

The air itself seemed to chill in the wake of this spirit. An unnatural cold gripped Kyle, sending his teeth chattering. He could feel the icy aura rolling off of this monster in waves, along with hatred unending. It was no wonder why they had allied with the Sha. They were practically Sha themselves.

Kyle flipped backwards to avoid another strike. He landed on his feet and braced himself before launching himself forward. He ducked under the next attack and spun around, rising back up with a backhanded strike to the head that would have broken the neck of any physical foe. As it was, the Windigo howled as it fell to the ground. Kyle quickly silenced its unnatural moan by slamming his boot into its head.

Kyle himself then fell to one knee, panting heavily. That strike against the Windigo… as soon as he had made contact, pain had wracked his body. His arm had felt like it had been frozen solid. In stark contrast, his chest was burning against the icy cold wind, right where he had been impaled upon the Sha. A moment passed, and he began to regain feeling in his arm once more. His chest, however, still sting fiercely.

But, as the howls of the Windigos behind him informed him, he would not have time to recover. He pushed himself up once more and quickly strode over to the first windigo. A quick tug later, and his staff was once more back in his possession. The WIndigos howled once more, nearer now. Kyle glanced over his shoulder into the blizzard before running north once more.

Before long, he found himself running underneath the supporting struts that held up the monolithic palace. Here, the crystalline tower provided some shelter from the snow and the wind. Twilight was already there, laying on the ground and breathing heavily. She looked up as he approached and smiled weakly. “Good. You’re alright,” she panted.

“A tad on the chilly side, but I’ll recover,” Kyle nodded. “How about you?”

“There were a couple of them here,” she replied. She nodded towards a pair of Windigo corpses, freshly slain and lying still in the snow. One of them seemed to be smoking. “Turns out they’re not too fond of fire.”

“Figures,” Kyle murmured. “Well, we’re here now. Let’s put the Heart back and be done with it.”

“Right.” Twilight’s saddlebags opened up, and the Crystal Heart floated out and over to Kyle. “You go on and put it back. I’ll begin charging the spell to activate the shield.”

“Wait, there’s a spell?” Kyle groaned softly. “We don’t have time for that! Those Windigos are gonna be here any minute!”

“Then I’d suggest you put that thing in its place before they get here.”

“It’s always something…” Kyle turned  and ran towards the center of the plaza underneath the tower. There, just ahead of him, the crystal structure that would hold the Heart rose from the ground.

And speaking of the Heart…

The artifact was heating up once more in Kyle’s grip. The burning in his chest, which had begun to die down, now returned once more. He grunted in pain with every step, each movement trigger another jolt of discomfort. He growled softly under his breath. Why this seemed to happen every time he got near this thing, he had no idea. But it would be over soon.

He slowed down as he reached the crystals in the center of the plaza. Slowly, carefully, he extended the Crystal Heart outwards. He placed it in between the stalagmite and stalactite that made up the Heart’s resting spot. Instantly, the Heart began floating in place and spinning slowly. More importantly to him, the pain in his chest began to die down once more.

Behind him, Kyle could hear the sound of hooves crunching through snow. Twilight trotted up to the Crystal Heart, her horn already glowing brightly. She leaned forward towards the artifact and tilted her head towards it. Her horn made contact with the Heart, and a loud humming echoed through the plaza.

Almost instantly, a chorus of angry wails reached their ears. Kyle turned his head to the south. Just on the edge of his vision, almost entirely obscured by the blizzard that still raged outside, the ghostly shapes of the Windigos raced towards them. First there was one. Then two. Five. Ten… Kyle lost count as they charged towards the plaza. There were far too many to fight at once, and he knew it

“Twilight,” Kyle murmured. “Any time now would be great.”

No response. The Windigos drew ever closer. The humming grew steadily louder.

“Twilight, cmon now…”

They were now free of the storm. They were in the plaza. Never stopping. Relentless…

“Twilight!”

Less than a hundred meters separated them. The humming had reached a fevered pitch.

“TWILIGHT!”

A sound like a cannon going off roared through the plaza. The very earth itself trembled, nearly throwing Kyle to the ground. A wave of sky-blue energy washed over Kyle, flooding his body with warmth. He raised his head just in time to see the wave of energy slam into the Windigos. The ghostly creatures were pushed backwards by the expanding bubble of energy. Within seconds, they were gone from view.

Kyle turned his attention back to the Crystal Heart. Twilight was laying next to the pedestal, breathing heavily, The Heart itself was surrounded by a faint blue glow, and a beam of energy flew from the Heart into the stalactite above it.

Kyle slumped down into a sitting position with his back to the Heart. “Cut it a bit close there, eh?” he laughed.

“A little bit…” Twilight wheezed. “But that’s… done it. The shield… should be up again.”

Kyle nudged Twilight and helped the alicorn to her hooves. “Well, let’s go see what the weather is like,” he grinned.

The pair slowly stepped out from under the palace and into the sunlight. Were it not for the snow that still coated the ground, no one would have ever guessed that not a minute before a blizzard had been raging here. But now, the sun shone down upon the abandoned city. The Windigos had been driven back, and the blizzard was held at bay once more.

The trek back to the train station was uneventful for the most part. With the snow no longer falling down around them, the city was now far easier to navigate, though no less haunting. Without the blizzard to hide it, the full scope of the destruction that had been wrought upon the city now lay before them. The entire southern quarter of the city was little more than a pile of rubble, and the eastern and western sections had suffered extensive damage as well. Only the northern quarter remained relatively unharmed, though the elements had taken their toll here as well.

Before long, they stood at the edge of the dome that once more protected the city from the elements. With a quick nod, the pair charged back out into the blizzard. Thankfully, the Windigos seemed to have fled from the city entirely, for their march back through the snow storm to the train was unhampered save for the snow and the wind.

As Kyle locked the train door behind them once more, he sighed with relief. If he was honest with himself, this mission had gone better than expected. He watched as Twilight walked back to the compartment they had been staying in. Rather than join her, he instead moved towards the front of the train. A quick chat with the engineer later, and the train was moving away from the Empire once more. Next stop: Ponyville.

Kyle walked away from the engine and towards their compartment. The door slid open, and he walked into the welcome warmth. Twilight was already laying down on the carpet with her eyes closed, but as he entered the compartment she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were drooping and bloodshot, and her wings lay limply across the floor.

“You alright?” Kyle asked. “You look dead on your hooves.”

“I’ll be alright.” Twilight let out a large yawn before continuing. “Just… tired. That spell took a lot out of me.”

Kyle nodded and moved over to the table, taking a seat where he had been on the trip up here. He watched as Twilight lifted one of her wings and brought it closer to her head. “I just took care of them too…” she murmured. She brought the wing to her face and began to preen it again.

But it didn’t seem like she was having much success. Kyle noticed that she kept having to go back over feathers that she had already taken care of, and the occasional grunt of discomfort told him that her grooming was not entirely painless. More than once, she yawned before continuing with her preening. Finally, she tucked her wing back behind her body and sighed in relief. She then extended her other wing and brought it up to repeat the process.

Kyle sighed and shook his head. She was in no state to be doing this, not when she was clearly this tired. He pushed himself back to his feet and knelt down next to her, placing a hand on her wing to stop her. “Get some sleep,” he said quietly. “I’ll take care of this.”

Twilight yawned once more. “But… but you don’t know how to preen wings,” she countered.

“It’s plucking the loose feathers and aligning the other ones up properly, right?” Kyle asked. “Can’t take too long to get the hang of it.”

“But you…” Twilight was cut off by another large yawn. “Oh fine. Go ahead. Just be careful.” She laid her head down on the carpet once more and closed her eyes, allowing Kyle to get to work.

It wasn’t as difficult as he had thought it would be at first. Most of the loose feathers had already been plucked by her preening the day before. And while the remaining feathers had been ruffled by the fighting and the blizzard, it wasn’t too hard to align them back up. They almost seemed to fall into place on their own if he moved them around a bit.

Kyle felt the tension in Twilight’s wing, but as he began to rearrange the feathers her tension seemed to fade away. She began to relax as he moved the feathers back into position, and he thought at one point that he heard a small sigh. His fingers moved with more dexterity than her teeth could, making quick work on her feathers. It took only a few minutes for him to finish, and while he knew that it wasn’t perfect, it was certainly better than it had been.

A soft snore indicated that Twilight had already fallen asleep there on the floor. Kyle gently laid the wing back down on the carpet, and it slowly slid back up to tuck itself against her side. With a yawn of his own, Kyle moved over to the seat once more and leaned his head against the wall. A few seconds later, his own exhaustion caught up with him, and he drifted off to sleep.



> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle was a man of planning. When asked about the layout of his room within the town hall, he specifically mentioned that it needed to be on the east side of the building. He had also had the room designed so that the sunlight would fall across his pillow fairly early in the morning. Being a fairly light sleeper, that meant that the sun would act as an alarm for him, and he could rise early as well. After all, the earlier he woke, the more he could get done, and potentially the sooner he could end his duties for the day and slip away to meet with his friends or relax on his own.

Of course, he hadn’t counted on being able to sleep through the sunrise.

And so it was that he cracked his eyes open. He instinctively raised his hand up to shield his eyes from the usual blinding glare, only to find that the light was not there. He let out a low grunt and lowered his hand. For a moment, he was content to simply curl back up and attempt to return to sleep.

That is, until, he realized that the room was far too bright to still be night time. His eyes snapped open. The sunlight still did not shine into his eyes. Instead, a beam of light shone through the windows onto the floor in the center of his room. It was well past sunrise.

“Well crap… I slept in,” he thought as he pushed himself upright. He threw the covers off of his body and hopped out of the warmth of his bed. The cold autumn air hit him like a slap in the face, jolting him to full awakness. He strode over to the small wardrobe in the corner of his room and withdrew a fresh set of clothes. He threw them on, as well as his armor, before setting off to find the latrine.

Five minutes later, he was feeling much relieved, though still irritated at himself. It was unlike him to sleep in this late, especially when there was work to be done. Judging by the level of activity present throughout Ironwall, he figured he was at least an hour and a half behind schedule. He had already missed his morning briefing, and now he’d have to find some time to make up for his missed work. Work time that would have to be taken from his own leisure time.

He let out a small sigh. To be fair, he couldn’t exactly be blamed for sleeping in. The train ride from the Crystal Empire had been bumpier than the trip up for some reason, and so his sleep on the trip had been interrupted numerous times. Not to mention that he had already been exhausted by the time they actually reached the train. They’d arrived back in Ponyville late into the night, and the moon was high in the sky before Kyle actually made it back to Ironwall.

Kyle stepped back into the town hall and navigated the familiar path back towards his office. The door was already slightly ajar as he approached. He pushed it open and moved towards his desk. As he did, he noticed a small clipboard and a pencil already laid out in front of his chair, along with a still-steaming mug of coffee. Despite himself, he felt a small smile form as he sat down. He brought the mug to his lips and took a small sip.

A small knock at the door drew his attention. He peered over the mug to see a small, pink-haired Gnome poking her head through the door. “Ah, commander. Good to see you’re awake,” she said. She took a few steps in and closed the door behind her. “I was just about to wake you if you weren’t. I hope the coffee is still hot.”

“It is. Thank you, Filwin,” Kyle replied. The Gnome smiled as she hopped up into the chair opposite him. “Sorry I missed our meeting this morning. I got in late last night and -”

Filwin’s small, high-pitched giggle cut him off. “I anticipated that you would be tired after you arrived, sir,” she said. “I’ve left the usual summary of the events of the past two days there on your desk for you to read at your leisure.”

“Thanks.” Kyle leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the worst. “So, how late am I?”

“Behind your usual schedule sir? Ninety-seven minutes.”

“Lovely. And what exactly have I missed in that time that I’ll need to make up?”

Though he couldn’t see it through his closed eyes, Filwin’s smile grew larger. “Of any importance? Nothing, sir.”

Kyle opened one eye. “Come again?”

“As I said sir, I anticipated that you would be tired after your late arrival last night. I specifically scheduled today to be a light workload for you so that, in the event that you DID sleep in, you would not fall behind. 

Kyle stared at the small, pink hair Gnome that sat across from him. He blinked. Slowly, a large grin crossed his face. A loud, mirthful laugh erupted from him. “Filwin Springfizzle, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Just doing my duties, sir.” Filwin’s smile faded away as she pulled the clipboard back over to her. She flipped the first page over and glanced down. “However, there are still a few things that need doing today. There’s some more paperwork from Stormwind - the usual stuff. The researchers here in the garrison want you to sign off on a couple of projects of theirs. And the foremen are getting impatient waiting on your decision for what will be built on those last two plots of land we’ve set aside, so I’d suggest figuring that out today. Oh!” She set the clipboard back down and reached into her back pocket, producing a slightly crumpled envelope. “And a letter from Ponyville, delivered just this morning. From Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Huh. Wonder what she wants to say that requires a letter…” Kyle shrugged. “Eh, I’ll take care of that one later. Thanks a ton, Filwin.”

“Not a problem sir. I’ll leave you to it.” The Gnome hopped off of the chair and gave a small salute before heading towards the door. It opened and closed, leaving Kyle alone in the room once more. He took a deep breath and leaned forward, turning his attention to the first task at hand - the Engineering project requests.

The first one seemed to be an attempt to replicate the light switch that Equestria used to light their homes at night, rather than candles. It was an easy enough decision for Kyle to sign his name on the request form for that one - such technology would be of great benefit to the people of the Alliance. He likewise signed off on the second request, which was an investigation into the water distribution system of Equestria. Hopefully, the engineers would be able to figure out how exactly those faucets worked…

The final request, however, nearly made Kyle burst out laughing. It seemed that a certain Dwarven artillery commander had mentioned Pinkie Pie’s unnatural ability to somehow see into the immediate future. The mages and engineers had come together with a joint proposal to observe, study, and test the hyperactive mare to determine how exactly she was capable of this. Of course, Kyle had already heard about Twilight’s own attempts to do the same, and the near insanity she had driven herself to while doing so, so he quickly denied the request.

And so it went for the rest of the morning. After the project requests came the paperwork from Stormwind - easy enough to do, but long and boring. While doing this sort of tedious task, Kyle often found himself wondering why exactly all of this paperwork was required so often. Today was no exception, and just for good measure he threw in a few mumbled curses at the sheer volume that had accumulated over just the couple of days he had been gone.

Three hours passed before he finally leaned back in his chair. He sighed and flexed his right hand, which had begun to cramp from the hours of constant writing. He was still feeling tired from the late night and long day before, and to top it all off his stomach was starting to rumble. He set his pen to the side and stood up. There was no way he would complete anything else like this. At the very least, he needed some food. With that thought in mind, he moved out of his office and towards the mess hall.

As he sat down with his meal, Kyle glanced around the hall at the other occupants. It was just about lunch hour, so there was a steadily-growing trickle of workers and soldiers entering the hall for their midday meal. It wasn’t anything amazing - a small boar sandwich with half-stale bread and dry meat, an apple, and water. Still, it was better than going hungry, so Kyle finished off his food and left to give up his seat for another. He made his way through the growing crowd and towards the door.

On the other side, the line had already stretched out of the mess hall and into the main courtyard. Kyle sent a silent prayer to the Light that he had managed to beat the lunch rush as he maneuvered his way past the line and towards the Town Hall once more. His prayer devolved into a short curse as the stack of work on his desk was brought to the front of his mind once more.

As he approached his office, he noticed a pair of figures standing outside the door. One of his guards was standing next to an unfamiliar light-green Unicorn stallion with a small satchel around his neck, who appeared to be waiting him. The pair turned as he approached, and the Human saluted. “Commander,” he said. “A courier from Appleoosa. He claims to have a message for your ears only.”

“Very well. You’re dismissed,” Kyle replied. The guard nodded and strode past him, away from the door. Kyle stepped into his office and gestured for the Pony to follow him.

“So,” Kyle began as he sat down in his seat, “What is this message that you bring for me?”

“Firstly, an apology,” the stallion replied. Kyle raised an eyebrow as the Unicorn continued. “I am sorry for this deception, but it was necessary to gain an audience with you.” His horn lit up with a bright green glow, and an emerald flame formed around his hooves. A flame which quickly raced upwards, surging around his body. Where it passed, green fur was replaced with black chitin, eyes with solid-blue orbs, teeth with razor-sharp fangs.

“Secondly,” the not-Unicorn continued, “I bring greetings from the Changeling Empire, and from Grand Empress Yxia.”

Kyle had half-risen from his seat as the Changeling had transformed before his eyes, but now sat once more. “Apology accepted,” he replied calmly. “What is your name, courier?”

“I am called Xanthor.”

Kyle nodded and leaned back in his chair. HIs heart was still beating furiously in his chest, but it seemed clear now that there was no threat here. Still, the sudden appearance of a changeling here in Ironwall could only mean important news from Yxia. And it wasn’t likely to be good. “So, Xanthor. What word from Hive Regali? Is the empire in trouble again?”

“Not in immediate danger, no,” The Changeling replied. “Our empire is recovering swiftly under Empress Yxia’s rule, and the last vestiges of the Sha’s corruption are being purged.”

“However, the news I bring you may be of concern.” Xanthor let out a small sigh. “An intruder found his way into Hive Regali not five days ago. He was captured quickly and brought before our Empress. He claimed to bring a message from his masters.”

Kyle frowned as warning bells began to go off in the back of his mind. “Did this intruder happen to mention who his master was?” he asked.

“He spoke as if there were more than one, but no, he gave no name to these masters of his.”

“What was this visitor? And more importantly, who was it? Did you at least get his name?”

“The intruder was a tall creature who walked on two legs. Blue skin. Tall, but always hunched over. He had three of those… Fingers.” The changeling nodded towards Kyle’s hands. “Walked and talked like he was some big shot, even though he spoke of masters. He called himself a Troll.”

“So the Horde IS in Equus,” Kyle hissed. He brought one hand up to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. So much for a quiet day. “Alright alright… how about a name? Did you get his name?”

“This ‘Troll’ gave us no name, but dropped this after being… persuaded… to leave.” Xanthor’s horn lit up once more, and a small bit of metal floated out of the satchel around his neck. Kyle reached out and took the bit of metal, quickly realizing that this was a badge. He flipped it over so that he could read it.

The brass was heavily tarnished by rust and what looked suspiciously like blood. However, the tarnish was not enough to completely obscure the name. “Zinju…” Kyle read slowly. Of the Troll’s last name, only the first letter, S, was visible. “Zinju S…”

“Queen Yxia is hoping that you may be able to help us identify this Troll,” Xanthor continued. “And more importantly, who he’s serving.”

“It’s a Troll,” Kyle scoffed. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Probably from the Horde. Their warchief is Vol’jin. Just don’t get involved with them and -”

“He was not from the Horde.”

Kyle opened one eye. “Say what now?”

“This Zinju character spoke of the Horde and the Alliance as though he was their enemy. Much disdain and hatred in his voice. He called this ‘Vol’jin’ a coward and a half-assed baboon.”

“So… right.” Kyle sat back up in his chair. “Definitely not Horde.” He closed his eyes again and folded his hands under his chin. He let out a small hum of thought as he scoured his brain, trying to think of anyone else who might be interested in Equus. “Why was he there?”

“He wished to recruit us to wage war against you and Equestria. He wanted our aid in conquering this world, in exchange for ‘power beyond reckoning’.” The Changeling smirked slightly. “An offer we rejected immediately.”

Kyle nodded slowly. “Sounds like… Zandalari maybe,” he finally said. “They’ve been trying to unite the Troll tribes ever since the Cataclysm. They’re looking for a new land to call home after their island sank into the ocean. Maybe they’re looking at Equus.”

“But if they are uniting other Troll tribes, why come to us?”

“They’ve worked with other races in the past,” Kyle explained. “Most recently, the Mogu. They’re Troll supremacists, but they’re not above using other races to further their schemes.”

“Right. So where do we go from here?”

Kyle sighed. “I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “I mean, to be honest, we don’t even know for certain who he is or why he’s here. All we know is that it’s likely going to be bad for both the Changeling Empire and the Alliance. We need more information, and the best way to do that would be to catch him personally. But he could be anywhere on Equus by now.”

“Well, I thank you for what information you could give us.” Xanthor turned to walk away. “I’ll inform Empress Yxia of this. If you find anything else out, please, let us know.” His horn glowed green once more, and emerald flame wrapped around his body. When it faded, the green-coated Unicorn had returned. “Unless there was anything else?” he asked.

Kyle shook his head. “No, there wasn’t, sorry. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.” Xanthor nodded once and walked towards the door. It swung open and closed behind him, leaving Kyle alone once more.

 It didn’t seem like his job was getting any easier. If the Zandalari had made their way into Equestria… Their last attempt at world domination had unleashed the Thunder King upon Pandaria. He REALLY didn’t want to think about what would happen if they awoke some other powerful entity here on Equus.

A small knock at his door drew his attention. He raised his head just as the door swung open. “Commander?” Filwin asked. “If you’re done with that paperwork, I can -”

“I’m not,” Kyle grumbled. He placed his arms on his desk and laid his head down.

Filwin raised an eyebrow. “Are you alright, sir?”

“There might be a few more problems headed our way in the near future.”

“I take it that courier didn’t bring any good news?”

“Only bad,” Kyle confirmed. “The Zandalari might be in Equus, and we have no idea what they’re planning.”
“Zandalari?” Filwin frowned. “I’ll inform the guards to step up the patrols, and warn them about potential Troll attacks.”

“Thanks,” Kyle waved a hand dismissively. He really did not have the energy to deal with this new threat, not with so much else going on in Ironwall. Filwin seemed to recognize this, for she exited the room without another word.

Kyle raised his head and glanced back down at the brass badge, which rested on the desk in front of him. “Zinju S…” he murmured. “Who the hell are you…”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The curtains ruffled as a tall, hooded figure strode in. The stone cave in which he had taken to living was far from ideal, but it was also far from any prying eyes who might reveal him. He had worked in far worse conditions before. He could make it work.

The cave soon split into three paths, each leading to a separate area. The right path led to the warmest place in the cave system, and so he had taken to using that as his resting area. The middle section had the widest open space, and so he used it as a storage room. And finally, the left-hand route led to his workplace, where the energies of the world came together in powerful ways. The figure turned to this passage and moved down the sloping path, stooping several times to make it under the lower ceiling.

As he reached the end of the passage, the fruits of his labor were already beginning to show. A small pattern had begun to form on the ground, pulsing faintly with dark purple energy. The figure approached the pattern and knelt down before it. He lowered his hood, revealing green braided hair, light blue skin, a large pair of tusks jutting from his lower jaw. Most noticeable about the figure, however, were his eyes, which, though closed, glowed blood red.

The Troll’s hands became encircled by orbs of black energy. Dark lightning crackled to life and surged into the center of the purple symbol on the ground. Instantly, a cloud of smoke rose from the center of the symbol. Slowly, another shape began to take form among the smoke. Though the cloud obscured the figure, it was clearly humanoid. The figure towered high above the Troll knelt before it, and stared down at him.

“Well, Zinju?” the smokey figure asked. “What news from dis new world?”

“De reports were accurate,” Zinju replied, standing back up. “Equus teems with life. De Alliance is already deeply entrenched in dis new world, and has allied with one o’ de more influential local races. De Horde has tried to get in, but I don’ tink dey made it too far.”

“And dese Changelings?”

Zinju hesitated for a brief moment. “Dey… wanted no part o’ dis.”

The figure scoffed. “No matter. Dey chose to not stand with us? Den dey gonna burn too. We will take Equus, and from dere we can build a force to conquer Azeroth. I assume ya found a suitable location to begin ya work?”

“A small cave system deep in de forest,” Zinju nodded. “It be crude, but sufficient for mah work.”

“Good,” The figure said approvingly. “De barriers between Equus and Azeroth begin ta weaken. Soon, we be able to open a portal between de two worlds and move de rest o’ our bruddahs and sistahs through. You done good so far, Zinju. We gonna be well rewarded fer dis one.”

Zinju’s lips curved upwards in a cruel smile. “I hope so. Jus’ make sure ya be keepin’ tings steady on your end,” he warned. “Remember, dis be our las’ chance. We mess dis one up, we end up wishin’ we was dead.”

“Ain’t gonna happen dis time.” The figure chuckled darkly. “Ah got Krom’gul guardin’ de entrance. No one gonna get through on mah end.”

“Good, good.” Zinju reached into his robe and pulled out and handful of white powder. “I be seein’ ya, mon. For da master’s will.” He tossed the white powder into the smoke, and the cloud vanished into thin air.

“No. It ain’t gonna be us dis time,” Zinju murmured to himself as he sat down on the cold, hard stone. He closed his eyes, and another pair of dark orbs formed in the palms of his hands. “Dis time, we gonna get it done right. Dis time, Azeroth gonna burn.”
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence.

It had been far too long since Kyle had been able to enjoy silence. With the hustle and bustle of daily life in Ironwall, every day was a mass of noise. Even his long hours of relative rest in his office were punctuated by the sounds of hammers and saws as the workmen continued their construction. By now, the outer walls were nearly complete, and construction had begun on both the new Mage Tower and the greenhouse. Between those buildings and the remaining work on the walls, the sounds of construction often didn’t fade away until after sundown.

But right now he could forget all that, if only for a little while. The familiar grove of trees provided a shelter from life as the commander of a small military town. A shelter he was only willing to share with one other creature. A creature that just so happened to be just across from him.

“Deep breath…” he said calmly as he watched Scootaloo’s progress. The orange Pegasus was balanced precariously on one hoof. Her other rear hoof was bent at a somewhat awkward angle so that it rested against her opposite leg, with her front hooves folded up in front of her. “Find your inner balance.” He could see her wings straining against the rope that bound them to her sides, begging to be released to help her balance. “There you go. Now… hold it…”

It was a simple balancing exercise, designed to get a trainee adapted to balancing on a single foot. This had been one of the simplest exercises in Kyle’s training, though to be fair it had been designed with a bipedal creature in mind. It was clear that it was a struggle for the young filly to keep her leg bent that way, much less keep herself balanced. Nevertheless, Grand Master Hight had instructed him to, at the very least, attempt to apply them to Scootaloo’s training. Whether it would work or not, he couldn’t say.

Scootaloo wobbled slightly. “Hold it…” Kyle repeated. He watched for a moment as Scootaloo recovered her balance, and began a mental countdown. “Fifteen… Fourteen…”  Scootaloo’s jaw clenched as she struggled to maintain the unnatural pose, but she maintained her balance as Kyle continued to count in his head. “And… release.” 

As the words left his mouth, Scootaloo fell back onto all four hooves. She hissed quietly under her breath and extended the rear hoof that she had not been standing upon, shaking it violently. “That hurt…” she grumbled. “My leg isn’t supposed to bend that way.”

“I know,” Kyle replied, “but Grand Master Hight said we need to at least try and see if Ponies are capable of these exercises. If not, we’ll adapt them as we have in the past.”

Scootaloo reached out with her front hooves, stretching her back. “Well can we go ahead and say we’ve tried and it didn’t work?” she asked. “My back is killing me…”

“Let’s give it another day or two. My guess is that part of the problem is that you’re using muscles in ways that you’ve never used them before. If we loosen them up, maybe it’ll become a bit more comfortable.”

“If you say so…” Scootaloo’s wings tried to unfurl once more, and she let out another grumble. “Can we at least get rid of the rope now?” she asked. “Don’t see why my wings need to be tied up…”

“We can’t have you cheating and using them for balance,” Kyle explained as he reached for the knot that held the rope in place. “This is supposed to be about building your core strength and balance, not using your wings to wobble you from side to side.” The rope fell to the ground. Scootaloo’s wings instantly snapped open, nearly smacking Kyle in the head as he recoiled.

Scootaloo let out a small sigh as she gave her wings a few small flaps. “So, what now?” she finally asked after a few moments of stretching her wings.

“Well, I’ll admit that that last exercise didn’t look… particularly comfortable.” Kyle rubbed the back of his neck. “So I guess we’ll end it here for today. Same time and place tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Scootaloo cocked her head to one side, and a small smile crossed her lips. “Are we finally gonna get back to a regular thing again?”

“That’s the plan, yes. Assuming no other deadly, world-ending, near-apocalyptic threat rears its ugly head.”

“You say that as if you expect it to.”

Kyle shook his head and sighed. “I got some news a couple of days ago that… doesn’t exactly bode well,” he admitted. “It’s nothing big,” he assured her quickly. “Not yet. But I’m gonna need to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.”

“Well if you need a helping hoof…” Scootaloo’s voice trailed off, and she gave him a knowing smirk. “... just let me know.”

Kyle grinned and leaned forward, rustling her mane. “Thanks squirt, but I think the guys at Ironwall should be able to take care of it. Now go on, enjoy the rest of your day. I bet Sweetie Belle and Applebloom are waiting for you.” He pulled his hand away and watched as Scootaloo spread her wings and took to the air, spiraling out of the grove of trees that they used as a training area.

Kyle soon stood up and pushed his way out of the small grove in the middle of the park. He would usually receive an odd look as he would push emerge from the treeline, and today was no different. However, what was different was the Pony who happened to notice him leaving the training grounds. He only had a few seconds to prepare himself as a familiar mint-green Unicorn all but galloped over to him.

“Kyle!” Lyra’s toothy grin was as wide as ever as she came to a stop in front of him. “I haven’t seen you around in… like, forever!”

“Yeah, I guess it has been a while.” Over a month, as Kyle now realized, since he had spoken with her for any length of time. “Sorry, these past few weeks have been insane for me.”

“You and me both. The orchestra’s been running practices almost non-stop. This is the first day off we’ve gotten in weeks.”

Kyle barely stopped himself from snorting. “Oh, you get days off?” he laughed. “Lucky. Wish I could get one of those every now and then.”

“Then what do you call this? You don’t seem to be at work right now.”

“I call this ‘post-work relaxation’,” Kyle replied. “I’m done for the day, barring any pressing matters that arise.”

Lyra nodded. “Alright. So what exactly are you doing for this ‘post-work relaxation’?”

Kyle glanced back at the grove of trees he had just emerged from and gave a small chuckle. “Work of a different nature, I suppose you could call it.”

Lyra’s smile faded away into a frown. “That’s not relaxing. That’s just more work!” she argued. “C’mon, let’s go do something that isn’t work.”

“And what exactly did you have in mind?”

Lyra opened her mouth, but no words emerged. She quickly shut it and glanced away. Apparently, she was having trouble thinking of things to do that would be relaxing for them both. And to be fair, so was he. There was always Sugarcube Corner, but dealing with Pinkie Pie’s antics could often be more exhausting than any day at Ironwall. The arcade was out of the question - Kyle had already tried his hand at a couple of those 'video games', and found that he was terrible at them. The local club wouldn’t be open until the sun went down, and he still had to get up in the morning. And while it was certainly a nice day, just spending it lounging around not doing much seemed like a waste.

“I’ve got it!” Lyra exclaimed suddenly, drawing Kyle’s attention back to her. “The Starswirl the Bearded Traveling Museum is in Ponyville for today only. We could go there.”

Kyle cocked his head slightly. “Who now?”

“Starswirl the Bearded.” Lyra repeated. Kyle simply gave her a blank stare. “The Unicorn?” she added. Still no response. “The greatest magical researcher who ever lived?”

“Never heard of him.”

“What?!” Lyra reared up and planted her forehooves on Kyle’s shoulders. “You’ve never heard of Starswirl the Bearded? And you lived with Twilight for how long?”

Kyle adjusted himself to more comfortably support the sudden added weight that Lyra’s hooves on his shoulders brought. “I’m guessing he was important?”

“Twilight always says he was.” Lyra dropped back down onto all four hooves. “Said he invented over two hundred different spells, including something she called the amniomorphic spell.”

“In Common, please?”

Lyra shrugged. “Something to do with bowls, I think. So how about it?”

Kyle reached a hand up to rub his chin. If he was perfectly honest, looking at a traveling museum dedicated to a long-dead researcher didn’t exactly sound like fun. But then again, there wasn’t really anything else that he could think of to do instead. His only other real option was to go back to Ironwall and try to find something to occupy his time. Meditation maybe. Assuming that he wasn’t interrupted. And if this Starswirl fellow did as much as Lyra claimed for magic in Equestria, maybe Kyle could bring back some information that the researchers at Ironwall would appreciate. Something to keep them busy for a few days and out of his hair… “Alright, you talked me into it.”
 
Lyra beamed. “Great! Let’s go!” Her horn let up, and Kyle found his arm enveloped in a faint green aura. He quickly scrambled forward to avoid falling, and tugged his arm out of lyra’s magical grip as he followed her away from the park and out of the town.

As they approached the edge of town, Kyle began to see the tops of what appeared to be tents poking over the roofline. Sure enough, as they left the last rows of buildings that made up the town limits, they entered into what appeared to be a second, smaller town comprised entirely of brightly-colored tents and stands. A fair number of Ponies were moving among the tents, many of them sporting the same outfit - a multi-hued blue robe with star and moon designs, a matching pointed wizard’s hat with bells around the rim, and a fake beard tied around their chins.

“So… is this it?” he finally asked as they moved among the tents.

“Yeah, this is it,” Lyra replied. “Let’s take a look around, shall we?”

For a while, the pair simply meandered through the streets of tents. Occasionally they would stop to look at a particular object, though most of the items on display were unknown to both Kyle and Lyra. It didn’t help that the vast majority of the items, which already looked like mere household items, were also unlabled, so neither of them could tell what most of the items were.

After wandering around for a while, Kyle felt his stomach rumble. The soft growl was echoed by another one, this time from Lyra. With a wordless nod, the two made their way over to a tent that was serving food and ordered a pair of sandwiches. They walked around to the side of the tent to find a small resting area set up, with numerous chairs and tables scattered about. For a while, there was silence as they took their seats and began to eat. 

It wasn’t until they stood back up that Lyra finally broke the silence. “So…” she began slowly. “What do you think so far?”

Kyle paused for a moment. “I, uh… I’ll be honest,” he said. “For such an important figure, I expected a bit… more.”

“Hm?”

“I mean, aside from the books, most of this stuff doesn’t look any different from just random junk you could find lying around.” He glanced around to find an example, and spotted his target on the opposite side of the street. “Like that thing,” he continued, moving towards a small candlestick within a glass box. “It looks just like the candlestick on my bedside table. Or any number of other candlesticks, for that matter. What makes this one so special?”

Lyra shrugged. “I dunno.”

“And there’s not even a card here or anything to tell you what makes it different,” Kyle continued. “It’s like… if you don’t already know what each of these things are, then you’re clueless here!”

“Well all you had to do was ask.”

Kyle turned his head towards the new voice that had spoken from his left. His eyes were met with a large, pointe wizards hat, identical to the ones he had seen other Ponies wearing around the museum. The brim of the hat, laden with golden bells, was large enough to obscure the other Pony’s face from view, but the pink-and-purple mane poking out from underneath the hat was enough to give away the identity of the newcomer. “I should have figured you’d be here, Twilight,” he chuckled.

“Of course,” Twilight replied happily. “An entire museum dedicated to Starswirl the Bearded? It’s the perfect way to spend the day with your sister-in-law!”

“Sister-in-law?”

Something hard prodded against Kyle’s right shoulder. He turned his head once more, and this time found himself face-to-face with a familiar light-pink mare. “Princess Cadence,” he greeted, inclining his head slightly.

“Oh please, enough of that,” she scoffed. “You’ve done too much for me to still have to be so formal. Just call me Cadence.”

“Right…” Kyle glanced back and forth between the two Alicorns. “So… what are you two doing here?”

“We’ve been meaning to get together and spend a day together for a while now,” Twilight explained. “The museum in Ponyville is the perfect thing to do!”

“If you know what any of this stuff is,” Lyra spoke up. She trotted over to stand between Twilight and Kyle and leaned forward, peering at the candlestick in front of her. “I agree with Kyle - I can’t figure out what makes all of this junk so special.”

“Well as I said, all you had to do was ask.” Twilight turned her head back towards the stand in front of them. “This is the candlestick that Starswirl the Bearded used to light the way when he was exploring the caverns of Maretania.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “And that makes it important enough to put on display at a museum?”

“Of course!” Twilight stared at Kyle wide-eyed. “Without this candlestick, he would not have discovered the writings within the caverns, and…” her voice trailed off as a small rattling noise interrupted her. The candlestick in front of them began to rock from side to side. Suddenly, it began rapidly rotating within the glass box. With a flash of white light, the candlestick disappeared, replaced with a very small, very familiar, and very blue Draconequus.

“Gah!” Twilight, Cadence, and Lyra all reared up as Discord popped into existence before them, taking several steps backwards. Kyle was only just able to stop himself from doing the same, forcing himself to maintain a slight frown as Discord stared up at him with a miserable expression. Discord’s eyes twitched, and he took several small gasps before sneezing violently. The Draconequus seemed to explode into a mass of blue slime, and several nearby hats floated away. The front of the glass box opened up, allowing the slime to slither onto the floor. Discord's headless body soon emerged from the slime puddle, now standing at his normal size. He pulled his head out of the ground and reattached it to his body before looking back at the group in front of him.

“Discord!” Twilight glared angrily as she took a step forward. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh dear, dear Princesses.” Discord leaned forward and sighed dramatically. “I’m sorry to say that I’m sick.” He turned his head and coughed loudly. “Blue Flu.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow. “Blue flu?”

Discord nodded sadly. “I’m afraid I’ve already given it to poor Applejack and Rarity.” 

The Draconequus twitched slightly, and he took several deep gasps. Kyle’s eyes opened wide, and he raised his hand as Discord leaned backwards. A swirl of green mist left his hands an swirled around him, forming a small protective bubble. Not a second later, Discord sneezed violently once more, spraying bits of mucus forward. Before they impacted with the life cocoon, however, they slammed into a second barrier. Kyle turned his head to see Cadence’s horn dying down. “Magic Health Bubble,” she explained with a smile.

“Good thinking.”

“Indeed.” Discord pressed his face up against the invisible barrier, causing it to glow brightly as he touched it. “How would Twilight nurse me back to health if she were sick too?” Twilight’s eyes went wide with panic as Discord twirled one claw across the surface of the Health Bubble. 

“Hold on now,” Kyle interrupted. “So you’ve got this disease called Blue Flu?” Discord nodded glumly. “Right. Now stand still.” He closed his eyes, and his hands glowed with green energy. Another blast of green mist surged forward out of the Health Bubble and swirled around Discord. The mist continued to swirl as Kyle grunted slightly, but nothing seemed to happen.

Finally, Kyle let the energy around his hands die, and the mist faded as well. “I don’t get it,” he murmured, eyeing Discord suspiciously. “The Detox should have purged any disease from you…”

Discord smiled weakly. “Magical disease,” he corrected. He turned his gaze back to Twilight. “You will be letting me stay at your place until I'm all better, won't you?” 

Twilight glanced back and forth between Discord and Cadence, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. “Stay? With me?!” she exclaimed. “Uh… now is not really the best time, though I'm sure you already knew that…”

“But taking in the sick and the desperate -” Discord reared backwards to stand upright. Six small butterflies flew away from him as he extended his arms. “ - isn't that what Fluttershy would do?” He leaned forward once more and pressed his claw and paw against the magical health bubble, smiling. “Isn't 'helping' something that friends do for friends?” His expression suddenly went wide. He narrowed his eyes and turned away. “Unless, of course, you're really saying that you're not my friend.”

Twilight growled lightly. “No, that is not what I'm saying.” she murmured through gritted teeth.

“Oh, how elated I am to hear that!” Discord fell to the ground and slithered like a snake around the bubble, finally coming to rest on top of the magical dome. “Shall the three of us head back to your place? I don't want to get anypony else sick.” 

Cadence and Twilight exchanged an exasperated glance. “Guess we don’t have much of a choice,” Twilight sighed. Kyle and Lyra stepped aside as the two princesses began to move away, moving the bubble with them. As it moved, Discord remained in place, falling to the ground behind them. His mismatched wings detached from his back and floated down to the ground.

“Carry me?”

Cadence shot a glare at the blue Draconequus. “It isn’t far. I think you can manage.”

“Oh poo.” Discord frowned, but scooched along the ground after the retreating tails of the Princesses. Soon, the three were out of view.

For a long moment, Kyle and Lyra simply stood there, staring after the trio. Finally, Lyra cleared her throat. “Well… that was certainly something…”

“Yeah. Something not good,” Kyle agreed. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Something certainly wasn’t adding up. His Detox should have cleared any disease within Discord, and it should have at least attempted to purge a magical illness. But it hadn’t detected anything wrong with him.

Lyra glance over at Kyle and laughed nervously. “Well, let’s not worry about it,” she said. “They’re both Princesses, I’m sure they can handle whatever trouble he throws at them. Why don’t we head over to my place and play some cards or chess or -”

“I’m going after them.”

“I was hoping you weren’t going to say that,” Lyra sighed. “C’mon, we were supposed to be doing something fun together. Watching a sick Spirit of Chaos doesn’t sound like a good time.”

“Sorry Lyra, but this is too fishy for me to let go. Discord’s up to no good, and I intend to find out just what he’s up to. We’ll catch up some other time.” With that, Kyle set off at a quick run to catch up, leaving Lyra alone.

The mint-green Unicorn sighed. “Great,” she murmured. “I finally get him to spend some time with me, and something goes horribly wrong. Fantastic.” She glanced down and idly kicked a rock with her hoof. “Stupid Discord. Stupid Twilight, stupid…”

The sound of glass breaking from behind her caused Lyra to jump. She spun around to see what had caused the noise. The front of the glass display box, which had been flung open when Discord had emerged, had fallen completely free of the rest of the box, and now lay shattered on the ground. More importantly, however, she noticed that the candlestick had not returned when Discord had left. 

“Nope.” Lyra shook her head rapidly as she turned and galloped away. “Nope, nope, just nope. Everypony thinks I’m weird enough as is. I am not explaining to anypony what happened to that candlestick!”



> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Achoo!”

Kyle glared over at Discord as the Draconequus sneezed once more. Kyle hadn’t let him out of his sight since he had caught up with Twilight and Cadence. He had to admit, Discord did act sick, even though Kyle’s Detox hadn’t detected anything wrong. The sneezing, the coughing, the constant need for a fresh tissue… Just while waiting for Twilight to finish fluffing the pillows, Kyle had already had to empty the wastebasket of used tissues

“There. All done,” Twilight finally said. The pillow that hovered in her magical grasp floated over and came to rest gently at the head of the bed. Almost instantly, the blue Draconequus had squirmed his way into the bed, curling his serpentine body up to fit it into the frame that would otherwise be too small for him. As soon as he was settled in, Cadence lit up her horn, and the sheets flew up to cover him. 

By this point, Kyle could tell that Twilight was losing her patience. The frown hadn’t left her face ever since they had walked through her front door, and was now directed at Discord. “Need anything else?” she asked.

Discord smiled weakly. “Just knowing that I have a good friend like you to take care of me has made me feel better already.” He leaned over to Twilight’s bedside table, pulled open the drawer, and began rummaging through the books and scrolls contained within. Kyle cleared his throat and glared at the Draconequus, slamming the drawer shut once more. “I'll be fine here on my own,” Discord added.

Twilight and Cadence exchanged a look and turned to leave. Just as Kyle had turned to follow, Discord spoke up once more. “Oh, just before you go,  just a little small request.”

Twilight let out a great sigh, and her shoulders slumped to the floor. Kyle reached over and patted her on the back. “It's going to be fine,” Cadence reassured her quietly. “We'll just get him what he wants and be back to the exhibit in no time.” She turned her head towards Discord. “What was it that you needed?”

Kyle turned his head just in time to see Discord materialize right next to the two princesses. A small shot glass was held in his paw. For a brief moment, a fresh pang of irritation shot through Kyle - Now they’d have to tuck him back in again. His irritation quickly melted away into surprise as Discord opened his mouth and began to sing.

“A little glass of water please
A fresh pressed hanky if I sneeze
Some tea with honey from the bees
Whenever you can brew it”

Kyle and the Princesses exchanged a worried glance. “I’ll get your tea,” Cadence assured him.

“And I’ll get the water,” Kyle added. He quickly stepped out of the room as Discord began to sing again. 

“And while I get a little rest
A teeny tiny small request
Some cod-”

The rest of Discord’s verse was cut off as Kyle shut the door Twilight’s bedroom behind him. He quickly made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He opened one of the cupboards and sighed. “Twilight’s reorganized the kitchen again,” he murmured.

“Yeah, she did that about a week after you moved out,” a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

Kyle turned his head. “Hey Spike,” he grinned, raising his fist. Spike raised his own claws, and the two fistbumped. “How’s it going?”

“Not too bad,” he replied. “Things have been a bit quieter since you moved out.” A loud thump drew both of their attention towards the ceiling. “Well… until now, anyway. What in Celestia’s name is going on up there?”

“Discord is ‘sick’,” Kyle explained, drawing air quotes around the word ‘sick’. “Cadence and Twilight are upstairs taking care of him while I grab him some water. Speaking of, where did Twilight put the glasses this time?”

“Third cabinet, second shelf up.” Another bump, louder this time, echoed from upstairs. “I don’t even wanna know,” he announced, backing away. “If you absolutely need me, I’m in the basement. Otherwise, you didn’t see me and I don’t know about Discord being here.” Spike turned tail and ran towards the basement door, slamming it shut behind him.

A moment later, Kyle had located and retrieved a glass and filled it with water. He sighed as another loud thud shook the ceiling. This was not how he had planned to spend the rest of his day. But based on the amount of noise coming from Twilight’s bedroom, he couldn’t just leave them alone to deal with Discord’s antics. So, despite his instincts which yelled at him to simply leave, he turned and walked up the stairs. He paused outside of Twilight’s door. Despite all the noise from before, there was now only silence. Slowly, he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Cold water flowed over his boots, causing him to gasp. It raced past him and down the stairs as he stepped in and closed the door. Everything in the room, including the Princesses, was thoroughly soaked - everything, that is, except for Discord and the bed upon which he rested. A pile of noodles rested in the corner of the room, with a bowl of peas perched upon the top. Discord himself was wrapped up in a silken scarf, with a small pastry clenched in his paw. 

As Kyle gazed around the room, Discord snapped his claws, and all of the water, noodles, and peas vanished with a loud *pop*. “I, uh… got that water…” Kyle murmured, locking his eyes with Discord. 

Kyle walked over and placed the glass on the bedside table. He backed up to the still-stunned Princesses as Discord turned his head and coughed loudly. He reached over for the glass and picked it up, but before he could take a drink it slipped from his claws. It landed on the floor and spilled yet more water across the wood. “Oops. Sorry.” An instant later, Discord sneezed violently and exploded in a shower of bubbles.

This was apparently enough to break Twilight out of her stupor. “Alright, this is ridiculous!” she exclaimed angrily. She stormed away over to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room, and several books floated down to her.

Even Cadence’s tolerance levels seemed to be wearing thin. She glared at Discord as he rematerialized with a spray bottle and a rag. “How did you even catch this flu?” she snapped.

Discord sprayed the bottle at the Magical Health bubble that still protected the group and began to clean up a spot from when he had sneezed. “Inadequate hoof and claw washing?” he shrugged.

By now, no less than half a dozen texts were surrounding Twilight, each enveloped in her magical grip. “There must be some way to just cure you!” She exclaimed. “There has to be a spell or remedy in one of my books!”

“There is one way…”

Kyle whipped his head towards the blue Draconequus, who was now laying on the bed and staring at Twilight with an amused expression. “And why didn’t you mention this to us back at the museum?” he growled.

“Slipped my mind.” Discord twirled his claw in the air, and a small white cloud appeared. Within the cloud, a small scene began to play out. “ On a hill at the very edge of Equestria, there grows an exquisite magic flower. Pick the flower as it drops its petals at sunset. Then you can make a magical soothing elixir to cure the blue flu.”

“I suppose you have a good reason you didn’t bother to get this flower as soon as you realized you were sick?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I couldn't travel that far in my condition.” Discord pulled the blanket over his head and began to shiver. “By the time I got there, I'd be too weak to even attempt to retrieve the flower.”

Twilight and Cadence shared a dubious look. It seemed that Kyle was not the only one doubting Discord’s words. Still, he was supposed to be their ‘friend’. Twilight turned to glare at Discord again. “So where exactly are we headed?”

With another flash of light, Discord was stood next to Twilight once more. This time, he was wearing a white straw hat and sunglasses, with an unopened lollipop sticking out of his mouth like a pipe. He unfurled a map and began to turn it this way and that. “Well, ahem, you'll want to head north, turn left, th— Oh…” He paused, and a sly grin crossed his face. “You know, it'd be much easier if I took you there myself.” He folded up the map into a paper hat, which he deposited onto Twilight’s head.

Cadence raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were in no condition to travel…”

Discord wrapped one arm around each Princess. “I’m not,” he agreed. “We’ll need to make some arrangements.”

The chuckle that followed informed Kyle that things were only about to get worse.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was all Kyle could do to stop himself from flying over and kicking Discord in the face. Not only had he insisted that Twilight and Cadence hitch themselves up to a cart in order to fly him to their destination, but he had conjured up the most ornate, decorative, and heavy-looking cart imaginable. Throne would have been a more appropriate term to describe it. Kyle himself had returned to Ironwall and commissioned the use of a Gryphon in order to fly alongside them. Had he not been certain that Twilight and Cadence could each easily carry over a hundred times the burden that his Gryphon could, he would have hooked the Gryphon up as well. But with their combined Alicorn strength, the Gryphon would simply get in the way if he hooked it up.

Even so, both Cadence and Twilight were drenched with sweat as they flew to the south-west, towards the corners of the badlands. Over the rush of the wind, Kyle could just barely make out their conversation.

“Doing okay there?” Twilight asked.

Cadence grunted. “To be honest, I'm a little out of practice when it comes to flying.”

“Well then, lucky for you.” There it was, that voice that Kyle had come to detest over the past hour. Discord was reclined lazily on a magnificent cushioned chair. “We’re here.”

Twilight and Cadence angled themselves downwards, and Kyle nudged his Gryphon to follow them. The golden throne set down with a loud thud, and Twilight and Cadence both collapsed to catch their breath.

Not that Discord was going to let them off that easily. “It’s just at the top of that hill,” he announced, pointing up a steeply sloping path that winded up to a precarious point.

Twilight and Cadence both rose to their hooves and walked away. Kyle set off after them, as did his Gryphon. Apparently, it wasn’t too fond of Discord either. Kylee quickly caught up and glanced over his shoulder. Discord was staring intently at them, an amused smirk clear upon his face.

“I’m really sorry about this, you two,” Twilight said sadly. She turned her head towards Kyle. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your… date with Lyra.”

“Date?” Kyle’s head whipped towards Twilight. “We -”

“And alI I wanted was for us to have some peaceful quality time together," she continued, turning her head to look the other way.

“I know,” Cadence replied. “I was looking forward to it too.”

“Wait, hold on, we weren’t on a date.”

“You weren’t?” Twilight asked.

“No. We were just spending some time together. As friends. Like you and Cadence were.”

“Oh…” Twilight turned her head towards Cadence, and the two shared a small look as the four continued moving up the hill.

The hill didn’t take as long as Kyle had expected to climb. Before long, they were standing atop the summit. Just ahead of them, the sun was just beginning to dip over the horizon. If they were going to pick that flower, this would be the time. Except that there was no flower to be seen. Only a large tree in the center of the hill.

“This is the top,” Twilight murmured. “But where is that flower?” As if to answer her question a large, purple - something drifted down from the skies, landing upon Twilight and covering her. Kyle ran over to pull the object off, and the trio gathered around. If he didn’t know any better, Kyle would have said it looked just like a giant…

“Oh.” 

Kyle glanced upwards at the tree. Amazingly, it wasn’t a tree at all. Rather, it was a gargantuan flower. Kyle felt his jaw drop as he watched yet another petal fall off. He had heard reports of massive plants from Draenor, but nothing even close to matching this.

“Come on, if we hurry, we can still have some time together.” Twilight and Cadence both took to the sky and hovered next to the massive flower. The plant was enveloped in their combined magical auras, and Kyle and the Gryphon turned and ran out of the way as the ground began to quake.

“One... last... pull!”

With a massive cracking sound the flower was ripped from the ground… along with most of the surrounding mountaintop. “Phew…” Twilight sighed. “Let’s get Discord and this flower back home, then all our problems are solved -”

Twilight was cut off as the ground beneath them began to rumble violently. A dark sense of foreboding washed over Kyle as the tremors grew stronger and stronger. “Not all of them, I don’t think…” he murmured. He hopped up onto his Gryphon, an they took to the air as pieces of the hillside began to crumble. They flew over to Twilight and Cadence, who were staring at the hole in the hill.

“What in Equestria…”

An ear-shattering roar pierced the air, and a massive serpentine body rose from the ground. The pink head quickly gave way to a red mane draped over a scaly, purple body. The massive flower fell down from the hilltop, forgotten as the monstrous form rose higher and higher into the air, until it blocked out the last rays of the sun.

As it reached its full height, the worm-like creature bent its head town to stare directly at the trio hovering before it. It had three eyes - two above and one below the tip of its head, just above the red fur that separated the head from the rest of the body. Its tripartite mouth opened as it roared again, revealing row upon row of razor-sharp teeth and a writhing mass of black tentacles.

The creature lunged forward, and the group scattered, flying this way and that to avoid the tentacles lashing out at them. As it reared back up to full height, Twilight and Kyle both angled themselves skyward to escape the monster, with Cadence right behind them. Kyle risked a glance below them just in time to see the creature push itself into the air. Its mouth opened wide, and the tentacles lashed out. One found its mark and wrapped itself around Cadence’s leg, slowly dragging her in.

Kyle yanked hard on his Gryphon’s reigns, flipping it upside down to dive back towards the monster. By now, the creature was plummeting back towards the ground. Kyle knew that he would never get to it in time. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and raised his arm. His hand crackled with lightning, and a blast shot from his fingers. The attack hit home on the tentacle that had wrapped itself around Cadence, and the creature released her with another loud roar. It impacted hard onto the hilltop and quickly slithered back into its hole.

But by now, the Gryphon had had enough. As they approached the ground, it bucked wildly, shaking Kyle lose. He landed on the ground and rolled to a stop as the Gryphon screeched loudly and soared away.

Kyle scrambled back to his feet as the ground beneath him trembled and quaked. He ran to the side and dove as the ground burst open right where he had been standing a second before. The monster emerged once more, towering over him as he pushed himself upright. He could smell the creature’s breath - a foul stench of rot and decay. The creature growled menacingly as its head slowly drew closer to him. There was no way that Kyle could outrun this beast. Instead, he firmly stood his ground, prepared to fight to the bitter end.

Twin blasts of pink and purple energy fell from the sky, bombarding the monstrous creature with small explosions. It roared in anger as Twilight and Cadence dove down. Kyle ran out of the way as the Princesses circled the beast, peppering it from all angles with blasts of magic and swooping around the tentacles that lashed out at them.

The monster was angry - of that there was no doubt. But with two Alicorn princesses fully focused on it, it was fighting a losing battle. It roared as it slowly backed into the hole once more, Disappearing into the depths of the earth. “And for good measure!” Cadence yelled. Her horn lit up, and a collection of boulders flew over to the hole. They collapsed into the opening, sealing it for good. 

Kyle walked back over as the two Alicorns caught their breath. “Are you two okay?” he asked.

“Yeah… I think so…” Twilight panted.

“Better than okay,” Cadence added.

“Right. Then let’s get Discord back to Ponyville, make that elixir, and finally be done with this ordeal.”

It took a bit longer with the added burden of the flower, but the trio slowly made their way back down the hill. Kyle kept glancing back at the flower as they made their way towards where they had left Discord. “This had better work…” he thought as they rounded the final corner. They could now see where they had left the large golden throne.

Except that there was no large golden throne.

Instead, there was only a very familiar, very happy, and very not-blue Discord.

“To the ends of Equestria!” he exclaimed happily. He was dressed in a stylish white suit, with a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. He bounced around the area, dancing this way and that in his joy. “To face such great danger! And she did it for me! She did it all for me, for me, for me!” He slid to a stop as he came face to face with the trio. He pulled his sunglasses up to stare at them.

Twilight hovered up to his face. Rage was clear in her eyes, and Kyle could have sworn he saw a few hairs in her mane begin to smolder. “You. Were. FAKING!” she screamed into Discord’s face.”

Discord flinched backwards, but that smug grin never left his face. “I was!” he exclaimed happily. “But I had a very good reason.”

Kyle ground his teeth angrily. “You damn well better,” he growled. “Get on with it!”

As Twilight landed beside Kyle, a large purple tree sprouted from the ground underneath Discord. He rode it up until it finally stopped, and he dangled from one of the branches “Well, I was in my thinking tree – that's where I do most of my really deep thinking –” With a flash of light, the tree was gone, and Discord was back on the ground in front of them. “ I was there, and I said to myself, I said, ‘Discord, your friend Twilight says that she's your pal.’” He leaned forward and wrapped an arm around Twilight. “But she never writes and she never pops in for a visit. And she didn’t even give so much as a ‘thank you’ for helping out with that little incident in the Crystal Empire. Even a postcard would have been nice..."

“I don’t even know where you li-” Twilight’s complaint was cut off as Discord punched her lips together. 

"Now that she's a princess,” Discord continued as a crown popped into existence atop his head, “maybe she's decided that she's too good for you." 

“I have never considered myself t-”

“But how was I supposed to know for sure that I'm truly still friends with one of the most important ponies around?”

“I'm not more-”

Discord’s tail wrapped around Twilight, hauling her up into the air to Discord’s eye-level. “By seeing if you would go to the ends of Equestria for me, of course. Which you did, literally. Congratulations, Twilight, you passed my friendship test!” He shook her hoof and wrapped a medallion around her neck. He released her from his tail, produced a similar medialion from around his neck, and clinked them together, forming an image that Kyle was too far away to see.

Twilight was clearly not amused. She glared up at Discord as he waved a flag back and forth happily. He opened his eyes and looked at Twilight. “Why the angry eyes?” he asked. “You love passing tests. It's not because my little exam put a damper on your visit with Princess Cadance, is it?” His grin took on a distinctly more sinister look. “Made it so that there was no time for you two to focus on your friendship?”

Twilight sighed, and her shoulders drooped. “That slimy little bastard… he PLANNED ALL of this!” Kyle’s vision flashed red as he stared at the Draconequus, who still had that smug grin plastered across his face. “We could have DIED getting that damned flower, all because he wanted to mess up our day…” His fists clenched into balls, and he took a step forward.

“You didn't put a damper on our visit at all” Cadence finally spoke up.

“He didn’t?”

“He didn’t?”

“I didn’t?”

All eyes were on Cadence as she continued. “Spending the day at the Starswirl the Bearded exhibit would've been more relaxing, but to be honest, relaxation is the last thing I need.“

“It is?” Twilight asked

“Don't get me wrong. Life has been a bit crazy in in the past few months, but these last two or three weeks have been... predictable. Being stuck in Canterlot has been boring, and though I was looking forward to spending the day at the Starswirl the Bearded Museum, even this journey has been a nice departure from the big city. I enjoy a little change now and then. Getting to face all these challenges today was just what I needed. And facing them with you just made me realize even more how lucky I am to have Ponies like you two as friends. We may not see each other very often, but I know you'll always be there when I need you.” Cadence smiled up at Discord with a victorious grin. “Just like she was there for you, Discord.”

Kyle nearly laughed as he realized that Discord’s smug grin had finally faded away into a pouty frown. “Yes, she's a real sweetheart. We're all so lucky to have her in our lives.,” he murmured halfheartedly.

Kyle felt the corners of his own mouth turn upwards for a split second, and he stepped towards the Draconequus. “Though you did mess my day up pretty badly.”

Discord’s ears perked up, and he leaned down towards Kyle. “I did?” he asked as he stared Kyle in the eyes.

“Yep. You sure did.” Without warning Kyle flipped backwards with all his might. His boots connected with Discord’s jaw, launching the Draconequus skyward as he unleashed a Rising Sun Kick. Kyle felt a satisfying snap as his boots connected, and as he landed, he noted with grim pleasure that Discord’s lone fang had been knocked clean from his face. He reached up and snatched it from the air.

Discord was apparently too stunned to react properly. He flew several feet backwards and into the air before slamming hard into the ground. Several moments of stunned silence followed as the Princesses stared in shock at Kyle. Finally, Discord slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. His jaw was crooked - apparently even immortal Old Gods could have their jaws broken.

“Don’t do it again.”

Kyle casually tossed Discord’s loose fang towards him. He turned his back and began to walk away towards Twilight and Cadence.

“Don’t you think that was a bit… extreme?” Cadence asked as Kyle reached them. “I mean… you broke his jaw.”

“He’s an immortal spirit of chaos,” Kyle shrugged. “One snap of his claws and he can fix it. But the memory won’t fade quite as quickly. Maybe he’ll think twice next time he -”

Kyle cut himself off as the ground beneath him began to quake. Kyle spun around with his fists raised, prepared to defend against what he assumed was retaliation from Discord. But the Draconequus seemed equally as stunned as Kyle. He snapped his talons, and his jaw snapped back into place, followed by his fang. The tremors grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, the ground between Discord and the rest of the group burst open. From the ground, the worm-like creature from before emerged once more. It towered over the group, growling menacingly. Discord quickly pushed himself backwards, eyeing the creature fearfully. “What in the world?” he yelped.

This exclamation was enough to draw the creature’s full attention. It bent down towards Discord and sniffed. Its mouth opened wide, showing rows of sharp teeth and those same black tentacles. It reared back…

And sneezed all over Discord.

Kyle watched with fascination as the creature slowly slithered back into its hole, now pacified for some unknown reason. His astonishment quickly turned into amusement as he saw Discord turn a sickly shade of green. Spots began to pop into existence all over him, and a dribble of snot rolled from his nose.

“Ha!” Kyle laughed. “Karma, bitch!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zinju watched as the two Ponies, the Human, and the… whatever the fel that thing was… took off away from the Badlands once more. The shadows of the mountain caves provided the perfect cover from which to observe his targets. He had hoped that the loss of the Human’s Gryphon, or the strange creature’s sudden sickness would have caused them to travel by foot, which would have allowed him to set an ambush of sorts. Alas, the smaller purple Pony had allowed the Human to ride upon her back, and creature seemed to still have the strength to fly - or at least, was being forced to.

No. He had to admit to himself, this had been a complete failure.

He had been so close as well. The flower had been in his sight. He had seen it. But those damned Ponies had gotten to it first, and now its withered stalk and shriveled petals lay useless on the ground. He had been preparing this concoction for days, and all for naught.

“De master ain’t gonna be happy ‘bout dis,” he murmured. True, the loss of the elixir he had been brewing to increase his magical power was not a major or permanent detriment to his plan, but it would set him back several days. Several days in which his colleagues back on Azeroth would be stuck waiting.

“Nothing to be done about it, master,” A low, drawling voice spoke from behind him. Zinju turned his head towards the source of the voice - a dark blue, gaseous creature with two glowing white eyes. It had no legs and floated in the air, and had a pair of ornate golden bindings around its wrists. A voidwalker.

“I suppose ye be right, Sarnak,” Zinju sighed. “We best be makin’ our way back. De flower be useless to us, and de potion too. We got a lotta work to be makin’ up.”

As Zinju and the voidwalker made their way back into the twisting labyrinth of caves, Zinju found his thoughts focused on the Human he had witnessed. He seemed quite familiar with both of those Ponies - Alicorns, he recalled, based on their possession of both wings and a horn. Alicorns, he remembered, were considered to be royalty in Equestrian society. And if that Human was so familiar with those two, he must be a very important Human indeed. That Human needed to be identified and monitored closely.

“Master,” The voidcaller interrupted Zinju’s thoughts. “It may please you to know that I have sensed that the first rune is now fully active.”

Zinju felt a grin creep across his face. “T’ree more t’ go, den,” he said. “Tank ya. Ya been servin’ me good, mon. And remind me to tank de master again for lendin’ ya t’ me.”

“Of course, master.”

So, the first of the four runes was now fully active. That could only mean one thing - the barriers between Equus and Azeroth were indeed growing weaker. Soon, potentially weak enough for a single individual to open a portal between the two worlds.

“It won’t be long now,” he murmured under his breath. “Dis world gonna burn. Azeroth gonna burn. And dey all gonna burn wit’ it.”

> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Commander?”

Kyle’s ears perked up as he heard his title spoken from the other side of the room. He removed his gaze from the stack of papers on the desk in front of him and looked up to see Filwin Springfizzle staring at him from the open door. He pushed himself more fully upright and grunted as his neck popped. The endless flow of papers for him to review and sign had left him hunched over his desk for far longer than he would have liked.

So Filwin’s entrance wasn't exactly unwelcome. Anything to give him an excuse to draw himself away from the load of work on his desk. “Filwin, please, come in,” he said with a warm smile.

“My apologies, commander, but I’m afraid I've little time to chat.” Kyle’s smile faltered slightly, but Filwin didn't seem to notice. “I've just come to inform you that you have a visitor, sir. Princess Twilight Sparkle wishes to see you. If you’re not too busy, that is,” She added with a slight grin

“Twilight? Of course, please, send her in.” Filwin stepped back outside, allowing Kyle a moment to move the stack of papers off to the side. Whatever Twilight wanted, it was certainly a higher priority in his mind than any papers from Stormwind.

A few seconds later, the door swung open again. Kyle heard a faint ‘thank you’ before Twilight stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. Her hooves clacked loudly against the hardwood floor as she walked towards the desk. She pulled the chair back and pulled herself up into it, sitting directly across the desk from Kyle.

“Commander,” she greeted.

Kyle inclined his head slightly. “Princess.”

A small frown formed on Twilight’s face. “When are you going to stop calling me by my title?” she asked.

“When you stop calling me by mine.”

For a long moment, the two locked eyes across the desk. Neither moved. Neither blinked. Each barely dared to breathe.

Against his will, the corners of his mouth began to turn upwards. Across the desk, Twilight began to have the same problem. She tried to hide her smile by looking away, but this only served to humor Kyle even further. He finally broke and laid his head down on the desk, laughing silently. He heard a small snort, and glanced up just in time to see Twilight shaking her head in amusement.

“That’ll teach me to challenge you to a staring contest eh?” Kyle laughed. He took a moment to recover himself and sat back up in his seat. “So, what’s up? Is Discord any better?”

Twilight’s shoulders tensed up ever so slightly. “He left Fluttershy’s cottage a couple of days ago.”

Kyle nodded. This was good news for him - the sooner that pain-in-the-ass Old God was away from Ponyville, the better. “Good, good,” he murmured. “So what else is going on?”

“Well, we haven’t seen you since Rainbow’s Birthday-Anniversary the other day…” Twilight began. “And you never RSVP’d for tonight, so Pinkie Pie wanted me to see whether you were coming or not.”

“Tonight?” Kyle asked. “What’s tonight?”

Twilight frowned. “Didn't you get the letter? I could have sworn I gave that to you weeks ago.”
 
“Letter? What let…” Kyle’s eyes lit up, and a sheepish smile slowly formed across his face. “I, uh… I think I remember that letter…” he admitted. “I just… set it aside for later, and uh… later never really rolled around. Sorry”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled. “It’s alright,” she said. “It’s not really a big deal. Pinkie sends out invitations for the Nightmare Night party every year, but everypony knows about it and everypony’s invited. Even if you don’t RSVP, she’s going to let you in.”

“But then why send out invitations if -”

“How long have you been here?” Twilight snorted lightly. “It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it.”

“Right, right... “ Kyle glanced over towards the calendar pinned against the wall to his left. Sure enough, every day leading up to October 31 was crossed out. “There’s uh… there’s not going to be another goof-off, is there?” he asked. “I don’t feel like dodging giant pinatas falling from the sky tonight.”

Twilight laughed. “I doubt it. Pinkie’s the only party Pony in town anymore. So how about it? Can you come tonight?”

Kyle closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. He wanted to go, of that there was no question. It had been several days since he had been into town last. Several days since he had last seen his friends. And with the construction of Ironwall nearly completed, many of the more tedious bits of paperwork such as extra supply requests were eliminated from his schedule.

But that didn't mean that there wasn't a lot to do still. Engineers and architects from Stormwind were checking in nearly daily to inspect the latest building that had been constructed, and also to collect any new research that had been done. In addition, he was now attempting to broker trade deals with both the Minotaur tribes and the Griffonian Empire - no small feat when oceans and deserts stood between them. On top of it all, additional troops were now moving into Ironwall to replace the workers that had once filled the barracks. Introducing them to this new world was not only far more difficult than Kyle thought it should have been, but a task that he quickly discovered that he would have to do personally.

With all of these new jobs piling up, it seemed like there simply wasn't any time for him to go to a party.

But then again, he was the Commander. He made the rules around here.

“I’ll be there,” he finally replied. “I’ll have to move a few things around in my schedule, but I’ll be there.”

Twilight smiled widely, and a small squeak escaped her. She quickly clasped her hooves up to her mouth and blushed as she looked away. “Great!” She said through her mild embarrassment. “I’ll go tell Pinkie that you’re coming.” With that, she stood up and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Kyle sighed and leaned back in his chair. Surely he was going to regret this decision tomorrow, when all of the work he’d set aside would come back to haunt him.

But that was future Kyle’s problem.

“Filwin!” he called out. A second later, the door opened, and the familiar pink-haired Gnome poked her head into the room. “Something’s come up. We need to clear my schedule for tonight…”


-----


It was amazing, Kyle thought, what a difference a few days could make.

The air was crisp, but not as chilly as it had been for the past week, and was already filled with the buzz of activity as he approached the town limits. Shrieks of laughter and surprise rang through the night. The smell of cotton candy and hot chocolate wafted through the air, as well as the unmistakable scent of pumpkin pie. 

The celebration was already underway as he walked into town. Packs of young colts and fillies roamed the streets with bags and buckets clenched between their teeth, travelling from house to house. Each one of them was dressed up in a costume, much like the youths of Azeroth would do. He spotted Spike running around with a dragon costume, which caused him to snort at the sheer ridiculousness of it. He also caught a glance of Scootaloo among the crowd, though it was hard to spot her behind her Wonderbolt costume - only her magenta mane identified her.

He himself had had little time to prepare a costume, and so he had improvised. Borrowing from the armory in Ironwall for the evening, he had dressed himself as a stereotypical rogue in light leather armor. Add in a red bandanna across his nose and mouth, and he looked the spitting image of a Defias bandit, complete with the twin daggers hooked at his belt. Only the lack of a cogwheel tattoo across his hand broke the illusion. Though his days as an actual Rogue were thankfully long behind him, and his control of the shadows now but a memory, Kyle felt a sense of nostalgia wash over him as his hand brushed the hilt of the daggers.

The last time he had been into town, streamers and banners had been strung over the streets to celebrate Rainbow Dash’s birthday and anniversary of coming to Ponyville. Banners were still strung over the streets, but now displayed the familiar black-and-orange colors that Kyle had come to associate with Hallow’s End. Or in this case, Nightmare Night.

The entire town had been decorated for the event. In addition to the banners, carved pumpkins filled with candles decorated the streets and doorsteps of the houses, while the town hall had been redecorated as a giant candy corn. Various stalls had been set up around the center of town for different games or activities. Kyle recognized a few, such as apple bobbing and face-painting. Others, such as the spider toss, were less familiar but still recognizable.

Kyle was hardly the only non-Pony around as he moved through the crowds. Those soldiers with the most seniority had taken the evening off from duty in Ironwall, and many of them strode through the crowds, wearing their armor as a costume of sorts. Kyle even spotted a druid who had elected to wander around town as a large cat, much to the amazement of those around her. Others from Azeroth who were unaffiliated with Ironwall but had still moved to Ponyville were also out and about, enjoying the Equestrian spin on a familiar holiday.

It appeared that even the Princesses were getting involved in the celebrations. Though he could see neither Celestia nor Luna in the town, the latter’s mark on the holiday was clear in the sky. The moon, normally full and bright, now had a dark image seemingly formed out of craters etched onto the surface. It was a rough picture of a Pony’s head with a dark, flowing mane and a long horn, with a single white eye visible.

Kyle didn't have to be told what Pony it was supposed to be.

It didn't take long for Kyle to spot Twilight in the crowd, standing among her closest friends. Not only did she stand slightly above the rest of the Ponies around her, but she was sporting the same costume that Kyle had seen her in at the Starswirl the Bearded Museum. He’d be able to see that massive pointed hat from the other side of town. He slowly began to make his way through the crowd towards her.

The conversation the group had been having slowly died down as Kyle approached. Kyle took a moment to look over the group’s selection of costumes. Like Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash was dressed up as a Wonderbolt. Fluttershy had chosen to be a butterfly, while Applejack was outfitted as a scarecrow. Rarity’s costume was that of a vampire-pony, judging by the mane, fake fangs, and cloak.

“Glad you could make it,” Twilight smiled as Kyle walked up to them. Her eyes traveled up and down his body. “So, what are you dressed as?”

“A Defias rogue,” Kyle explained. “They’re bandits and pillagers who stalk the roads in Elwynn and Westfall, attacking any travelers they can find.”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy murmured, ducking her head down ever so slightly.

Kyle glanced back over the group, not noticing Fluttershy’s reaction. “Hang on... “ he murmured. He did a quick head count, and sure enough, one of their usual group was missing. “Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

“Here I am!”

Normally, Kyle would have reacted to a voice yelling in his ear with some yelling of his own, maybe a punch or two. However, his time in Ponyville had taught him to expect the most unexpected things from the hyperactive pink mare behind him. Even so, it took all of his willpower to not take a swing at her as he nearly jumped out of his boots.

Twilight and her friends started giggling as Kyle closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. “I should have seen that one coming,” he murmured. He turned his head to see Pinkie bouncing past him. She was dressed up in one of the most ridiculous costumes that he had seen that evening - an oversized chicken, complete with a beak strapped across her snout.

“Oh I was hoping you were going to be here tonight!” she squealed happily. “It took so much work to plan everything to include all the new Humans and Elves and Dwarves and cute little Gnomies, but this year’s party is going to be the bestest party EVER! I was worried you weren't going to make it! Why didn't you RSVP? Twilight said she delivered the letter but -”

Kyle held his hand up to cut the talkative mare off. “I got the letter,” he said. “But you know, there’s a lot of paper moving in and out of my office every day, it’s easy to lose something…”

Kyle’s voice trailed off as Pinkie’s body went stiff. She reared up on her hind legs and poked her snout high up into the air. A faint sniffing sound could be heard from behind the beak across her face. Her tail twitched erratically, and her ears began flopping against the side of her head. Her eyes shot wide open. “Oh my goodness!” she yelled. “There’s somepony new in town! I gotta find them!” She let out a loud BAWK! and shot away.

All Kyle could do was stare as Pinkie barreled down the street and swung around the corner, disappearing from sight. “What was… You know what? Never mind,” he sighed. “I've stopped trying to figure her out.”

“Probably a good idea,” Rainbow Dash agreed. 

“So, whats the deal here tonight?” Kyle asked, looking towards Twilight. “Is there some big main event or something?”

“There’s the offering of candy to a statue of Nightmare Moon near the forest, but other than that it’s just a sort of ‘mingle and have fun’ thing.”

“Speakin’ of,” Applejack added, “the foals oughtta be gettin’ ready t’ go make that offerin’, if ya wanna go check it out.”

“Might as well. I was hoping to catch Scootaloo anyway. Sounds like that’ll be as good a spot as any.”

“You still trainin’ her t’ be a Monk like you?” Applejack asked. Kyle nodded in response. “Thought so. I caught her chasin’ a couple o’ Timber Wolves away from the farm the other day. Said she’d found ‘em on her way t’ see Applebloom, tryin’a get at Daisy and the rest o’ the cows. Didn't have a scratch on her, and them wolves looked more scared than a mouse in a house full’a cats.”

Kyle closed his eyes and shook his head in amusement. “Well at least her skills haven’t gotten too rusty while we've been brushing up on other things…” he murmured. He opened his eyes to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already turned away and talking. Turning his head, he saw that Twilight and Rarity were walking away towards the center of town, while Fluttershy had become fascinated by a passing druid transformed into a large cat.

A pair of fillies ran past him, headed towards the edge of town. Each one had a small plastic, pumpkin-shaped bucket clenched between their teeth, filled nearly to the brim with brightly colored candy wrappers. It seemed that it was time for the offering to the statue of Nightmare Moon. He turned and followed the pair away from the center of town towards the Everfree Forest.


-----


A pair of glowing, blood red eyes glowered towards the Human as he turned to follow a pair of small Ponies out of town. Zinju reached into the small pocket in his robe and felt around inside. A set of small, crystal-like spheres met his hands, but he wasn't interested in those. Not yet. Instead, his fingers grasped the small sheet of parchment. He pulled it out and quietly unfolded it. Even in the near-absolute dark of the back-alley he had hidden in, he could see the message inscribed upon the parchment. His eyes traveled back and forth across the note, making absolute certain that he had not misread his instructions.

Of course he hadn't. He’d already checked that parchment half a dozen times just waiting for that damned Human to show up. He stowed the parchment back within his pocket. His fingers once again brushed against the hard spherical objects, but still he left them alone. The time had still not yet come.

But soon.

This was the perfect night for him to make a move, he mused. And so he had thought when planning this. With everyone dressed up in their various costumes, it would not be too suspicious to see a troll wandering around. After all, as he remembered from the past, sometimes mages would use their magic to disguise themselves as an exact copy of another race for Hallow’s End. So long as no one noticed that he did not, in fact, have an illusion spell cast over him, he would be fine. All he had to do was keep his hood up and act like he belonged, and no one would suspect him until it was too late.

“Hi there!”

Zinju spun around towards the voice that rang out from behind him, piercing the silence of the alleyway. His eyes were met with one of the most ridiculous sights that he had ever seen. An obnoxiously pink Pony with an even more obnoxiously pink mane stood before him with the biggest, dumbest grin imaginable upon her face. And what’s more, she was dressed up in what appeared to be a giant chicken outfit, with a yellow cone strapped across her nose to act as a beak. Honestly, the sight was so comical that he almost laughed.

Almost.

His humor at the sheer ridiculousness of this stupid Pony was quickly replaced by irritation and a hint of dread. This was one of the same mares whom he had seen conversing with the Human. And she had now found him. He wasn't ready. He had been seen and called out before he had made his move. He glanced over his shoulder towards the main street. Thankfully, it seemed like no one else had heard her, and so he returned his attention back to the mare.

For a moment, Zinju was tempted to simply eliminate this stupid Pink Pony. “After all,” he mused, “they’ll all burn soon enough.” But no, he couldn't do that. Not here, not now. If he used his magic now, he’d be caught immediately. He still had to maintain a low profile. At least for a few more minutes.

Which meant shaking this mare off of his trail.

“Greetin’s mon,” he forced himself to sound relaxed. “Watcha doin’ back here, den?”

“My Pinkie Sense told me that there was somepony new in town!” The mare’s hyperactive voice was like nails on a chalkboard to his ears, but he did not allow himself to scowl as she continued. “So I went looking for them, and I found you, and I haven’t seen you around before, so I guess you must be the new Pony in town! Well, not Pony, you’re not a Pony. Or a Human. Or Dwarf. Or one of those cute little Gnomies…” The mare’s smile faltered slightly, and she leaned up towards him. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like you before. What are you?”

Zinju simply blinked for a moment. The mare talked much too fast for his liking - it was difficult to keep track of what she was saying. Finally, his brain caught up with his ears. “I be a Gnome, mon,” he lied. Much as it pained him to say those words, the pink mare seemed to have an affinity for the annoying little ankle-biters. “But it’s Hallow’s End, ya? Nightmare Night, ya call it? Dis be my costume fer tonight.”

“Oooo!” The Pink mare squealed loudly, and Zinju quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one had heard her latest outburst. “That’s a really great costume! Whatever it is,” she added. “How’d you make yourself so much taller?”

“Magic, mon.”

Zinju glanced behind himself once more. By now, the Human had vanished from sight. Zinju had overheard his plan to go towards the forest, but he still wished to keep a close tail on the Human. After all, plans could change. “Look mon, I gotta be goin’,” he said quickly. “Don’ be tellin’ no one dat ya saw me, hear?”

“Why not?”

Zinju barely suppressed a growl. He didn't have time for this. “I got a surprise for dat Human dat jus’ left,” he hissed quickly. “And I don’ want no one spoilin’ dat surprise. Got it?”

“You’ve got a surprise for Kyle?!”

“Ya mon. Now keep it quiet.”

The pink mare drew a hoof across her lips, made a locking motion, and did an exaggerated throw of an imaginary key. “Tanks mon,” Zinju sighed quietly. “Trust me, dis surprise is gonna be worth keepin’ a secret.”

“Is it a good one?”

Zinju chuckled darkly as he turned away towards the street. “He ain’t never gonna forget it.”
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moon was high in the sky casting a soft white glow on the ground as Kyle made his way out of Ponyville. The Everfree Forest loomed nearby, dark and foreboding as always. A low fog rolled from the treeline, cloaking the ground in mist up to Kyle’s knees. Chills shot up Kyle’s spine. The forest’s unnatural presence seemed stronger than usual this evening.

Thankfully, It seemed like the forest was not his destination. Not far in the distance, the distinct yellow-orange glow of a fire pierced through the night like a beacon. Kyle moved towards the flame, and soon the shapes of the young colts and fillies began to take form against the bright glow. Kyle fell into step behind the crowd, following them further away from town.

Soon, the crowd began to slow. Up ahead, Kyle could see that the front part of the group was now spreading out to form a circle around a large statue. As he rew closer, Kyle began to make out distinct features on the statue. A long, pointed horn. A pair of large wings, spread to full extension. A mane and tail that billowed away from the statue like clouds. Battle armor that covered the statue’s chest and head. A face locked in an eternal snarl. Beauty and terrifying power, both captured at the same time.

Nightmare Moon.

“Oh, now this is a quite a sight,” A familiar voice murmured to Kyle’s left. He turned his head to see a cloaked figure moving towards him. “Mr. Slater joins us for Nightmare Night.”

“Hello, Zecora,” Kyle smiled as he observed her costume. Hers was perhaps the most creepy one he had seen that evening. Her mane had been let down from its usual mohawk, and flowed freely past her ears and down her neck. Fake spiders had been placed here and there throughout her mane… or at least, Kyle assumed they were fake. The rest of her body was obscured by a tattered, dark-blue cloak that was held in place by a single golden band around her barrel - a band which matched the ones still wrapped around her neck and right foreleg. Her left foreleg was covered in a leather bracer of some kind.

“So, what’s going on here?” Kyle asked as he glanced around. Most of the foals had now taken a seat around the statue, and their eyes were now locked on him an Zecora. Kyle spotted Scootaloo near the middle of the crowd, still mostly hidden behind her Wonderbolt costume.

“An old tradition of Ponyville,” Zecora replied, “One which the Ponies cling to still. Though Nightmare Moon has been defeated, we still offer candy so we do not get eaten.” Kyle raised an eyebrow, and Zecora chuckled. “Simply take a seat and you shall hear, the tale that tells of that which we fear.”

Kyle made his way through the crowd of foals towards Scootaloo, where he plopped down on the ground next to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were cut short as a flurry of movement caught his eye. Zecora moved swiftly back to the front of the crowd and stood at the base of the statue of Nightmare Moon. 

“Listen close, my little dears,” Zecora began. “I'll tell you where you got your fears of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary.” Zecora held out one hoof, and a green powder exploded outwards. It quickly formed into a thick green mist that encircled the group Looking around, Kyle couldn’t even see Scootaloo sat next to him. “Of Nightmare Moon, who makes you wary.”

Kyle could hear the screams of shock and fear from the foals around him, though he himself felt little more than a pang of surprise. A simple parlor trick, though admittedly this performance was aimed at foals far younger than him. Zecora certainly was putting on a good show for these young ones, even if it didn’t have the same effect on him.

A pair of glowing eyes and a set of sharp teeth formed amidst the mist. Zecora’s voice rang out again, this time distant and echoey. “Every year, we put on a disguise, to save ourselves from her searching eyes. But Nightmare Moon wants just one thing: to gobble up ponies in one quick swing!”

Suddenly, the green mist swirled past Kyle, revealing those around him once more. Kyle could see multiple foals huddled together, shivering in fear. Only a few of the larger foals, including Scootaloo, appeared unafraid. Indeed, Scootaloo was chuckling silently to herself as more and more terrified faces were revealed. The mist congealed into a swirling ball, which quickly took the shape of a large alicorn - the same one that was displayed upon the statue beside it.

The green form of Nightmare Moon hissed violently and took to the air “Hungrily, she soars the sky,” Zecora continued. “If she sees nopony, she passes by. So if she comes and all is clear, Equestria is safe another year!”

“Isn’t this a little insulting to Princess Luna?” Kyle murmured to Scootaloo. “After all, this is basically a celebration about the monster she became…”

“You should have been here for the first Nightmare Night after she came back,” Scootaloo murmured as the green Nightmare Moon circle overhead. “Ask me about it later.”

Slowly, the green image of Nightmare Moon began to fade. Specks of the green powder fell down from the sky and swirled back into Zecora’s outstretched hoof. As the last of the powder returned to her, Zecora tucked it safely away into her cloak. “But costumes alone do not appease,” she continued. “And so her belly we must please. Fill up her belly with a treat or two, so she won't return to come eat you!”

By now, most of the foals had moved forward to deposit a portion of their evening’s candy at the base of the statue. Kyle had no candy to offer himself, but Scootaloo rose to her hooves and trotted towards the statue as well. As the foals gathered around the statue, Zecora moved towards him.

“Of Hallow’s End I’ve heard as well,” she said as she sat down next to him. “Though to these foals I’ve little to tell. Expertise on this matter I cannot claim. I only know that the days are the same. Perhaps you’ve a tale to share, and perhaps provide a little scare?”

“What, you’re asking me to tell them about Hallow’s End?” Kyle asked. Zecora nodded. “I… uh, I guess…” he murmured. His time as a commander had often forced him into a public speaking position, much to his discomfort. Though a lot of his fear had been worn away by repeatedly speaking to crowds in Ironwall, it still always brought a pang of discomfort.

Still, these were just foals. Not like anything major was going to happen.

As the foals began to settle back in, Zecora moved back up towards the front of the crowd. She leaned forwards towards the large pile of candy that had been left at the base of the statue and narrowed her eyes. “A sufficient offering, or so I hope, so Nightmare Moon’s wrath we might not provoke,” she announced. “The tale of Nightmare Night I have told, but tis not the only tale of old. Our friends from Azeroth share this night, with one of their own, also filled with fright. Please, come on up here, my friend, and tell us of your Hallow’s End.”

Every head snapped towards Kyle, who had risen to his feet. He carefully made his way through the crowd of foals, up to the front of the statue. He turned to face the crowd as Zecora backed away, leaving him alone under the gaze of the youths of Ponyville.

Another pang of discomfort shot through Kyle, but he forced it back with a deep breath. “Hallow’s End is a celebration on Azeroth,” he began. “Its origins have long been forgotten to the ages, but its purpose and meaning are still strong. Tonight, on the eve of Hallow’s End, it is said that the barrier between our world and the realm of the dead is at its weakest.” Several foals went wide-eyed as Kyle continued. “It is said that on this eve, the spirits of the departed can be sensed by the living. Hallow’s End is a celebration of the lives of those who have left this world for the next.”

A flash of movement behind the group rew Kyle’s attention. He peered out into the darkness towards the movement, but saw nothing. He shrugged and continued. “We too carry the idea of trick or treating, though we do not offer the candy to Nightmare Moon as you do. Again, the origin of this tradition has been lost to the passage of time, but it still remains. On the eve of Hallow’s End, the youths of Azeroth will dress up and roam from house to house in search of candy and other treats.” 

“For us, Hallow’s End is not simply a single evening. Our celebration lasts for two weeks, ending on this evening. On the first and last days of the celebration, at sunset, a giant straw effigy outside of the city of Stormwind is set ablaze. Many will gather around the burning wickerman and cast their own flaming torches into the inferno. In doing so, we cast our doubts, our fears and uncertainties, into the flames to be burned away, so that we may not carry them into the cold of winter.”

Kyle fell silent as his tale ended. He thought back to the day two weeks ago when he himself had cast his own torch into the wickerman. How he had hoped that somehow throwing the torch would quell his own uncertainties of where he would go after his recovery. How, on that evening, King Varian and delivered to him his instructions to oversee the construction and maintenance of Ironwall. How, on that evening, he had been told he would be able to return to Equestria. To his friends.

Zecora cleared her throat next to Kyle, causing him to jump slightly. A soft laugh echoed through the crowd as Kyle tried to recover his composure. “Thank you, Mr. Slater, for sharing your story,” she said. “Now, let me share with you an old tale of glory”

The foals surrounding the statue leaned in close and began to scootch towards Zecora as Kyle stepped away. He spotted Scootaloo among the crowd, and his eyes met hers. he motioned for her to come towards him. As Zecora began speaking again, the two moved towards the back of the group.

Kyle opened his mouth to speak. He found himself cut off, however, as another flash of movement caught his eye, this time on the other side of the statue. This time, his eyes locked onto the movement and refused to let go. A shadowy, cloaked figure darted behind the statue and paused for the briefest moment before moving into the shadows of the forest. As it stepped into the treeline, the figure’s hood fell back. Kyle was able to make out a couple of prominent features as the figure stepped back into the forest. Long, pointed ears. Sharp tusks. Blood red, glowing eyes. A sharp, angled chin. Green, braided hair. Blue skin.

A Troll.

“Zecora!” Kyle called out. Every head snapped towards him as he ran towards the Zebra, doing his best to not step on any foals. “Zecora, we have to get back to town,” he said. “There’s a Troll creeping around here.” Zecora raised an eyebrow. “Troll. Horde. Enemy of the Alliance.”

Zecora nodded. “Younglings, please, follow me. Do not stray near the trees,” she commanded. There was scattered worried murmuring among the crowd as Kyle moved back towards Scootaloo.

“Stay on the left side of the group,” he murmured to her. “I’ll stay on the right. That Troll’s gonna try something, I just know it. Defend the group until we get back to Ponyville. Once we get there, we’ll -”

BOOM!

The earth shook violently as several explosions blasted out of the forest and from behind the statue. Zecora dove towards the closest foals to her and knocked them to the ground as the fireball soared overhead. Screams of terror pierced the night as foals ran from the explosions, back towards Ponyville.

“Scootaloo, stay with the group, keep them safe!” Kyle yelled over the screams of the foals. Surely someone in Ponyville had heard those explosions. “Everyone, stay calm!” he hollered over the noise. “Stay with Zecora! Get back to Ponyville now!”

“What is that thing?!”

Kyle’s head whipped towards the voice. A small filly was staring with wide eyes at the forest. His head snapped towards the source of her fear. Several other foals wre now staring as well as a monstrous creature moved from the forest. A massive red body, easily eight feet tall. Large, leathery wings partially folded behind its back. Black horns, sharp gnashing teeth. Black and gold armor covering its body. A blood-red blade clutched in its right fist.

A Doomguard.

A feeling of horror washed over Kyle as the demon stepped from the forest. Behind it, several smaller demons could be seen. Imps, felhunters, voidwalkers… a dozen in all swarmed past the Doomguard towards the terrified group.

“Scootaloo, with me!” Kyle yelled. He rushed away from the group and reached towards his back for his staff. It wasn’t there. Of course. He growled at himself at his stupidity. He had left his staff back in Ironwall because it didn’t match his Nightmare Night costume. All he had with him were his daggers.

Better than nothing.

Kyle quickly drew the small blades that hung at his belt and rushed forward. The first felhunter surged towards him, snapping at him with its massively oversized jaw. All it found was a dagger buried in the underside of its chin as Kyle thrust upwards. He quickly withdrew the dagger and spun around, catching a voidwalker across the chest. He ducked underneath a fireball that and imp had launched at him and shot a bolt of lightning at his attacker. The imp sizzled with electricity before falling to the ground.

Not far away, Scootaloo was fighting a group of demons of her own. She slammed her hoof through a voidwalker’s chest before sending an imp flying skyward with a rising sun kick. She ducked and dodged around their attacks with her usual agility, never letting them get a foothold, never letting them settle in, always keeping them off-guard.

A pair of felguards moved from behind the Doomguard and charged towards Kyle. He took a step backwards and bounced lightly on his toes as the first one reached him. The first horizontal swing from its massive axe went sailing over him as he ducked down. The second strike slammed into the ground as Kyle rolled between its legs. He landed on his feet behind the felguard and grabbed its left shoulder before pulling it backwards. At the same time, he thrust his dagger into the small of its back, drawing a howl of pain. The felguard collapsed as Kyle withdrew his dagger, and for good measure he slammed the heel of his boot into the felguard’s face.

The thud of heavy iron boots against the ground gave Kyle all the time he needed. He ducked underneath the strike of the second felguard and spun around. He rose back up as he spun and whipped his dagger out in a sideways slash that caught the felguard across the throat. The second felguard collapsed as easily as the first.

A scream of terror forced Kyle to whip his head towards the group. By now, the foals were huddled around the statue of Nightmare Moon, trying to keep as far from the demons as possible. Their route to Ponyville was cut of by a second swarm of demons. Zecora was stood before the demonic horde, with a pile of smaller demons already scattered around her. Kyle watched as a voidwalker surged towards her. She dodged its attack and lunged forward. Her left hoof struck its chest, and the voidwalker dissolved into nothingness. As it did, Kyle caught a fleeting glimpse of a small blade as it retracted back into the bracer wrapped around her foreleg.

The Doomguard behind Kyle had not made any moves yet, but Kyle could tell that it was doing something. Perhaps commanding this attack. If he took it out, it was possible that the flow of demons would stop. It was worth a shot - Scootaloo and Zecora looked like they had things covered for now. Kyle ran forwards towards the large demon, intent on bringing it down.

The doomguard sneered as Kyle approached, and it brought its massive sword slamming down towards the ground. Kyle dodged to the left and moved in close to the large demon, slashing away with his daggers. Memories of his time as a rogue came flooding back to him, and the daggers began to feel more familiar in his fingers. He and the doomguard traded blows, neither backing down, neither giving ground.

And then, the doomguard made an error. A wide swing flew high over Kyle’s head, leaving him wide open. Kyle lunged forward and flicked his blade out, slashing the doomguard across the chest. The doomguard snarled in anger as it swung down at Kyle once more, but Kyle was no longer there. Like with the felguard, he had rolled between his foe’s legs, and was behind the doomguard.

Kyle’s first blow severed a tendon behind the Doomguard’s calf, sending it to one knee. Kyle used the opportunity to whip back around to the front, where he drove his second dagger into the doomguard’s chest. The doomguard roared as it fell backwards, its sword forgotten in its pain. Kyle was there in an instant, standing on the doomguard’s chest. Two swipes of his dagger silenced the doomguard, and its severed head rolled away from its body.

Kyle reached down and pulled the dagger out of the demon’s chest and looked back towards the rest of the group. Already, the flow of demons had begun to slow, though Zecora and Scootaloo were still fighting a small horde of them. Still, it seemed that Kyle’s hunch had been correct - the doomguard had been, in some way, responsible for summoning these demons.

But what had summoned the doomguard?

As if to answer his question, a flash of brilliant fel green energy caught the edge of his eye. He spun towards the light to see the same Troll from before. His hands were glowing with fel-green magic, and his face contorted in a hideous snarl.

Before Kyle could move, the Troll thrust his arm forward. A massive bolt of green energy, shaped like a dragon’s head, surged forward towards Kyle. The air sizzled with power around it as it raced forward towards its target. Kyle could have sworn he saw the face on the dragon grinning as it approached him.

Dodging would do no good. Kyle knew what this attack was - a Chaos Bolt. One of the most powerful spells in a Warlock’s arsenal. It would track him no matter how much he ran. This Troll thought that it would be enough to kill him. And if Kyle had been any other man, he would have been right.

But Kyle wasn’t any other man.

Kyle’s hand lit up with green energy of their own, this time soothing and serene. A small translucent green bubble popped into existence around Kyle an instant before the Chaos Bolt slammed into him. Kyle could feel the heat of the Chaos Bolt, feel its power trying to sear his flesh and annihilate his body. But Kyle’s Diffuse Magic spell held strong, and while he definitely felt a flash of pain as some of the excess energy pierced the shield, the majority of its strength was dissipated harmlessly.

Still, the force of the impact was enough to lift him from his feet. He flew backwards into the forest and slammed into one of the trees behind him with enough force to stun him. His vision blurred for a few moments as he laid there, trying to regain his senses. When he finally pushed himself upright, the Troll was gone.

Kyle slowly made his way back out of the forest and towards the statue of Nightmare Moon. Zecora and Scootaloo were already there, trying to soothe the rest of the terrified foals. Kyle saw Scootaloo trying to comfort her classmates, even the two bullies whom he had seen picking on her before. He felt a surge of pride for his apprentice as he approached Zecora.

“We’ve got to get back to town,” he said calmly. “There might be more of those things out here. We’ll be safer with more Ponies around.”

“Wh… what were those things?” One of the foals asked.

Kyle sighed and closed his eyes. “It’s… too much to get into here,” he replied. “The short answer is that they’re called demons, and that they’re utterly evil. The long answer is one that you all don’t need to hear.”

“But the Princesses do. And they need to hear it fast.”


-----


Zinju growled as he pushed his way through the thick undergrowth. It hadn’t worked. His plan, his foolproof idea, had failed. All because he hadn’t had enough information.

All because he didn’t know.

He knew that that stupid Human had been training an apprentice, but no one had told him that said apprentice just happened to be in the group that he was attacking. No one had told him that that damned hornless Zhevra had a retractable blade with her. If those two hadn’t been there, the Human would have certainly been overwhelmed. Instead, his army that he had worked on for nearly two weeks was gone. All that time spent pouring summoning magic into those soulstones… all that work, all that pain and energy… all destroyed.

All because he didn’t know.

That Chaos Bolt had been a desperate attempt to salvage what was left of his plan. As soon as that Human had started fighting the doomguard, Zinju had known that his plan was done for. That Chaos Bolt should have killed him, but no, that Human just happened to know a spell that protected him from the worst of the fel magic. Even though the Human had been stunned when flung against that tree, there was no time to charge a second one. Zinju had had to flee for his life.

All because he didn’t know.

Zinju slowed to a stop as he reached the entrance to his little cave system. Already he had been running for half an hour, and these thoughts had chased themselves around in his head in a vicious circle. The master was going to end him for this. He knew it in what was left of his twisted, tattered soul. His instructions had been clear - eliminate the Human and disrupt the Alliance’s operations in Equestria. He had failed. He had failed to eliminate the Human, and now all the world would know that he was there.

A flash of orange lit the sky to the northwest, and a few seconds later a distant explosion could be heard. Despite his fury, Zinju felt a small grin creep over his lips. Well, at least he had succeeded on one of his two goals…

As Zinju pushed his way into his cave, he instinctively held out his cloak for Sarnak the Voidwalker to take. Instead, the cloak fluttered to the ground. Zinju growled again and picked up the cloak before hanging it on the nail he had driven into the stone wall. “Sarnak? Where are ya, ya damned demon?!” he called out.

No response.

Zinju felt a wave of unease wash over him. Sarnak was bound to him. He had to obey Zinju’s commands. Something was wrong here…

 A small sound came from the right-hand passage. Zinju’s eyes narrowed, and he moved forward. His hands lit up with green felflame, and he started down the passage. His eyes darted this way and that, observing, watching, looking.

As he reached the round room that he had been using as a living quarters, Zinju froze. A large shape lay in the center of the room. A large shape that he hadn’t left there. A large shape that was hidden behind a hooded cloak.

“Ya picked a bad day t’ get lost, ‘friend’,” Zinju snarled. “Tell me ya name, so’s I can know it when I kill ya.”

“Calm yourself, Zinju, before you do something you will come to regret,” The figure murmured. Its voice was weak and sickly, and yet behind it held the promise of power untold. the figure pushed itself to its feet - no, hooves, Zinju realized - and turned towards the Troll. “I have been looking for you,” it continued.

“What ya done wit’ Sarnak?” Zinju demanded.

“The voidwalker?” The figure let out a dry chuckle. “Unconscious in the other room. Like yourself, he did not take kindly to me, and so I was forced to subdue him. You will find he has come to no permanent harm.”

Despite his misgivings, Zinju slowly lowered his hands and allowed the felflame to die. “Who be ya, mon?” he asked warily.

The figure chuckled once more. A pair of scrawny arms - little more than skin and pale red fur draped over bones - reached out from under the cloak. They gripped the hood and pulled it backwards. The creature’s face was revealed - A pair of stubby black horns upon a balding red head. a retreating mane, once black but now greying. A pair of hollow eyes, pitch black with merely a single spec of yellow to show that they were not in fact empty sockets. Snow white sideburns that ran the length of his long face, connecting under his rounded chin. A silver nose ring. And a wicked smile that made even Zinju’s hardened heart jump.

“Tirek. Lord Tirek.”
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle sighed and rubbed his eyes. He glanced over at the clock hanging over the mayor’s office. It was nearly three in the morning. He should have been asleep hours ago. Instead, he was sitting in the waiting room waiting on the Princesses to arrive from Canterlot. He knew it was a long flight from the capital city, but his patience and energy were both running low.

He wasn’t the only one who had grown tired of waiting. Or in Scootaloo’s case, just tired. The Pegasus had curled up in one of the chairs in the waiting room and was now sleeping. Somehow, this only lent more fuel to Kyle’s frustration. She still had school tomorrow. She should be sleeping back at home, in her own bed, not in the mayor’s office. Light only knows how worried her parents must have been…

Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly, forcing himself to try and relax. No, that wasn’t the problem here. The waiting, the sleepiness, that wasn’t what bothered him. It was the demons.

 No, it wasn’t even the demons themselves. It was the implications behind them.

“I should have hunted him down…” Kyle murmured to himself. “When I first heard about him… that had to have been this Zinju guy Yxia warned me about. I should have had him tracked down and killed immediately, before any of this happened…”

Kyle fell silent as he heard the sound of rustling wings. He looked up towards the door as it swung open. Celestia and Luna stepped into the town hall, their expressions unreadable. Celestia immediately moved towards the mayor’s office and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Luna, however, did not follow. Instead, she moved towards Kyle and sat down beside him.

“Commander.”

“Princess.”

Luna turned her head towards him. “You look unwell,” she commented.

“It’s been a long night.”

For a brief moment, there was silence. Luna peered down at Kyle. “There’s more to this than what appears on the surface, isn’t there?” she asked.

Kyle nodded. “There has to be,” he agreed. “I really don’t feel like explaining it twice. If it’s alright, I’d rather wait until Twilight and Princess Celestia get out here to hear what’s going on.”

“As you wish.”

Silence fell over the room like a blanket on a hot summer’s evening, thick and oppressive. Uncomfortable. Kyle kept glancing around the room at the other occupants. Scootaloo was still fast asleep. Luna had closed her eyes as well, though she was clearly not sleeping. Perhaps she was visiting the Dreamscape again.

As the minutes ticked by, Kyle felt his own eyes grow heavy. He glanced up at the clock again. 3:15. It was way too late for him to still be up. And he still had to be up at the crack of dawn for another day in his office… He slowly allowed his eyes to close. Maybe he could at least grab a little sleep here…

The door to the mayor’s office swung open, ending that line of wishful thinking. Celestia was the first to emerge from the room, followed closely by Twilight and the mayor. The mayor said nothing, but instead moved towards the stairs on the far side of the room.

Twilight, meanwhile, walked over to Scootaloo and began to wake her up. The Pegasus stirred and opened one eye groggily. Twilight began to talk to her softly as Kyle turned his attention to Luna. Her eyes were still closed, and she seemed unaware of her surroundings. Kyle poked her in the side to get her attention. “Psst. Princess Luna, are you awake?”

Luna frowned slightly as she opened her eyes. “Hm?”

“Twilight and Princess Celestia are done.”

Luna stood up and stretched her wings as Celestia walked over to join them. “Commander,” she began. “You were there during the attack, correct?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I’d like to see the aftermath for myself. Please take us to it.”

By this point, Twilight and Scootaloo were beginning to make their way over towards the group as well. Kyle motioned for them to follow, and he led them out of the town hall and towards the statue near the forest.

As they walked through town, Scootaloo trotted up to him. “What’s going on?” she asked quietly.

“We’re taking the Princesses to see -”

“I know that,” she interrupted. “But what’s going on with those… things? What were they? Why were they here?”

“They’re demons,” Kyle replied. ‘As to why they’re here… I don’t know. But it’s not good.”

The rest of the trip passed in silence. Kyle glanced back up at the sky as they passed the town limits. The moon was beginning to dip down towards the western horizon. It was late - far later than he cared to be awake. The next day was going to be painful…

Before long, the statue of Nightmare Moon came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle noticed the feathers on Luna’s wings bristle ever so slightly, though he couldn’t tell whether it was the statue or the demons that was the cause. The smaller demons were piled up in heaps where Scootaloo and Zecora had held them off, while the felguards and doomguard lay not far away, visible just inside the forest.

“So these are the creatures that attacked…” Twilight murmured. She took a tentative step forward and peered down at the corpse of a fallen fel stalker. “I’ve never seen anything like this before…”

“That one’s a fel stalker,” Kyle explained. “A dog-like demon. They specialize in tracking down and hunting spellcasters, particularly those who specialize in arcane magic.” He pointed off towards another corpse not far away. “That’s an imp. They’re not particularly strong on their own, but they usually come in swarms, and can shoot felfire bolts from a decent distance away.”

The next pointed at a pair of golden shackles lying on the ground. “That’s what’s left of a voidwalker. While alive, they look like dark-blue clouds of gas. They’re usually bound to a warlock - a commander of demons and fel magic. Again, not particularly dangerous, but they can bring forth very painful memories in an attempt to draw your attention away from its master.”

Celestia nodded. “I see. And what of those two over there?” she asked, nodding towards the forest. “The ones with the axes, and the larger one?”

“Those are two of the more dangerous demons,” Kyle began. “The smaller ones are felguards. They’re the standard soldier for the Burning Legion. They don’t use magic, and instead rely purely on brute strength. They’re not agile or very smart, but if they catch you, they can easily kill you.”

“And that one over there,” Kyle continue as he moved towards the treeline, “is a Doomguard. They’re commanders of some sorts, and the other smaller demons tend to follow their instructions. Like the felguard, they’re not very agile, but they are smart - as smart as you or me. They can also use a wide range of fire and fel magic, though this one seemed to prefer fighting up close. They also have a lot of raw physical strength.”

“I’m assuming there are other different types of these creatures?” Luna asked.

Kyle nodded. “There’s a lot of other demons out there,” he agreed. “Infernals, Succubi, Pit Lords, Eredar, Wrathguards…”

“You mentioned a ‘Burning Legion’,” Celestia interrupted. “What is it?”

“The Burning Legion is an army of demons. Horrible, twisted, corrupt creatures. They’re out there in the twisting nether, on a crusade to eradicate all worlds of life. Azeroth has been invaded… what, three times now?”

“And you believe these demons were a part of this Burning Legion?” Twilight asked.

“It’s almost a guarantee,” Kyle nodded. “If there are demons, you can bet that the Burning Legion is involved. Especially with how many demons there were here.”

As Kyle stopped talking, silence descended upon the group. He glanced back and forth between the three princesses, judging their reactions. Past her closed eyes, Celestia’s expression was carefully guarded, and Luna attempted to mirror her, though Kyle could sense her discomfort. Twilight, though, seemed on the verge of panic. Her eyes were darting back and forth rapidly, as if expecting an attack at any moment, and her tail flicked wildly from side to side.

Kyle couldn’t exactly blame her. Nearly every horror that had befallen Azeroth could be laid squarely at the feet of the Burning Legion and their twisted masters. From the original invasion of the Orcs through the Dark Portal, to the creation of the Scourge, to the very sundering of the planet ten thousand years ago, the Legion had masterminded it all. From what Kyle had gathered from the Draenei, Azeroth was the only known world that had ever successfully defended against an invasion by the Burning Legion, and each invasion had only been repelled at a terrible price. And now, to some extent, the Legion had its gaze set on Equus.

Luna was the first to break the extended silence. “What do we do now, sister?” she asked. “The locals have surely heard about this attack - if not from Mr. Slater here, then from the foals who were present. They will have questions that we do not have answers to.”

“I do not know, Luna,” Celestia murmured. “I fear that our era of peace may be drawing to an end.”

“Equestria isn’t ready to face an army. Especially one as large as this Legion sounds.” Twilght turned her head towards Kyle. “Is there anything we can do to prepare?”

“First of all, we need to hunt down the Warlock that summoned these demons,” Kyle replied. “Zinju is his name. He’s a Troll. I saw him just after I took out the Doomguard, and he fled into the forest. Yxia sent me a warning about a Troll skulking around, but I never imagined he’d bring about a threat this big…”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. Guards. Step up security around any objects of power. I assume Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have returned to help with rebuilding the Crystal Empire?” Luna nodded. “Good. I’d suggest putting extra guards around the Crystal Heart. The Legion loves to take any powerful relics they can find and use them for their plans.”

“Very well.” Celestia let out a great sigh. “Perhaps it is also time to begin training Ponies to fight the Legion as well…”

Celestia and Luna moved close together and began to speak in hushed whispers as they slowly walked away. Twilight took a step towards them and paused. A few seconds passed, during which time she glanced back and forth between the Princesses and Kyle. When the Princesses did not request her to join them, she turned and trotted over towards Kyle. “So what now?” she asked.

“Now we rest and recover our energy.” Kyle couldn’t stop himself from letting out a large yawn. “As the local Princess, the people of Ponyville will be looking to you for answers. Just try to keep them calm alright? I’ll do what I can to track down this Zinju guy, and try and dig up what information about the Legion I can.”

Kyle turned his attention towards Scootaloo, who had been leaning up against his leg for support for the past few minutes. “Alright squirt,” he said. “No training tomorrow. Get some sleep before school. Go straight home, and don’t fly over the forest.” Scootaloo nodded sleepily before flapping her wings and soaring away towards town.

Kyle yawned again. “I’d better get some sleep too,” he murmured. “And someone’s gotta tell the guys at Ironwall about this whole mess…”

“Alright. Good Night.” Twilight turned away and took to the air, flying after Scootaloo back into town.

Kyle glanced back towards where the Princesses were, only to realize that they weren’t there anymore. He just managed to spot Celestia’s tail before it vanish over the treetops as she and Luna flew back towards Canterlot, leaving Kyle all alone at the statue.

“Stupid flying Ponies…” he grumbled to himself as he walked towards Ponyville. On foot, this was going to be a bit of a walk…”


-----


Kyle could feel weariness dragging at his limbs as the stone walls of Ironwall came into view. It had to be well past four in the morning - already the birds had begun to chirp for the new day. He couldn’t remember the last time, besides during a battle, that he had been up so late. It had to have been boot camp, at the very least.

Still, it was calming in an odd way. They way the starlight reflected off of the early-morning frost that coated the grass. The chirping of the birds as they awoke to begin their hunts for worms and insects. The faint smell of smoke on the wind…

Wait a minute…

Kyle took another sniff, cringing slightly as the cold air stung the inside of his nose. Yes, that was definitely smoke. And not from a campfire. Kyle’s pace quickened as a pit of unease formed in his stomach.

The guard was not waiting for him as he approached the gates of Ironwall. Instead, a familiar pink-haired Gnome was already running up to him, her eyes frantic. “Thank goodness you’re back, commander,” she all but yelled. “You’ve got to come, quick!” She jumped up and grabbed his arm before dragging him through the gates and into the main area.

Inside, the atmsphere was that of barely-contained fear. The guards stood more sharply, looked more wary, kept their hands closer to their weapons. Several walked around with their swords openly drawn. Workers, who would normally be asleep at this time, were beginning to move stone and wood around, as well as large amounts of dirt.

Almost instantly, Kyle could see the source of the soldiers’ distress. The eastern wall, solid and unbroken when he had left, was now little more than a smoldering ruin of tattered timber and shattered stone. A large crater lay just inside where the wall had once stood, and the hole was seared black by heat. Here and there, pieces of charred wood still burned with green felflame.

Kyle starred in disbelief at what hours before had been a perfectly sturdy stone wall. “What… What the hell happened here?” he stammered.

“Just about an hour after you left, sir,” A nearby guard began. “We heard a loud explosion. When we arrived, the wall had been blown open. An Infernal dropped out of the sky just a moment later and took a good chunk of the rest of it out. We took it out with little trouble, but Smith got a nasty burn on his arm, and the wall was already destroyed.”

“Zinju,” Kyle hissed angrily. “That Troll’s got some nerve to strike at us here…”

“A moment, if I may, commander?” The guard interrupted.

Kyle took a deep breath and slowly released it. He nodded. “Filwin, go put some more resource request forms on my desk,” he ordered. The Gnome saluted quickly before running off. Kyle then turned his attention towards the guard once more. “Name and Rank, soldier?”

“Corporal Wes, sir,” The soldier saluted. “Engineer from the 107th division.”

“Alright, Corporal. What is it that you need to tell me,”

“Well sir…” Wes began slowly. “If you look at the crater, you’ll notice that the deepest part - which would indicate where the explosive was detonated - actually lies within the boundary of the garrison. The explosion happened on this side of the wall. This is further verified by the amount of debris that was blown out of the garrison, as opposed to further in.”

Kyle glanced down at the crater. Sure enough, the deepest point in the crater lay within the boundary of Ironwall, and most of the debris had been scattered in the fields outside the wall. A feeling of dread slowly washed over Kyle as the implications of this hit him. “And what does this mean, Corporal?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“It means that someone within Ironwall planted and detonated the explosive, sir,” Wes replied. “This was an inside job.”

“There’s a traitor among us…” Kyle murmured. “An agent of the Burning Legion rests within our walls, Corporal.”

“The Legion, sir?”

“There was a demon attack at Ponyville this evening,” Kyle explained. “A Troll Warlock was responsible. I’d bet the last copper I own that he and this traitor are working together.” Kyle sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Bloody hell, this just gets better and better…”

The quick pitter-patter of feet across the cobblestone path announced Filwin’s return. “I’ve put the forms on your desk, as requested sir,” she announced. “What next?”

“Right… First we’ve gotta repair this bloody hole in the wall,” Kyle muttered. “All construction on the buildings is postponed until this wall is fixed.”

“But sir, that’ll put us at least a week behind schedule -”

“Damn the schedule!” Kyle snapped as stress and fatigue finally took their toll. “The situation has changed, and our plans change with it.”

Filwin flinched slightly, but nodded. “Y-yes sir” she stammered. “Anything else?”

“Find anyone in Ironwall who’s connected in any way with dark magic,” Kyle ordered. “If we have any warlocks, shadow priests… hell, if someone was captured by agents of the Legion for any period of time. Let them know that until further notice they are not to leave the walls. We’ve got a traitor among us, Filwin, and they’re connected to the Legion. And until we find out who they are, we cannot let our guard down.”

“Yes sir. Anything else?”

“Yes, one last thing.” Kyle turned and began to walk away. “Do not disturb me until I wake up.”

“But sir!” Filwin exclaimed. “There’s so much work to do! You can’t go to sleep now!”

“Filwin.” Kyle turned and placed his hands on the Gnome’s shoulders, hunching over slightly to do so. “It is four in goddamn the morning. I have been up all night. I have fought off a small army of demons and their commander. I have taken a Warlock’s Chaos Bolt to the face. And now I’ve got to deal with this whole mess. I. Need. To sleep.”

“But -”

“No buts.” Kyle stood back up to his full height and began to walk away again. “You have your instructions.” He left no time for further argument as he walked up the stairs to the town hall, stepped inside, and slammed the door behind him.

A few moments later, Kyle finally flopped down on his bed with a loud sigh. He had been very short with Filwin, and he knew he’d have to apologize for his behavior in the morning. But right now, that was very low on his list of worries.

A traitor. First a Troll, then the Burning Legion, and now there was a traitor in his garrison. Light only knows what else this rat would try before he was finally found and killed. And that would only deal with the threats within their walls. There was still Zinju out there to deal with, and whatever other agents of the Burning Legion that had been alerted to Equus’ presence.

As Kyle settled in and close his eyes, he couldn’t help but fear that Celestia was right. Things were about to get worse. Much worse...

> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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~


> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small clay disk shot from the ground high into the sky. It spun rapidly as it sliced through the air, growing smaller and smaller by the second. A moment later, a flash of green lightning arced from the same spot. It sizzled through the air far faster than the disk, almost instantly reaching the clay projectile. The disk shattered as the lightning struck it, and the broken pieces fell from the sky, landing harmlessly in the open fields outside of Ponyville.

Kyle nodded in approval. “Not bad,” he commented. “Though you could be a bit quicker with your shot. I almost lost sight of that one. Again.” From a small pile of identical disks next to him, another one was enveloped by a light-green aura and hovered in the air above Kyle’s head. It paused for a moment as it stabilized in the air, drew back, and then launched itself forward. 

Beside him, Scootaloo closed one eye as she took aim with her hoof at the disk. Her tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration. She hesitated for a split second before a burst of jade lightning erupted from her hoof. This time, the bolt sizzled harmlessly behind the disk. She took aim again, and this time her bolt struck home as the projectile broke again.

“Faster this time,” Kyle nodded as she looked up at him. “But you missed with your first attempt. You’ve shown you can shoot quickly, and you’ve shown you can be accurate. Now, let’s see if you can be fast and on-target at the same time. Remember, your Jade Lightning looks like it strikes instantly, but even lightning has to travel to reach its destination. Anticipate your target’s movement. One more time.”

Once more, a disk was enveloped by a light green aura and steadied itself just over Kyle’s head. An instant later, it was flying through the air over the plains. This time, Scootaloo was already eyeing the disk as it took off. She steadied her hoof and squinted her open eye slightly. She snorted lightly, and a bolt of lightning arced away from her towards the disk.

This time, her bolt was closer to the mark. Though not a direct hit, her bolt grazed the tail of the disk. Tiny fragments were blown away by the electricity, and the remnants of the disk were sent tumbling to the ground.

Kyle felt his lips turn upwards slightly. He turned his head towards his apprentice, who was looking up at him expectantly. Slowly, he nodded. “Better,” he said warmly. “Not perfect, but an improvement.” Scootaloo beamed and laid down on the grass as Kyle continued. “Now, we just need to up the accuracy a tad more, and make it consistent.”  That didn’t seem to please Scootaloo nearly as much. Her smile instantly fell, and she groaned softly.

Kyle chuckled. “Not today, though,” he soothed. “We’ve been at this for a while, and quite frankly, we’re running out of disks.” His words were true - a sideways glance told him that less than half a dozen remained. “I think we’ll call it a day here. Why don’t you meditate for a bit, and we’ll talk after.” Scootaloo nodded and closed her eyes. A visage of peace crossed her face, and a moment later a faint ring of green bubbles began to form around her.

Kyle turned his attention to the other figure sitting not far away. He strode over to the figure and sat down underneath the tree next to her. “Thanks for your help today, Lyra,” he said.

The mint-green Unicorn smiled. “No problem,” she replied. “But, just out of curiosity, why didn’t you ask Princess Twilight to help?”

“She said she was busy. And the disk is too heavy for me to throw fast enough for Scootaloo to practice her aim on. I needed help from someone who could throw it fast and far, and that essentially limits my options to those who can use magic.”

“And…?”

Kyle sighed and shook his head as a small smile crept across his face. “And I thought that we could hang out after,” he admitted. “I feel bad about having to leave you behind last time. But I already told you about what happened after.”

Lyra nodded. “Yeah, it sounds like Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence were in over their heads after all.” She turned her head to look at him. “Did you really break Discord’s jaw?”

“Right before that worm thing showed back up and sneezed all over him, yep,” Kyle nodded. He closed his eyes and folded his arms. “I shouldn’t have let my anger get that out of hand…” He smirked slightly. “... But I’ll admit, it felt good.”

Lyra chuckled as she laid down underneath the shade of the tree. The two fell silent. Lyra’s eyes slowly began to close, and she rested her head on Kyle's knee, with bits of her mane falling across his lap. Kyle leaned back on both hands as he casually observed his apprentice’s meditation. He had been finding far too little time to spend training her, and even less to spend with friends. But today was different. He had burned through his work for the day and finished early, allowing him this rare opportunity to just relax. And it was a perfect day to do so as well - the usual chill of autumn had been broken, and warms rays of sun shone down upon the land.

“So, what’s been going on with you?” Kyle’s voice broke through the silence, and Lyra opened her eyes to look up at him. “Anything going on in Ponyville I should hear about?”

"Not much, as usual. The Ponyville Days celebration ended a couple of hours ago, the Ponytones quartet have a performance for Ponyville’s Pet Center Fundraiser in a couple of days, and I think Sweet Apple Acres is hosting some kind of turkey call competition tomorrow...” Lyra’s eyes opened even more, and her ears perked up. “Oh,  there was one thing.” Kyle remained silent, so she continued. “There’s this guy… A Night Elf? Tall, really long pointy ears? One of those guys has been going past my house every day, towards Fluttershy’s cottage. No idea what’s going on there, but Fluttershy doesn’t normally see too many visitors.”

“I can imagine,” Kyle muttered. He leaned back again before laying down, and closed his eyes. It did seem bit unusual. Fluttershy didn’t seem like the kind of Pony that made friends very easily. Not that she wasn’t nice - she was, very much so. But her quiet and timid nature seemed to often hinder her in a social setting, to the point where she would shy away from anyone she wasn’t familiar with. So how had this Night Elf gotten past that?

Still, Kyle didn’t find himself concerned. It was unlikely that a Night Elf would be affiliating themselves with Zinju and his demons, considering that the Kaldorei were among the staunchest opponents of both Trolls and the Burning Legion. Besides which, Fluttershy would have told them if some stranger had been talking about demons and such. Most likely just a new friend that had found a way past her timidness. Something to be happy about, considering that their two worlds were supposed to be forging closer bonds.

The sound of hooves on grass drew Kyle from his thoughts. He turned his head just as a set of orange hooves stopped next to his face. His eyes travelled upwards to see Scootaloo grinning down at him. “Relaxed, are we?” she teased.

Kyle didn’t rise to the bait. “Very,” he replied evenly. “We’re done for the day. Let’s meet up again… say, four days from now after school, in our normal spot?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Can’t, sorry. That’s when Sweetie Belle and Applebloom and I go see Twilight for our personal lessons with her.”

“Then the day after, same time?”

“Sure.”

“Alright.” Kyle pushed himself back into a sitting position and stretched his arms. “Be sure to keep up the exercise regimen, and try to practice what we worked on today. And remember,” he added with mock threat in his voice as he waved a finger at her, “I’ve got eyes in the town. I’ll be making sure you’re not slacking.”

Scootaloo slapped his finger lightly with her wing as she turned away. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she giggled as she flapped her wings. Kyle had to shield his eyes from the dust she kicked up as she launched herself into the air and took off towards the nearby town.

As Kyle lowered his hand, Kyle heard Lyra sneeze beside him. “She sure has some power behind those wings,” she sniffled. “Hard to believe that just a couple of months ago she could barely hover for a few seconds.” Her head turned towards Kyle. “Though I suppose she has you to thank for that as well.”

Kyle shrugged. “To a limited extent, I suppose. It’s not exactly like what I did to help her was hard. I just had to point her in the right direction”

“Even so.” Lyra’s voice trailed off for a moment as she threatened to sneeze again. She paused, and then snorted as the sneeze faded. “Rainbow Dash must be getting jealous by now,” she continued. “The way Scootaloo’s looking up to you now. She used to fawn over Dash like that before you showed up.”

“I’ve been told,” Kyle replied, squirming slightly. Truth be told, he hadn’t seen any of Scootaloo’s so-called fawning over him. She seemed perfectly normal whenever he was around. He knew that she respected and liked him both as a teacher and as a friend, but to the same level that she reportedly held for Rainbow Dash? The thought that she held him that high upon a pedestal honestly made him a bit uncomfortable.

“So, now that we’re done here,” Lyra’s voice cut into Kyle’s thoughts. “You said you wanted to hang out after. Have anything specific in mind?”

With timing that could not have been better if it had been planned, Kyles’ stomach decided at that moment to loudly remind him that he hadn’t eaten anything since the night before. In his haste to finish his work for the day, he had forgone his morning meal, as well as lunch. Kyle felt his cheeks redden slightly as Lyra snorted. “Sugarcube Corner then?” she laughed.

Kyle cleared his throat. “Y-yeah, that sounds good.” Lyra merely shook her head with a smile and started off towards Ponyville, with Kyle right behind her.

Though the Ponyville Day’s celebration was now over, the streets were still crowded as Kyle and Lyra made their way into town. Progress was slow as they made their way through the crowds, sticking close together to make sure they didn’t end up separated. Here and there, Kyle could spot a few other Humans and Night Elves wading through the sea of Ponies, as well as the occasional Gnome or Dwarf that seemed in danger of drowning in the crowd. 

Even so, Kyle could feel the crowds thinning as they made their way towards the center of town, in the opposite direction that most of the other Ponies were headed. By the time the familiar gingerbread-esque roof Sugarcube Corner came into sight, the crowds had thinned out significantly, though there was still more traffic than usual along the streets. It took a bit of effort, but they eventually managed to escape the mass of bodies and squeeze into the building.

In here, just as outside, the establishment was filled with far more Ponies than usual. As they walked in, a hurried-looking Mr. Cake walked up to them. A moment later, they had been seated in a small booth off to the side, and Mr. Cake had run off. Kyle took the opportunity to look around the bakery. Just as outside, the vast majority of the occupants inside were Ponies, though Kyle could see a lone Pandaren sipping from a cup of tea in the corner.

A flurry of movement caught his eye as the door to the kitchens swung open. Pinkie Pie stepped through the open doors, balancing two trays on her back and one on the tip of her nose. After steadying herself for an instant, she ran over to a table and deposited the tray from her nose onto their table. She bounced her hind end into the air, and one of the other trays went flying into the air. An instant later, it was balancing upon her nose as well, and she was off to the other side of the bakery to deliver another order. It was a display of control and balance that Kyle would never have expected out of anyone, much less Pinkie Pie. He found himself wondering just how she had managed to pull a stunt like that off.

“Oh right. Pinkie Pie,” he reminded himself. “Don’t question it.”

A moment later, the pink mare was trotting over towards their table. Her eyes met Kyles, and her grin grew even wider. Kyle felt himself cringe slightly as she stopped in front of their table, and he braced himself for one of her infamous hyperactive outbursts.

“Heya Kylie, Lyra. You two know what you want?”

Kyle blinked. That hadn’t been hyperactive at all. Quite calm, in fact, considering the Pony he was dealing with. Apparently even Pinkie was feeling the effects of the business in the bakery. “Are you ready, Lyra?” he asked. She nodded. “Alright. I’d like an apple turnover and a cup of tea, please.”

“And a daisy sandwich with water for me, please,” Lyra added.

“Apple turnover, daisy sandwich, tea, water. Got it!” As quickly as she had appeared, Pinkie ran off and vanished through the kitchen doors again.

Kyle and Lyra settled into their seats in silence. Kyle took the opportunity to continue looking around the bakery. Already, several Ponies had gotten up and left, and one of the tables had been re-occupied by a white, dual-shade blue-maned mare and a Worgen who towered over her. As he watched, the Worgen let out a rough bark of laughter and slapped their table with enough force to make it bounce off of the ground.

A soft purple  glow caught Kyle’s attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head towards the light to see a familiar lavender alicorn in the corner by herself. A few hairs in Twilight's mane were out of place, and her shoulders were slumped. And her eyes... They seemed almost afraid as they glanced back and forth over a sheet of parchment on the table in front of her. She brought the cup of coffee beside her back up to her lips and took a sip before setting it back down. An instant later, her head was laying on the piece of parchment and her ears were folded down. Even from across the room, Kyle could hear her let out a massive sigh.

Her head slowly rose back up, and she brought the coffee back to her lips. She glanced around the room, and her eyes met Kyle’s. Her ears perked up slightly, and she gave a small wave… a wave which was cut off as Mrs. Cake walked over to her. The two spoke for a moment, and Twilight levitated a few bits onto the table. Mrs. Cake collected the bits and the empty coffee cup and walked away leaving Twilight alone again.

At that moment the door to the kitchens burst open again. Kyle’s head jerked towards the door as Pinkie stepped through with another pair of trays balanced on her back. Just as last time, she ran over to their table and deposited the two trays before disappearing off to the other side of the bakery.

Kyle reached his tea and took a sip as he glanced over at Twilight again. She had risen to her hooves and was now walking towards their table. As she drew near, her gaze shifted over to the other occupant of the small booth, who was taking a bite of her sandwich. Her smile faltered and her ears flattened, and she adjusted her course slightly to walk right past them and out of Sugarcube Corner.

Kyle took a bite from his turnover as he watched Twilight through the window. A small pang of worry shot through him as he saw her shoulders slump before turning towards her library. Something was wrong, and judging by what she had been doing when he had first seen her, he felt it safe to assume that it had something to do with that scroll of parchment she had been reading. And then there had been that thing at the end just before she left… 

Kyle glanced out the window again towards the library treehouse. He wanted to go see Twilight, to see what was wrong. But no, he couldn’t do that. Not now at least. He’d already ditched Lyra to help Twilight before, and it wouldn’t be fair to do so again when he had set this time aside specifically to make up for that.

“Hello? Equestria to Kyle?”

One of the menus flew up and down in front of Kyle’s face, surrounded by a pale-green glow. Kyle drew his head back and looked across the table to see Lyra staring at him. “S-sorry. What was that?” he stammered.

“I said, is something wrong?” she asked. Her eyes flicked to the side for an instant. “You’ve been staring out that window for a few minutes now.”

“Huh?” Had it been that long? He had thought it had been a minute at most. “I, uh, was just thinking how nice of a day it was,” he finally said. “Might be the last nice day of the year. Maybe when we’re done here we could head to the park?”

Lyra raised an eyebrow, and for a moment Kyle feared that she would call his bluff. But instead she merely shrugged and nodded. “Sounds good to me,” she replied as she took another bite of her sandwich.

The rest of their meal passed without incident, and before long the two were walking out of the bakery and towards the outskirts of town. The crowds had almost entirely dissipated by this point as the townsfolk went about their normal business, and so they had no trouble moving through the streets towards the park.

As they wandered through the streets, Kyle noted that there seemed to be more non-Ponies out than usual. Rather than the sparse sprinkling here and there that he had noticed the last time he had been into town, there were now two or three whichever way he turned. A few bore the insignia of Ironwall upon them, but most seemed unaffiliated with the garrison. Either a fair number had come from Azeroth to participate in the celebrations, or else more and more were coming through the portal by the day.

As they entered the park, it quickly became apparent that they weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. Foals could be seen running around and playing or flying kites, while the adults seemed content to just watch. A few couples were enjoying the nice weather as well, seated on benches or underneath trees.

Kyle and Lyra soon found their way towards the center of the park, not far from the grove of trees that Kyle and Scootaloo used for practice. A particularly large oak was unoccupied, and so Kyle laid down with his back against the trunk. Lyra was just a second behind him as she laid down amongst the roots next to him.

For a time, silence descended upon the two, broken only by the rustle of wind in the leaves and the chirping of birds. It almost felt like a spring afternoon, rather than mid-autumn. Kyle found himself removing the leather armor that he wore, revealing the short-sleeved shirt underneath. He found himself growing drowsy, and at the same time not desiring to doze off.

“So” Kyle began, “How are things going with you? How’s the orchestra doing?”

“Same as usual, really.” Lyra let out a small yawn and stretched her forehooves above her head. Apparently she was feeling the same effect that Kyle was. “We’ve got a concert coming up in a couple of weeks, so we’ve been busy preparing for that.”

“Really?” Kyle’s head turned towards her. “I don’t suppose there are any tickets left?”

“Probably not. But if you wanted to come to the next one, I bet I can get you in without too much trouble.”

“Yeah. Yeah I’d like that.” Kyle turned his head so that he was looking straight ahead once more, and raised both hands behind his head to cushion himself against the bark of the tree. “I’ve been meaning to come see one of your performances for a while now, but…”

“You’ve been busy saving the world and fighting off demons,” Lyra giggled. “Yeah, I know. Speaking of, I heard Ironwall was attacked?”

“Yeah, on Nightmare Night.” Kyle closed his eyes and frowned as memories of the demon attack flashed through his mind, followed by the scene of the destroyed wall. “They blew open the western wall and dropped an Infernal on us - a really big demon. It was an inside job, and we knew it, so we began questioning those we thought most suspicious. When we started talking to this one Warlock, he summoned another demon on us and tried to make a run for it.”

“I’m guessing he didn’t get far?”

“You’re right. One of the hunters up on the wall blew his brains out as he was running.” Lyra blanched slightly, but Kyle didn’t notice. “I’d have preferred to get the traitor alive, but… better dead than alive and free, I guess.”

“Yes well…” Lyra cleared her throat loudly. “Other than that, I hope things are going well for you?”

“Not too bad. Extra paperwork to get more supplies to fix the hole in the wall, but that’s nearly done. After that, just a couple of small projects and I think Ironwall will finally be fully built.”

“Excellent!” Lyra stretched out her rear hooves as well. “So what does that mean for you? More free time?”

“Less paperwork, thank the light.” Kyle closed his eyes again and smiled. “After that, it’ll mostly be collecting resources for the Alliance war effort, as well as any special requests that King Varian or Princess Celestia have.”

Kyle felt something cold poking at his hand. He frowned and opened his eyes, looking down towards the source. Lyra was nosing at his hand, and lifted it so that it fell across her head. It was at this point that Kyle realized that Lyra’s position, with her legs outstretched in either direction and belly facing towards him, was essentially a Pony’s way of initiating cuddling. “And you’ll have more time to hang out then, right?” she asked.

“Yeah… I should…” Kyle muttered as he slowly withdrew his hand from Lyra’s head. He heard a small sigh from Lyra as she brought her legs closer to her body. The two fell into a rather awkward silence as they fell into their own thoughts.

On the horizon to Kyle’s right, he could just make out the tip of the library tree-house. Instantly, Twilight’s odd behavior came back to the front of his mind. He likely wouldn’t be able to go see her today - not without ditching Lyra. No, he’d have to make sure to do that tomorrow...

Hang on… Was it getting darker?

Kyle raised his head and turned it towards the horizon. Sure enough, the western skyline was steadily turning a deeper and more vibrant shade of red as the sun began to descend. Apparently shorter days during the winter months also applied in a world where the sun and moon rose and set at the whims of a pair of Ponies. He reached his hand over and gave Lyra a nudge.

Lyra grunted and slowly opened one eye. “Hm?” she murmured. “Did you have to do that? I was just starting to drift off…”

“Well you’ll have plenty of time for that soon enough,” Kyle said as he gestured towards the setting sun. “But it’s almost night time, and I guarantee you it won’t be quite so warm and comfortable out when the sun’s down.”

“A fair point.” Lyra rolled over onto her belly and stretched out her front legs like a cat before rising to her hooves. “We’ll have to do this again sometime. And maybe plan something a bit more exciting than napping under a tree.”

“After recent weeks? A bit of rest is always nice,” Kyle chuckled as he put his armor back on. “But yeah, next time we’ll think of something else to do.”

As the two walked away from the park, Kyle took note that they were far from the only ones caught off-guard by the early sundown. Parents were calling their foals over, mares and stallions were packing up picnics, and so on. He caught a quick glimpse of Scootaloo’s scooter zooming away out of the park, towing a wagon with two small fillies in it.

It didn’t take long for them to reach Lyra’s house, close to the outskirts of town as they were. From the path leading up to her front door, he could just barely make out Fluttershy’s cottage on the hill at the far end of the road. There was no sign of any Night Elf there, though that meant very little.

Kyle was drawn from his thoughts as Lyra stopped in front of her door. Her horn lit up, and the faint sound of a tumbler clicking into place came from the lock on her door. Her door swung open, and she started to step in. She paused, and looked over her shoulder before turning around. “Would you like to come in for a bit?” she asked.

Kyle shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve got to get back to Ironwall. Still got some work to do tomorrow.”

Lyra nodded slowly. “Alright. Well… I’ll see you later then.”

“Alright, bye.”

Kyle turned to leave, with his mind already drifting off. He froze, however, as something soft and furry pushed against his right hand. He looked down towards his hand to see a mint-green head rubbing its cheek against his hand. He remained frozen as Lyra moved to his leg for a second before she pulled her head back and turned around, closing the door behind her.

He didn’t know how long he stood there on the path to Lyra’s front door. By the time he came to, the sun had already finished setting, and the magical lamp-posts that lined the streets had flickered to life. Slowly, he forced his legs to start moving him back to Ironwall. Almost reluctantly, his body obeyed, and he started off down the street.

She had nuzzled him. Not a quick, casual  nuzzle as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, or even Rainbow Dash were known to occasionally do. A long, affectionate nuzzle. Tender even. The kind that he had seen couples sharing. A strong display of emotions beyond that of friendship. Had Lyra been a Human, it would have been the equivalent of a kiss on the lips.

Kyle sighed and brought one hand up to his forehead to rub his temples. He had known Lyra liked him. He had known basically since the first day he met her. And on that day, he had made it very clear that he did not return the feelings. Though her initial introduction to Kyle had been a bit shady, to say the least, the two had become friends after their encounter with the Sha of Misery. Today, Kyle would be willing to wager that she was one of his closest friends in Equestria, second only to Twilight. 

And through it all, his feelings towards her had not ever turned romantic. He had guarded his words and actions carefully early on, so as not to send the wrong signals. He had hoped that she had moved on. That she had accepted that he didn’t share her feelings. And he had come to believe that she had. Perhaps that was what made him lower his own guard. Perhaps he had ended up doing something that sparked her hope again?

Looking back through the day, he should have seen it coming. The way she had drawn close to him while Scootaloo was meditating. The way she had looked at him in Sugarcube Corner. But most of all, the invitation for cuddling under the tree. That alone should have set off warning bells. How could he have mistaken that for merely being friendly? Even Pinkie Pie, with her seeming disregard for the personal space of others, wouldn’t do something like that with just a friend… or so he assumed. It was always hard to tell with that one…

He shook his head. No. Back on topic. He should have seen the warning signs that Lyra hadn’t given up yet. Whether she had never given up, or whether her interest had been renewed by something, she was still looking to win him over.

But Kyle still wasn’t interested. To be fair, Lyra was probably an attractive mare by Pony standards, but the fact still remained that she was a Pony. And the idea of dating a Pony - a creature which last year Kyle had believed to only be an unintelligent farm animal - was still a very odd idea for him. Yes, these Ponies in Equestria were far different from the ones in Azeroth, but the physical resemblance was definitely there. Not to mention, personal feelings aside, how he would break such news to his friends or family back home… 

Kyle registered in the back of his mind that he had entered Ironwall and was now walking up the path towards the town hall. Guards walking by nodded or saluted as he passed, but otherwise left him alone. Even Filwin, who would normally be advising or informing him on some matter, simply kept her distance as he strode past. Clearly, everyone could tell that he had other things on his mind than whatever they had to tell him.

These thoughts continued to flow through his mind as he entered his room and prepared for bed. He barely remembered washing his face or brushing his teeth or running a razor across his cheeks. It wasn’t until he threw his shirt off to the side and finally slid under the sheets that he fully realized where he was and what he was doing. He sighed and blew out the candle on his bedside table, plunging him into darkness. Only the glow of the waning moon shining past the tree leaves and in through the window illuminated the room.

What was he going to do? It wasn’t like he could just ignore her, one of his closest friends. But at the same time, he wanted to prevent any awkward confrontations. But then again, simply ignoring the problem would only build upon the problem and lead to an even MORE awkward confrontation…

He frowned. No, simply letting it go wouldn’t work. He’d have to confront Lyra about it and let her know again, in no uncertain terms that he was still not interested in her. It’d be difficult. It’d be awkward. But it had to be done if he wanted to save their friendship. He steeled himself and nodded. Tomorrow he’d go find her and talk this out before heading to Twilight’s…

Oh sweet Light. In all of his thoughts he had completely forgotten about his other closest friend in Equestria. Something was still troubling her, and he wanted to find out what, to see if he could help somehow. He rubbed his eyes as the pressure that had been building behind his temples threatened to turn into a full-blown headache. 

He leaned over and fumbled around with his bedside table before finding the latch to the bottom drawer. He pulled it open and rummaged around in the drawer before finally finding what he was looking for. He pulled his hand out with a firm grip on the object in question. The silvery moonlight briefly revealed the long glass bottle of cider within his hand. With a quick tug on the cork, the bottle was open. He brought the bottle to his lips and took several long, deep gulps before pulling the bottle away. He wiped his lips, corked the bottle, and stowed it away back in the bottom of the drawer. Finally, he laid back down and covered his head with his pillows.

“Confound these Ponies…” he mumbled into the fabric. “They drive me to drink.”

> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Kyle drifted off to sleep, he had hoped that the morning would shed light upon his problems. That somehow, the break of dawn would bring some divine answer to his doorstep, that a new day would magically give him the answers he needed and tell him what exactly he needed to say and do.

Needless to say, he was disappointed. As the light passing through the window fell across his eyes and he began to awaken, he found himself just as befuddled as the night before. He rubbed his eyes and dragged himself out of his bed and towards the closet, emerging a moment later fully clothed and ready for whatever the day would bring to him. A quick trip to the outhouse later, and he was sitting down at his desk.

As he flipped through his to-do list for the day, his mind kept wandering away, back to the events of the day before. The training session. Sugarcube Corner. The park. Lyra’s doorstep. He blinked and shook his head, returning his attention back to the paper in front of him. He sighed as he realized that he had read nearly half a page and couldn’t recall a single scrap of information from it, and reluctantly directed his gaze back to the top of the page to start again.

All in all, it didn’t seem like today’s workload  would be terribly taxing. With the repairs on the wall nearly completed, and only a few touch-ups needed to finish the final building, the paperwork was slowing down considerably. A few more forms needed filling out, mostly the usual requests for more rations. Those supply request forms were steadily becoming less frequent as Ironwall’s focus shifted from construction to research and gathering. Another week or so and Kyle estimated that Ironwall would be almost completely self-sufficient. And then they could begin to send resources back to Azeroth.

Of course, sending the resources back would require some papers as well. Kyle grumbled to himself as he pulled the first of such forms in front of him. A shipment of timber - Ironwall’s first such order - was ready to be sent back home. His grumbling quickly died down as he saw how small the form was, taking up less than half the page. He quickly filled out the information and set it aside to be shipped out later.

As he pulled the second sheet in front of him, a knock from the door echoed through the room. He glanced up towards the door for an instant before peeking at the clock to his left. Already he had been at it for over an hour. “Come in,” he called out.

The door swung open, and a familiar pink-haired Gnome poked her head in. “Ah, I was hoping to find you here, commander,” she smiled as she stepped into the room. She scrambled up into her seat opposite Kyle and placed her usual clipboard on the desk. “How’s the paperwork coming along?”

“Not too bad. “Kyle reached across the desk and brought the clipboard in front of him. “Since we’re transitioning from bringing supplies in to sending them out, the forms are changing, and honestly these are a lot faster. Shouldn’t take more than a few more minutes.” His eyes scrolled across the clipboard, reading the latest reports. Sure enough, the wall was now completely repaired and had been given the architects’ approval. In addition, stone and ores and a few precious gems were beginning to flow in from a nearby mining site, and a second one was being prepared just outside the walls.

“Good to hear,” Filwin’s voice interrupted Kyle’s reading. He looked over the top of the clipboard at her as she continued. “The Head Engineer Researcher has requested for me to deliver her findings to you. Take a look at them when you can, and if you think it’s good enough then send it on over to Stormwind. Also…” She climbed halfway onto the desk to reach the clipboard and flip back a couple of pages. “Some new requests from the magical researchers.”

Kyle pulled the last few pages off of the clipboard and slid it back across the desk. “Anything else?” he asked.

“No sir. Looks like you have a fairly light day today.”

“A nice change of pace,” Kyle nodded with a smile. “Thanks Filwin.” The Gnome bowed her head and hopped off of the chair, and a moment later the door was closed shut behind her. Finding himself alone once more, Kyle sat the research requests down in front of him.

The first one was another request to study Pinkie Pie and her infamous ‘Pinkie Sense’, a request which Kyle was quick to shut down. The second was a more reasonable request - a study into the crystals that could be found throughout Equestria, particularly in the Crystal Empire, and potential magical applications. This one was soon marked as approved and set off to the side.

The third request was far more interesting. One of the researchers had apparently noticed that the wings on a Pegasus were far too small to support flight through physics alone. Some sort of magic had to be at work - a theory Kyle could support, given the success he had found with Scootaloo and the Glyph of Zen Flight. Still, it was unknown exactly how Pegasi were able to fly, or what kind of magic was at play. Sure, the researchers could simply ask the Princesses or one of the Pegasi about this and they would likely know the answers, but first-hand research would yield more detailed results. The study seemed harmless enough, merely requiring a few feathers from local donors. After a moment’s consideration, Kyle marked this one as approved as well, and it joined the crystal research request off to the side of his desk.

With the research requests now finished, Kyle turned his attention to the report from the Engineering study. His expression fell as he realized just how thick the report was - nearly a full inch tall. Flipping through the report, he felt his heart sink. Diagrams with incomprehensible symbols were scattered across nearly every page, and half of the words seemed to be technical jargon that he would have no chance of understanding. Still, he had to at least make sure that there was something of use in all of that writing. Flipping back to the first page, he quickly found a page labelled ‘summary’. Though this still took up nearly five pages, a quick skim told him that he’d find it significantly easier to understand. 

And so he began. The report was concerning the electric lights that lit the homes and buildings in Equestria in place of candles. Rather than using fire, these ‘lightbulbs’ seemed to be powered by a controlled stream of electricity through a very thin metal wire, which would heat up and produce the light. That seemed simple enough to Kyle, until he moved on to the production of the electricity. At that point, he found himself scratching his head as he read such terms as alternate current, direct current, voltage… he was no engineer, and it clearly showed as he became more and more lost. As the reading became more difficult, Kyle found his attention drifting away to the events of the previous day.

There was no doubt in his mind that he needed to confront Lyra about her actions, and that he needed to do it as soon as possible. To delay or avoid it would only encourage more of this unwanted affection. The problem lay in the execution. After all, she was still one of his best friends, and he didn’t want to lose that. So, how best to tell her to lay off while at the same time not driving a wedge between them? What to say? How to say it?

And then there was the matter of Twilight. His other best friend. The more he thought about her behavior, the more puzzled - and concerned - he became. This was very uncharacteristic of one of her usual freak-outs, which tended to be a ramp up in emotional agitation and usually ended with panic and occasionally explosions. But this seemed to be almost a depression, the way she had acted in Sugarcube Corner the other day. Whether this was better than her freaking out or not remained to be seen, but the simple fact that this was new behavior for her was concerning in and of itself.

It was at this point that Kyle realized that he had been reading and re-reading the same line on the second page for the past five minutes. He let out an irritated snort and tried to force himself to finish the summary. His eyes ran back and forth across the page, but still he found himself lost as more and more unfamiliar terms popped up with no explanation or definition. And it didn’t help that his mind kept drifting away, back to his own personal problems and those of his friends…

Kyle sighed closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was no use. With all the random terminology thrown in, he wasn’t going to be able to read any more of this report in the best of conditions, much less as distracted as he was. He closed the report and set it in the center of his desk, resolving to try one more time later. But for now, he stood up and stretched his arms and legs. He had been sat at that desk for almost two hours now, and he needed a bit of a stretch. It seemed that a trip into town was called for…

As he walked out of his office, the smell of roasted pork reached his nose. The delicious smell sent his stomach grumbling as he stepped out of the town hall. Alas, the line leading into the mess hall had already wrapped around the building. It’d all be gone or cold by the time he got there. So instead, he ignored his stomach’s rumbling and moved towards the main gates. After a quick word with the guard on duty, he was on the road headed into Ponyville.

Within minutes, Kyle had entered the town limits and was walking down one of the main streets leading towards the center of town. Though the scent of food had long since faded from the air, his stomach continued to remind him of its dissatisfaction. Loudly. Finally, he could take no more of it, and directed his feet towards the familiar gingerbread roof of Sugarcube Corner.

The bakery was far less crowded than it had been the day before, with only a couple of scattered Ponies and a lone Night Elf sitting around eating their lunches. Kyle was quickly seated next to one of the windows near the back of the bakery, giving him an excellent view of both the streets and the interior. 

As he was waiting, Kyle glanced over the other occupants of the small restaurant. The mare with the dual-shade blue mane was present again, though this time without her Worgen friend. Off in the opposite corner, Kyle could see another mare, this one with a light yellow coat and orange, curly mane and tail. The only other occupant besides himself was a green-haired Night Elf off to the side. The robes identified him as a spellcaster of some kind, though Kyle couldn’t tell what kind without seeing his magic.

Kyle was pulled from his thoughts as an all-too-familiar bright pink mare bounced through the kitchen doors towards his table. He quickly sent a silent prayer to the light that this encounter would be similar to the day before - one of Pinkie’s infamous bursts of energy would be too much for him to deal with right now.

It seemed that his prayers were answered, for a time at least, as Pinkie bounced to a stop beside his table. “Heya Kylie,” she grinned. “Didn’t think you’d be coming back two days in a row! You normally wait at least a couple of days. Is there some kind of special occassion? Does it have to do with Lyra? What are you -”

“Pinkie.” Kyle’s voice was just loud enough to be heard over her as he held up a hand. “I’ve just got a few things to take care of in town and needed to get some food before I got started.”

“Gotcha. So what’ll you be having?”

Kyle glanced down at the menu in front of him. If he was perfectly honest, a nice roast sounded amazing, especially considering what he was missing back at Ironwall. Still, he was almost certain that, for now at least, Ponyville was still almost entirely meat-free. “I, uh… Let me have the veggie melt,” he finally decided. “Extra mushrooms. And a cup of coffee, two creams two sugars.”

“Veggie melt, extra shrooms, coffee, two creams, two sugars. Coming right up!” And just as quickly as she had appeared, Pinkie was gone again with the kitchen doors rattling shut behind her.

Kyle sighed in relief as the pink tail vanished into the kitchen. Pinkie was a nice enough mare, but easily his least favorite among Twilight’s group of close friends. Maybe it had something to do with her randomness - he simply couldn’t predict her behavior or reactions to anything. Or maybe it was those sudden bursts of energy that seemed to only enhance the problems created by her unpredictability. Or maybe it was her strange (and downright spooky) ability to predict the very near future. But no matter the reason, something about her kept him constantly on edge in her presence.

Kyle’s attention drifted away from Pinkie, and his gaze slowly drifted around the restaurant. It eventually settled back on the Night Elf. He had now risen and was moving towards the front door. He nudged the door open and stepped outside, ducking underneath the doorframe to stop himself from bumping his head. As Kyle watched, his hands let up with a faint green energy. An instant later, he hunched over, and the Night Elf was soon replaced by a small black crow. Kyle raised an eyebrow as it spread its wings and took off into the sky. “Well… that answers that question…”

A familiar curly purple mane moved past Kyle’s field of vision, drawing his eye. Rarity moved past the bakery towards the outskirts of town and her shop. Instantly, Kyle’s eyes were drawn down to the outfit she was wearing - a green sweater with a golden trim on top of a white button-up shirt, and a pale yellow-and-green striped bow tie. Such an outfit seemed a bit out of place for Rarity - Kyle had noted that on the occasion that she wore clothes, she tended to go for something a bit more flashy. “Not that she wears clothes that often anyway…” he mused. Even the fashionista tended to only wear clothes for special occasions.

Special occasion… clothes… 

Kyle felt a small pang of worry shoot through his chest as a sudden realization came to mind. The Grand Galloping Gala was fast approaching. A royal ball, where he was expected to represent the best of the Alliance. It wasn’t exactly like he could walk in there in the same stuff he wore around Ironwall every day. If he was going, he was going to need some more formal attire. And there was only one tailor around that came to mind. 

A flash of pink sprang up next to his table, and he recoiled in shock as a small plate landed in front of him with a grilled sandwich upon it. An instant later, a steaming mug landed right beside the plate. Kyle glanced over as Pinkie Pie slid into the booth opposite him with her own lunch, which seemed to consist of half a dozen cupcakes and a smoothie.

If he was perfectly honest, Kyle would have preferred to spend his lunchtime alone with his thoughts. Still, it didn’t seem like Pinkie was going to be leaving him be. She quickly dug into her first cupcake, and it was gone before Kyle could even reach for his sandwich. She froze for an instant and reached for her smoothie, taking a couple of quick gulps before swallowing it all in one go. 

Kyle averted his eyes from the massive lump that slid down Pinkie’s throat and turned to his own sandwich, taking a bite. The mushrooms within the melt gave a nice earthy, hearty flavor to the entire thing that, while not the same as meat, was almost as good. The coffee, too, was excellent, being just the right temperature for drinking and neither too bitter nor too sweet. Kyle felt himself beginning to relax as he took another bite.

“So, Kyle.” Kyle’s head instantly snapped up towards Pinkie. She had used his real name, rather than that nickname she had come up for him. Sure enough, her usual smile was gone. Instead, one of her eyebrows was slightly raised, and a small frown formed on her lips. “What’s going on?”

“Hm?” Kyle placed the melt back down on the plate and finished chewing before returning his gaze to the pink mare. “What do you mean?”

“Is something wrong?”

Kyle raised his own eyebrow. This was unusual of Pinkie. Her normally happy-go-lucky attitude was completely gone, replaced by intense seriousness. “Why would something be wrong?”

“You’re not acting as happy as you usually do.” Pinkie took another sip of her smoothie. “When you came in with Lyra yesterday you were happy, and now you’re not. Did something happen? Does it have to do with Lyra? Is that why you’re in town today? Is there something -”

“Pinkie.” For the second time that day, Kyle found himself speaking loudly and holding up his hand to cut off one of her energetic outbursts. “It’s nothing, really,” He lied. He took a sip of his own drink before looking back up. She clearly hadn’t bought it - her frown had deepened, and her eyes hadn’t left him. “Why are you so interested?” he asked

“Because you’re my friend!” Pinkie exclaimed. “And I want to make my friends smile! But I can tell something’s bothering you, and I want to help with whatever that is.”

Kyle chuckled and shook his head. “I appreciate it, Pinkie. I really do. But this is something a bit personal. I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help me.”

Pinkie’s lower lip stuck out. “Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“... How about a joke?”

“... Sure, go for it.”

Pinkies expression lifted. “Alright! So, what sound does a nut make when it sneezes?”

“Hm?”

“Cashew!”

Kyle couldn’t help himself. He snorted and brought his palm up to his face as a large grin broke out. This was apparently the reaction Pinkie was hoping for, for she also let out a giggle and smiled widely. “See?” she said. “Isn’t it better when you’re smiling?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Kyle nodded. “Thanks Pinkie. I’m actually feeling a bit better.”

“No problem!” Pinkie pushed herself out of her seat and balanced her empty plate and glass on her nose. “And if you decide you want to talk, you know where to find me.”

As Pinkie disappeared back into the kitchen, Kyle was left alone with his meal. It didn’t take him long to finish off his melt and coffee, and he fished into his pocket for some gold. A moment later, he was walking out of the bakery and out into the bright sunshine once more.

Even though Pinkie’s laid-back attitude had helped him somewhat, he still felt a sense of apprehension as he turned his feet towards Lyra’s house. Though not nearly as random as Pinkie, Lyra had her own quirks that made it difficult for him to predict behaviors and reactions from her. He was going to have to approach this with caution or else risk losing a friend. The thought alone nearly made him stop in his tracks.

Still, he knew he had to deal with this or it would quickly get out of hand. And so it was, a moment later, that he stood outside of Lyra’s door. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could just make out Fluttershy’s house on the hill at the end of the road. He just barely caught a glimpse of a large black bird swooping in through one of the windows.

All at once, Kyle’s apprehension came rushing back to him. He still had no idea how he was going to bring this up, how he was going to handle this whole mess. But just standing around worrying about it wouldn’t help either. “Guess I’m gonna just wing it…” he murmured. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out as a large sigh. “Let’s get this over with.” He raised his fist and knocked loudly on the door. He stood back and waited for the door to open. 

No response.

Kyle raised an eyebrow as his knock at the door went unanswered. He raised his fist and knocked again. Still no answer. Not even the sound of hooves on wood. He reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, only to find that it was locked. Which probably meant that Lyra was not at home. “Work, maybe?” he thought to himself as he turned away. He still had a couple of other stops to make today. He’d try again later.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his second destination - the Golden Oaks Library. Just as before, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. This time, however, he could definitely hear movement from inside. Sure enough, a moment later the door swung open. But it wasn’t Twilight who stood on the other side.

“Oh, hey Kyle.” Spike raised his fist up to Kyle who bumped it with his own. He stood back and allowed Kyle to enter, closing the door behind them. “You’re just in time. Just finished making some lunch if you want some.”

Kyle shook his head. “No thanks, I just ate. I came here to talk to Twilight. Is she here?”

“No, she’s out today. Real busy helping for the pet center fundraiser tomorrow.” Spike cocked his head slightly. “What did you need?”

Kyle glanced down at the small Dragon. “I’m a little worried,” he admitted. “She was acting a bit strange yesterday, and I wanted to make sure she was alright.”

Concern instantly flooded Spike’s eyes. “So you noticed it too, huh?”

“You too?”

“Yep.” Spike glanced around the room before looking back up at Kyle. “She didn’t say anything, but she’s not exactly great at hiding her emotions. Plus the fact I’ve been living with her since I’ve been hatched, it was pretty obvious something’s bugging her.”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. I saw her in Sugarcube Corner, and she looked… well, depressed is the best way to put it. Which is unusual in and of itself, considering how her freak-outs usually go.”

“I’m not sure whether to be relieved or terrified about that…”

 “You and me both. Got any idea what’s bugging her?”

Spike shook his head. “No clue. She was fine when she woke up yesterday, but later she said she was going out, and that’s when I first noticed something was up. She wouldn’t talk about it when I asked her last night, and she was gone when I woke up this morning.”

“Great.” Kyle let out a large sigh. “Well, mind letting her know that I dropped by when she gets back?”

“Sure thing.”

With that, Kyle turned and stepped back out into the street once more. He could feel the pressure building behind his temples as he moved away from the library. That was two stops that had ended with nothing accomplished, and there was nothing to guarantee that his final stop would end any better. For a moment, he contemplated simply giving up on his errands for the day and returning to Ironwall.

But no, that was out of the question. Just as there was no guarantee that Rarity would be at her boutique, there was also no guarantee that tomorrow he would have time to come back into town. If he wanted to get this done, he was just going to have to wait around in town until he could catch up with Lyra and Twilight. But first, he might as well check and see if he could at least check one item off of his list. With that thought in mind, he turned and started walking back towards the outskirts of town.

Soon enough, the unmistakable shape of Carousel Boutique came into view. Kyle walked up to the front door and stopped, listening intently. He couldn’t hear anything on the other side. He raised his hand, knocking on the third door that day. There was a moment of silence. And then, the unmistakable sound of hooves on a hard floor. Kyle sighed in relief. At least someone was home… though there was always the possibility that it was just Sweetie Belle.

An instant later, the door swung open. Rarity poked her head outside, still wearing the same outfit Kyle had seen her in earlier, and smiled as she saw who was on the other side. “Kyle! How wonderful to see you darling!” she exclaimed. “Please, come in, come in.” She stood aside as Kyle walked into the boutique, and the door closed shut behind him.

Kyle stood off to the side as Rarity trotted up the stairs. “Just a moment,” she called out. “I only just got in.”

“Take your time,” Kyle replied as he took a seat on the floor. He turned his head to look around the inside of the shop. Various mannequins (Pony-quins?) were scattered around the display room, showing off a variety of different dresses. They covered a vast spectrum of colors, from red to green to yellow and everything in between. One in particular, however, caught his eye. It had been pulled away from the rest on display, and was sitting next to a sewing machine. A piece of cloth laying on the machine seemed to match the same color scheme as the dress - a mixture of pale and darker blues. It was only half-complete, but even to Kyle’s untrained eye it was clear that the colors matched well… at least, so long as the Pony wearing it matched as well.

“So, Kyle dear, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Rarity’s voice echoed from the stairs. Kyle turned his head as she popped back into view, this time without her outfit on.

“Hey Rarity,” Kyle replied. “I was hoping you could give me a hand… er, hoof… with an outfit. Are you busy?”

“Not at the moment, no.” Rarity moved towards the mannequins still on display around the edge of the showroom. “Most of my orders have been completed. I only have the one left.” She nodded towards the half-complete dress Kyle had noticed earlier. “What sort of outfit were you looking for?”

“A suit. Nothing too fancy, just something nice that I could wear to a formal event.”

“Absolutely darling.” Rarities horn lit up, and a tape measurer flew out of a nearby dresser drawer. “I’d use your old measurements, but a more formal outfit requires more accurate measurements, and I’m guessing your size has changed slightly in the past few months. You know the routine. Shirt off.”

Kyle obliged, and tossed his shirt off to the side as he stood up on the small platform Rarity had pulled out. The tape measurer unwrapped itself and began wrapping around Kyle’s arm. Rarity levitated a pen and a pad of paper next to her, and began jotting down information.

“So, Kyle,” Rarity began after a moment of silence. “I assume there’s a reason for you to be asking for something like this. What’s the occasion?”

Kyle’s head twitched to the left slightly as the tape measurer began to measure the length of his neck. “I got an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala,” he replied. “I’m guessing I’d need something a bit fancier than what I normally wear.”

Rarity let out an exaggerated gasp, and the tape measurer froze in mid-air. “Absolutely!” she exclaimed. “Oh I’ve got the most marvelous idea!” The tape measurer began moving again, more quickly this time.

“Just… nothing flashy,” Kyle sighed. “I know how your ideas tend to be.”

Rarity tsk’d quietly. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to work with your… preferences,” she murmured. “You and little Spikey both don’t seem to comprehend true fashion…”Silence fell for a moment as the tape measurer moved on to Kyle’s other arm.

“You seemed particularly happy to see me when you came knocking,” Rarity began again. “Something I should know about?”

Kyle shook his head. “Not really. I came into town to get a few things done today, and it’s looking like this stop might be the only one that sees anything accomplished. Lyra and Twilight weren’t home when I dropped in. I was just happy that this wasn't a completely wasted trip."

“I can’t speak for Ms. Heartstrings, but of course Twilight wasn’t in.” Rarity paused the measuring tape for a moment and leaned in closer before scribbling on her pad again. “She’s flying all over town helping us prepare for the fundraiser tomorrow night. We've all been busy, especially Fluttershy, though I’m afraid I must rest for now. I must be ready to sing with the Ponytones tomorrow. You’ll be there, won’t you?”

“I’ll certainly try my best.”

“Twilight was actually in earlier this week looking for a new dress for the Gala as well,” Rarity continued. “None of her other dresses fit her since she became a princess.”

Kyle chuckled. “I guess growing a pair of wings will do that.”

“Not just that.” Rarity paused for a moment as the tape measurer flipped to the other side of Kyle’s body. “She’s also been growing a bit taller, and her dress slippers didn’t fit anymore. I wanted to make her a brand new design, but she insisted upon using the same design as her last Gala dress. Though that was one of my best pieces…”

“So which one is it? The purple one?”

“Oh it’s not done yet, silly.” Rarity nodded once more to the unfinished piece by the sewing machine. “It’s over there. I’m experimenting a bit with some of the new fabrics from Azeroth, and I have to say, I’ve found Windwool and Embersilk together make for some very interesting designs that I hope to work with later. But for Twilight’s dress, I’ve decided to go with Imperial Silk. It’s even softer than the silk I normally work with, and moisture doesn’t shrink it nearly as much.”

Kyle didn’t have much to say about that. He had only tried tailoring once, very briefly, and the disastrous results had discouraged him from ever so much as picking up a needle and thread again. The two fell into another period of silence as Rarity continued to take Kyle’s measurements. She wasn’t kidding when she said that she was being more accurate this time - It felt like she had checked the length from his elbow to his shoulder no less than five times.

“So… you’ve been to the Gala before, right?” Rarity nodded her confirmation. “What was it like? Twilight didn’t seem to care much for it.”

“Well if I’m perfectly honest, I think all six of us went into the Gala with our expectations set far too high.” Rarity closed her eyes and shuddered slightly. “The prince was nothing like the gentlecolt I had imagined. But aside from my crushed hopes and dreams, I suppose it wasn’t… that bad. Classy Ponies from all around Equestria show up, and I’m sure a few them could be quite charming. Oh, it might be crazy, but I almost wish that I could give it another chance this year. Especially with the new event the Princess has planned.”

“New event?” Warning bells started going off in the back of Kyle’s mind, and he stiffened even though he couldn’t tell what for. “What new event?”

Rarity didn’t seem to hear him. “Oh but I don’t even have anything to wear myself to such an event, and I’d certainly have to come up with something spectacular…” Kyle opened his mouth the cut her off, but she locked eyes with him and continued. “So, have you decided which lucky Pony you are going with?”

Kyle froze. “Uh… going with?”

“Yes, going with, darling.” She cocked her head to the side. “Didn’t you hear?”

“... Hear what?”

“That’s a no…” Rarity glanced away. “I suppose it is rather recent. Twilight only found out yesterday,” she said. “She was a bit nervous about it, I must admit. To celebrate our new friendship with your Alliance, Princess Celestia has announced that the Gala this year will also include a dance. Attendees are recommended to bring a partner to dance with, and… Are you feeling well, Kyle? You seem to have gone a bit… pale.”

Kyle barely nodded his head. “I uh… yeah, no, I’m… not so good…” he murmured. “Recommended you say? So I don’t… have to -”

“Nonsense, of course you do,” Rarity interrupted. “You’re the most well-known Human in Equestria. Everypony there will know who you are. If you were to show up without a date… well, that wouldn’t look very good for you.”

“Great…” Kyle sighed. Some of the color was beginning to return to his face as the shock wore off, though this did little to improve his mood. His mind flashed back to the last time that he had actually been on a date, and he realized that it had been years… those couple of months between the fall of the Lich King and the Cataclysm. Not to mention that he didn’t have anyone to take with him…

Rarity seemed to sense Kyle’s mental distress, for she kept her mouth closed. Instead, she simply continued to take her measurements as Kyle stood stock still on the platform. A few minutes passed before she set the pencil and paper aside and stowed her measuring tape back in the drawer. “Well Kyle, I’m done with your measurements, and I’ll come up with a few sketches tonight. If you could see me after the performance tomorrow we’ll discuss which one you like best and go from there.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Oh chin up there,” Rarity soothed. “You’ve taken on the Sha. Are you really going to be afraid of a dance?”

Kyle didn’t respond as he stooped down and snatched his shirt off of the floor. He pulled it back over his head and moved towards the door. He stepped outside, closing the door to the boutique behind him. On instinct, his gaze went to the sun. To his surprise, it was already making its way down towards the western horizon, though there would still likely be another hour or two of day left before sunset. 

Without thinking about it, Kyle found himself moving away from the boutique. With this latest news, he didn’t think he could deal with his talk with Lyra right now. Besides which, if she was at work, it was almost certain that she wasn’t home yet. As for stopping by Twilight’s to see what was bothering her… well, it seemed like he had his answer.

Before he knew it, Kyle was wandering into the park. Just as the day before, the open area was full of Ponies and Azerothians alike enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. And just as the day before, Kyle found that the large oak next to his training spot was untaken. He settled down amongst the roots, but soon found that he couldn’t get himself comfortable. So instead, he reached up and grabbed a low-hanging branch, using that to get himself up into the tree. He climbed higher and higher until he found a particularly large branch near the top. This time, he found himself becoming more comfortable as he settled down against the trunk and closed his eyes.

But even though he found himself in a comfortable spot in the tree, his mind was far less comfortable. Who was he going to ask to the dance? It was almost laughable, the situation in which he now found himself. It felt like the dilemma one would face in their last years of schooling, not when commanding a military town the size of Goldshire. And yet the fact still remained - he didn’t have a clue.

There was always the possibility of going back to Azeroth or searching through Ponyville for a fellow Human to dance with, or possibly a Night Elf. That option almost seemed preferable, were it not for the awkwardness that Kyle knew such an encounter would bring. Besides which, most of the Azerothians that had come through were males, and those that were female had almost always come with a husband. And a trip to Azeroth purely for such a purpose sounded more and more ridiculous by the second. So no, he’d have to limit it to those already in Equestria, and those he already knew. He let out a small yawn and began to go through his list.

Lyra was right out. As soon as her name crossed his mind, he crossed it off. Asking her to go to the gala with him would only encourage her to continue to try to win his heart, which was the exact opposite of what he intended to do. “No. Not Lyra,” he yawned, louder this time. “Out of the question.”

Filwin? Again, he quickly tossed that idea out the window as he rubbed his eyes and yawned again. Besides the ethical grey-area that he would enter into as a commander asking a subordinate on a date, just from a logistics standpoint it wouldn’t make any sense. Though tall by Gnomish standards, Filwin still only barely came up to Kyle’s waist. If they were going to dance, she’d have to be standing on stilts. So not Filwin.

Rarity? … maybe. She was a friend of his, though not one of his close friends. And she not only had experience with the Gala already, but had already expressed at least some interest in returning. He’d definitely have to… keep her… in mind…


---


Kyle awoke shivering. The sun was long gone behind the horizon, and the chill of the night had begun to settle in. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he carefully clambered back down the tree and started out towards the outskirts of town, back towards Ironwall. As he passed by Lyra’s street, he hesitated for a split second before turning. Alas, the lights in her house were still dark, indicating that she was either already asleep or still not home. He retraced his steps and continued out of the town towards his garrison.

So far, his best option seemed to be Rarity. Though his still-sleepy mind hadn’t gone through a comprehensive list by any means, she seemed to fit the bill pretty well. Comfortable in a high-class setting, experienced with the Gala and interested in returning, and a Pony he was already comfortable spending some time with.

Still, it was too late to be making such a decision. The moon was already high overhead as he stepped back in through the gates of Ironwall, and he earned a confused look from the watchguard who had thought him to already be within the walls. Aside from himself and the occasional patrol, the entire garrison was asleep - something he was thankful for. He slipped into his room, prepared for sleep, and settled himself into his bed.

Again, his best option seemed to be Rarity. But again, he knew he hadn’t gone through all of his options before dozing off that afternoon. He’d be sure to keep her in mind when he ran through a comprehensive list. Tomorrow. But for now, he closed his eyes and curled up. Slowly, sleep returned to him, and he drifted off.

> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn broke over the countryside, filling the sky with hues of red and pink as the sun rose over the horizon. Those rays of light soon found their way past the white stone walls of Ironwall, through the branches and into the window of Kyle’s bedroom. They crept up the floor and onto his bed, landing upon his pillow where his head normally rested.

Except he wasn’t there.

Instead, he was already up and about. The early morning didn’t seem to bother him despite his late return to Ironwall, most likely due to the late-afternoon nap he had taken the day before. His morning coffee had already been brewed and drunk, and now he stood in his armor upon the training grounds.

He narrowed his eyes at the training dummy before him - little more than a few planks of wood arranged into an upper body and arms and a sack of flour for a head, with a crude Horde symbol painted upon it. Though mere wood, it was a solid construction, able to withstand heavy blows for a respectable duration. Near the bottom of the post, a steel plate was anchored into the ground by four rivets to hold it solidly in place. Kyle took a deep breath and jabbed with his right hand. 

His strike sent a dull thud echoing through the wood, and the dummy shook violently from the force of the impact. A strong jab, and yet he was clearly not satisfied. His arm had shaken almost as much as the training dummy, indicating that his strike wasn’t dead-on, and he knew that his blow hadn’t had nearly as much force behind it as it should have. He frowned and jabbed forward again. Once more, the wood trembled under his blow, and once more he found himself dissatisfied. He rose from his fighting stance and stepped backwards to calm himself.

He had woken early in the day, and found himself unable to return to sleep. And so he had risen an hour and a half before the sun, intending to get some work done early. But though he had sat at his desk and sipped his coffee and signed his papers, he found himself growing restless. His mind kept drifting away from his work, and he was unable to concentrate. Finally, as he finished his paper signing and moved on to reading the reports, he had been unable to take any more. And so he had donned his armor and taken to practicing his combat skills.

It had been a while since he had been in a fight - not since Hallow’s End, and even that had been less of a fight than him slashing away with a pair of daggers. He had to admit that he was a bit rusty. This proved to be especially true when it came to his unarmed combat, which he usually excelled at. His first few blows had caused him more pain than he felt would have been inflicted upon a living opponent. And so he had spent the next hour jabbing and kicking at the training dummies, honing himself back to the level of skill he had grown used to. And even now, he still felt unhappy about his form.

Or no, not his form. He knew that by now his form was back up to his old standards. But a haze of anxiety clung to him like a fog that refused to break under the heat of the sun. Anxiety about the news he had received from Rarity the day before. It clouded his concentration, clouded his connection to the Chi around him. There was no way he was going to get any better like this. So rather than lash out again, he instead sat on the ground and folded up his legs. His eyes closed, and he began to meditate.

But he didn’t meditate in his usual way, where he would see the world through the eyes of other creatures. Such an action, an attempt to find peace in the world, would only lead to failure if he could not find peace within himself. Instead, this time he turned his mind inward, and he reflected on the events of the previous day and his musings from the night before.

Asking some random stranger wasn’t an option, especially considering his position as a Commander and the best-known Human in Equestria.. Filwin was out. Lyra was out. Rarity was an option, for sure, but was she the best option? What about his other friends, the other element-bearers? Rainbow Dash… probably not. Neither she nor Applejack seemed like the kind of Pony to enjoy something as formal as the Gala was sure to be. Nor could he see Pinkie Pie being able to maintain good behavior for so long.

Fluttershy… another potential option. If nothing else, she seemed the one to mind another visit the least. So long as she didn’t have another incident with the animals - Kyle cringed slightly as he remembered the look of sheer terror on Rainbow Dash’s face when she recounted the tale - then it wouldn’t be too bad. The worst part, as with every option he imagined, would be the dance itself. Besides the question of how a Human and a Pony would dance together, Fluttershy was well-known for her terror of the spotlight. Dancing in public didn’t seem her style at all.

And then there was Twilight Sparkle herself. Yet another potential option, and the more he thought about it, the more she sounded like the best option. She already had to go, so it wouldn’t be like inviting one of her friends to return to the scene of a past disaster. Plus, she was one of his closest friends here in Equestria - and beyond, come to think of it. But there was a problem - as a Princess, she likely already had a dance partner already chosen. Given Twilight’s tendency towards over-preparation and punctuality, that seemed even more likely. Though she had seemed concerned that day at Sugarcube Corner - apparently the day that she had learned about the dance. That had only been two days ago, and everyone he had talked to said that she hadn’t been acting any less nervous since then. Maybe she didn’t have someone picked out. Maybe that’s why she was so nervous...

Well… Only one way to find out… He’d have to head into town today anyway to confront Lyra about nuzzling his hand. He could swing by Twilight’s and ask her… simple.

And if she already had a partner lined up… well, Fluttershy and Rarity were still options.

The sound of boots on gravel caused Kyle to open one eye. He turned his head towards the noise to see a slender Night Elf walking into the training area, a compact bow clutched in her hand. She glanced his way, but said nothing, moving instead towards the archery range. She moved up to the line, and then took half a dozen paces backwards before notching her first arrow. It whistled down the lane and struck the target near the bottom and on the left side, where the leg would meet the torso - a crippling blow, but not a lethal one.

Kyle turned his attention back to the dummy in front of him and rose to his feet. He forced thoughts of the Gala from his mind, and found that it was easier to do so now. He had a plan of action. He had something solid to hold on to. Some kind of peace, temporary though it might be. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes. “Breathe in…” he thought as he eased back into his fighting stance. “... and out…” He opened his eyes and focused them on the desired impact location, just below where the arms jutted out from the core. That location, along with the head, was where he could most easily inflict lethal damage. The haze of anxiety surrounding him seemed to fade as he held on to the plan he had just formed. Instead, he concentrated entirely on his next strike. He barely registered the hum of magic behind him as a mage stepped up towards one of the magical dummies and began channeling into it. He focused solely on the target before him. He opened his eyes, stepped forward, and jabbed.

Instantly, he felt the change. His blow moved faster, his hand felt more solid, his arm no longer shook as it made contact, and his fist no longer echoed with a dull thud. Instead, a loud crack! split the air like a gunshot. The two others present instantly turned, thinking that Kyle had broken his hand. Instead, what they saw was a large fracture across the core of the training dummy he had struck. Kyle smirked and spun around, unleashing a blackout kick. This final strike final did the job, and the upper half of the training dummy splintered away from the core, leaving only a shattered wooden post anchored into the ground.

Kyle stared down at the ruined training dummy with a satisfied smile. “There we go…” he murmured softly. He turned away from the destruction and strolled out of the arena, seemingly oblivious to the incredulous stares of the Hunter and the Mage who had seem him turn a solid training dummy into a pile of splintered wood.

The garrison wasn’t nearly as quiet as it was when he had first awoken. The line into the mess hall was beginning to form as workers and soldiers alike filed in to get their morning meals. Kyle squeezed past them and made his way back to the town hall, feeling better now than he had when he had stepped out. He smiled as he stepped back into his office and sat down at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. There was nothing quite as good at relieving a bit of stress than breaking something.

His eyes slowly opened and moved across his desk. On the left side was the usual stack of papers that needed filling out, though that pile had been somewhat diminished during his earlier attempt to start the day. Those that had already been filled out were sitting on the back right corner, ready to be sent out to… wherever. Anywhere but here. There were other things besides the forms - a small cup full of pencils, a coffee mug holder, a half-read engineering report, a stamp with his seal upon it…

His eyes flashed back to the engineering report, and his good mood sank. He still had to at least get through the summary and be able to understand whether the findings made any sense or not. But as he had discovered the day before, technical jargon could be found even there, and he had been unable to decipher half of what he had read. He’d need a dictionary to make it through the rest…

As if on cue, a sharp rap against the door echoed through the room. The door swung open to reveal Filwin with her usual clipboard and goggles. She smiled at him as she hopped up in the chair opposite him and laid her clipboard down. “Good morning, Commander,” she said cheerily. Her head turned slightly towards the corner of his desk. “I see you’ve made quite a dent in the work today already, sir. Had an early morning, did we?”

“Earlier than usual, yes.” Kyle reached for the clipboard, but Filwin placed her hand on top of it to stop him. He slowly pulled his arm back and locked eyes with her.

“So I heard,” she replied. Even through her goggles, Kyle could see a faint twinkle in her eye. “Something about a broken training dummy?”

“Yeah…” Kyle rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. “I might have gotten a bit carried away… Though I won’t say that I didn’t need it.”

“No big deal. The steel plate anchoring it to the ground is intact, so it’ll be a simple matter to replace the dummy itself.” Now Filwin slid the clipboard across the desk towards him. He picked it up and brought it up to his face. He found it very brief, only mentioning a small encounter a few of his troops had had with a pack of timber wolves, which they had driven back into the forest. Ever since construction had ended, Filwin’s reports had become far shorter.

“Great. Thanks for this Filwin,” he said as he placed the clipboard back down in front of her.

“No problem.” She reached for the clipboard and dragged it across the desk to her. “I’ll take my leave now sir. Unless there was something else?”

“No, no I don’t…” Kyle trailed off as his eyes landed on the engineering report. His eyes flashed over to Filwin, then back to the report, then back to her. “Actually…” he murmured. “Filwin, you’re an engineer right?”

Filwin was already halfway out of her seat, but she scrambled back up as Kyle addressed her. She raised an eyebrow as she met his eyes. “Not… not technically sir. I’m not certified,” she replied. “Although I… have done some tinkering in the past.”

“Excellent. Come over here.” He dragged the report in front of his desk and stood up as Filwin walked around to him. He motioned for her to sit, and she did. “Any chance you could help me with this thing? I can’t understand half of the stuff in here.”

“The… entire thing, sir?” she asked. She quickly glanced towards the door. “I, uh…”

“Oh, no no.” Kyle shook his head quickly. “I’m just taking a look at the summary. I got about halfway through before they lost me.” He flipped to the appropriate page and pointed. “Right about there. Could you take a look and see if all of this stuff makes sense? I don’t need to know the technicalities, just whether or not they did their stuff properly.” Filwin sighed in relief as she picked up the report and began reading the beginning.

It took her less than ten minutes to power through the entire summary, during which time Kyle filled out a couple of papers from the other side of his desk. He looked up when the ruffling of paper announced that she was done. “Well, they certainly didn’t make it easy for you, did they?” she laughed. “I’ll have a word with them about that. They need to remember that at least the summary needs to be in layman’s terms. But other than that, it seems sound. I didn’t look at the raw data, but I assume they did it all right.”

“So it’s good?”

“It’s good.”

“Great. Thanks a ton, Filwin. I owe you one.” Filwin merely smiled in response as she handed him the report and hopped out of his chair. A moment later, and the door to his office was closed, and he was left alone again.

Kyle glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. It was only 8:00 in the morning, and already he was halfway done with his work for the day. For a moment, he considered delaying the rest of his work and heading into town to catch Lyra and Twilight. But no, he decided. He couldn’t do that. Lyra was probably already out… wherever she went to work. And Twilight was almost certainly out and about running last-minute errands for the fundraiser that evening. Which, he remembered, he needed to attend so that he could pick out a design from Rarity’s sketches. He could catch Twilight then. With that thought in mind, he pulled one of the papers to his left in front of him and began to write.


---


Noon had just barely rolled around by the time Kyle finally placed the last form off to the right side of his desk. He had to admit that it had taken him longer than he had anticipated, but at least it was done now. The open window next to his desk brought in a cool breeze that carried the scent of brisket upon it. Kyle’s mouth began to water, and his stomach growled angrily at him, and so he took his leave of the office and made his way towards the mess hall.

It seemed that fate was on his side that day. Less than half a dozen men were waiting as he took his place in the line, and soon he was seated underneath one of the trees with a plate. It didn’t take him long to polish off his plate, and a quick wash later he was back in his office.

Though for what reason he didn’t know. His work was done for the day, so he really had no need to return. Maybe just instinct when there was nothing else to do. For it seemed, for the first time in a long while, that there was nothing else to do. Scootaloo was at school, and their next training session was already scheduled. Twilight and Lyra, the two Ponies that he would normally spend free days with, were both out and about doing their own things. There wasn’t any construction to help with in Ironwall anymore. He had already had a bout of training and meditation that day, and to be perfectly honest, he didn’t feel like risking breaking another training dummy...

By this time, Kyle realized that he was moving down the hallway away from his office and towards his room. It was a nice day out, so it would be a shame to waste it inside, but at the same time winter was fast approaching. The air outside was chilly even without the wind, and so he changed into a longer-sleeved shirt to keep himself warmer.

And since he had apparently decided that he would be spending his free time outside, there was one logical place to spend it. The park. At least there would be Ponies around for him to people-watch, and hey, maybe something would come up. He moved towards the door to his room, but hesitated for a moment. He quickly turned around, went back to his bedside table and scooped up a fistful of bits before stowing them in a small pouch and tying it securely around his belt next to his Tigereye brew. After all, he was going to a fundraiser that evening. He might as well bring some funds.

It didn’t take him long to make his way to the park. Even though it was just a bit after noon, the park was still crowded with Ponies. Some were lying around and talking. Others were playing with frisbees or flying kites. He even saw an odd game off in the distance, where one Pony would hurl a small ball at another, and the second Pony would hit it with a large wooden stick before running around a large dirt diamond. Kyle observed for a moment before returning back to the tree he had used the past few days. He scrambled up to the branch he had napped in the day before, and found that from this position he could observe the game down below.

The objective, he quickly deduced, was to hit the ball as far as possible and make it the entire way around the bases before someone who had the ball either touched you with it, or else reached the point of the diamond to which you were running. The rules slowly came to him as he observed. He found himself watching the game for quite a while and mentally keeping score of how many Ponies on each team had made a full circuit. Neither team had many - four for one team, three for the other. It looked like it would be an interesting game to play given the chance, though Kyle found watching it a bit slow for his tastes. Slowly, his eyes began to close…

Poke.

Kyle slowly opened one eye. Instantly, he could tell that a decent amount of time had passed. The Ponies were no longer playing their game, and the sun had moved through the sky to shine down at a different angle. “Dozed off again…” he thought sleepily.

Poke.

This time, Kyle opened both eyes and turned his head towards whatever had poked him. He blinked in surprise as he stared past a sky-blue snout directly into another set of magenta eyes, mere inches from his own. He said nothing, but simply waited.

A second later, the face pulled backwards and formed into a frown. “Aw, I thought I had you,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she hovered next to the branch Kyle was resting on.

“Not today, I’m afraid,’ Kyle replied. He pushed himself into a sitting position with his back against the trunk. “So, what’s up?”

“You are, apparently.” Kyle gave her a deadpan look as she snorted. “What are you even doing up here?”

“I was napping…’ Kyle stretched his arms and folded them behind his head as his eyes closed. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Getting to be around five.” 

Kyle’s eyes opened again, and he turned his gaze to the sky through the gap in the leaves. He had been out for longer than he had expected. “Well then… thanks for waking me up,” he murmured.

“Does that mean you’re leaving?”

“Planning on it, yeah.” Kyle rolled himself out of his position and dangled from the branch for a moment before dropping down to the one below it.

“Sweet.” Rainbow Dash settled herself down on the branch Kyle had just vacated and curled up. “That means I get my napping branch!” Kyle just smiled and shook his head as he prepared to climb back down the tree. “So where are you off to?” he heard Dash ask.

“Probably going to try to find Lyra,” he replied. “Been trying to find her for the past couple of days.”

“Eh, she’s probably at work. I think the orchestra lets out for a dinner break here soon.” Kyle could hear the playfulness entering her voice. “Maybe you’re looking to accompany her?”

Kyle ignored her last comment. “Any idea where they practice?”

“There’s a little performance hall on the west side of town. I’d imagine that’s where they’d be.”

“Thanks.” Kyle lowered himself down another branch.

“Oh, and Kyle?” He looked up as Rainbow Dash poked her head over the side of the branch. “If you could not mention that you found me here, that’d be great. It’s kind of my napping spot for when I don’t want to be found.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow, but nodded anyway. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

A moment later, Kyle was back on the ground. He glanced back up into the tree. Only the very tip of a blue wing gave away Rainbow Dash’s position. Likewise, as he walked away and glanced back at the tree, he found that he couldn’t see her among the leaves and branches. It was a better hiding spot than he had suspected.

As Kyle moved towards the exit of the park, he noticed that it had become significantly more crowded since he had walked in. Since work and school were not letting out, many were taking advantage of the still-pleasant weather. He spotted Derpy and Dinky were out in an open field tossing a ball back and forth. A moment later, he couldn’t help but smile as he saw  Scootaloo and her friends off underneath a tree with a piece of paper unfolded in front of them - no doubt scheming to get Applebloom and Sweetie Belle their cutie marks. 

After asking around a bit, Kyle finally got a cinnamon-colored Pegasus mare to give him some directions. It wasn’t long after that Kyle found himself approaching a rather large building near the edge of town. The design contrasted greatly with the simple wooden houses that comprised most of the town. Ornately carved marble pillars, white stone brick, smooth quartz stairs… It reminded him greatly of the old High Elf ruins that pre-dated the sundering.

Rainbow Dash’s prediction seemed to be accurate. As he approached the performance hall, the front doors opened up and a pair of Ponies walked through, neither of whom Kyle recognized. The first one was a brown-coated Earth Pony mare with a black mane and tail and an odd symbol for a cutie mark, and who was also sporting a pink bow tie wrapped around her neck by a white band. The other was another Earth Pony mare who wore a similar tie, though her coat was neon blue and her mane and tail were a chestnut brown. Kyle was able to identify that her cutie mark was another strange symbol, and he found that he couldn’t identify the meaning behind this one either

More Ponies began to filter out. Most of them seemed to have similarly strange cutie marks that Kyle couldn’t identify - unknown symbols, a crooked letter b, a number sign… Given the fact that this was supposed to be where the orchestra played, it didn’t take much reasoning to determine that these were musical symbols, though what they stood for he didn’t know.

And then, he spotted it. A flash of mint green, right at the very back. Lyra’s familiar form fell away from the mob of musical equines. She moved slower than the rest of the Ponies around her, quickly separating from the main group. Her back was to Kyle, and she hadn’t noticed his presence yet. 

Up to this point, Kyle hadn’t felt anything but a twinge of uncertainty. Now, however, his nerves came rolling back to him. Lyra was well known for her oddities, almost as well known as Pinkie Pie. She could either take this very well or very badly. And if she took it badly… It was almost enough to make him turn his back and walk away.

He frowned. No. He’d put this off for far too long already. He reminded himself that if he didn’t deal with it now, it would only be worse later. He steeled himself and took a deep breath. “Lyra!”

The mint-green unicorn froze. Her head shot up and swiveled towards him. Even from a distance, he could see her eyes light up. And yep. There it was. That same old toothy grin. “Kyle!” she exclaimed as she galloped towards him. She skidded to a halt a few paces away and smiled up at him. “What’s up?”

Kyle forced his visage to remain even. “I’ve been looking for you.” His voice was strong and steady, and yet Lyra’s ears perked up. Her smile fell. She knew. She knew something was wrong.

“You have?”

“You’re on dinner break, right?”

“No… no, we’re done for the day. Early night.”

“Come. We need to talk.”

Her smile was completely gone by now. Maybe it was the lack of emotion in his voice. Maybe it was the seriousness in his tone. It was never like this around friends. Not unless something was wrong. Her ears fell and her head dipped. “Alright…”

Kyle turned and walked down the street he had just come up. Behind him, he could hear Lyra’s hooves against the street. His own boots echoed her steps. Between her hoofsteps and his bootfalls, between the sound of his own heartbeat and Lyra’s soft, anxious snorts, there was only silence.

He didn’t know how long they carried on like this. He only stopped when the trees of the Everfree forest loomed before them, like a menacing shadow. Perhaps not the best spot to talk about this. But it couldn’t wait any longer. He turned to face Lyra.

Instantly, her mouth was open. “Is… is this about the other night?” she asked quietly.

Kyle nodded slowly. “Lyra, I’m your friend. You know this, right?” She nodded as well. “And I don’t want that to change. I still want to be your friend. But what you did the other night… I know Equestrian society well enough by now to know that what you did goes well beyond the boundaries of mere friendship.”

“I’m sorry!” Lyra blurted suddenly. She lowered her head. “I know, I know what you said to me before. I just thought… You know, since we’ve been hanging out more… I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

She averted her gaze, choosing instead to look off to the side at the ground. Kyle knelt down so that he was eye-level with her. “Lyra. I’m sorry, but I haven’t changed my mind. And no, it has nothing to do with you personally,” he added. “You’re a great mare and a great friend, but… well we’ve talked about it before.” Lyra remained silent, so Kyle continued. “Look. I’m not mad. We won't mention this again. Just… please don’t do anything like that again. It really makes me uncomfortable. Alright?” 

“Alright.”  She looked back up at him and smiled weakly. “Still friends?”

Kyle slowly returned the smile. Lyra's ears perked up as he placed one hand on her shoulder. “Still friends.”




> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The horizon was a brilliant blood red that even now was slowly fading away to black, the sun long gone behind it. The last projected warm day of the year had come to a close. Already, the air was growing chilly as the last clutches of early autumn gave way to the cold, steely grasp of winter.

Kyle didn't care. He barely noticed the chill, the steam that now rose from his breath. Even with the change in weather, his spirits couldn’t be dampened. The tight grip on his chest, the pressure behind his temples, the anxiety that clung to him like an unwelcome fog had all faded away.

He glanced over his shoulder at the retreating mare. “That wasn’t nearly as bad as I had feared,” he thought. And it hadn’t been. He had been dreading this conversation with Lyra ever since that night when she had nuzzled his hand. He had been fearing a bad reaction from Lyra - fear, panic, misery, maybe even anger. But no. His best case scenario - that she would accept his request and respect what he was saying - seemed to have come true. After two days of hunting her down, everything had gone better than expected.

But that wasn’t to say that he was done. He turned away from Lyra again and started down the street. No, he wasn’t done in town today. His hand brushed against the small pouch of bits that rested next to his brews on his belt. Judging by the clock tower jutting up from the town, he still had a half hour before the Ponytones quartet were due to perform. From what he understood, Rarity was the soprano of the group, with Big Macintosh (of all Ponies!) being the bass, and two other Ponies he didn’t recognize filling the middle registers. Kyle had been very surprised to hear about Big Mac being a member of the quartet, considering his usual unwillingness to say anything more than “Yup,” and “Nope.” It would be interesting to actually hear him perform.

So next stop, the fundraiser event. He’d listen to the performance, drop off the money for the Pet center Fundraiser and talk to Rarity about whatever designs she had come up with. Hopefully nothing too fancy. But then again, how fancy could a suit get?

Oh right. Rarity. Best not to tempt fate.

But that wasn’t the only issue that he hoped to deal with tonight. There was also the issue of whom he was going to take to the Gala. He quickly reviewed his best options again. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight. Out of the three, Twilight was the one Kyle felt would be the best option, and also the one he’d likely enjoy an evening with the most. So, he’d have to find her at the fundraiser and see if she already had someone to go with.

A series of seven chimes rang out across the town as the bell tower struck seven o’clock. Kyle glanced around and took stock of his location. He could see Twilight’s library a fair ways down the street, with Canterlot Mountain rising up in the distance just behind it. That put him not too terribly far from the park, where the fundraiser was being held. With another glance over his shoulder, he set off towards the park.

It became clear to him well before he entered the park that he was not the only one headed to the event. Ponies, Humans, Gnomes, Night Elves, you name it, they were headed out even as the sun finished setting behind the horizon. Every single one was headed in the same direction, taking the same turns towards the park. It was a new moon tonight, so now their only source of illumination besides the faint light of the stars above came from the magical street lamps, or the occasional dim glow from the eyes of a Night Elf.

It didn’t take too long to make it into the park. There, the open spaces and large area gave everyone more room to maneuver, and so Kyle was able to easily make his way through the crowds towards the center of the park. Kyle hadn’t been to this part of the park in a while, having mostly stuck to the area around his favorite grove, and so was surprised by the drastic transformation from what he remembered. Numerous booths had been set up along the paths, showcasing different types of animals. There were rabbits, birds, fish, cats and dogs… Kyle even saw a Pony-sized seal, playfully bouncing a ball back and forth with Bon Bon. He also spotted Lyra on top of a small bridge crossing the stream, chatting with a blue Earth Pony Stallion. Somehow she had beaten him to the park, and he nodded at her with a smile when they locked eyes as he passed. Ribbons and flowers had been strung up along the tree branches and fences. It was clear that the Ponies in charge of this - Fluttershy among them - had been busy for the past few days.

Soon, he was walking around the central fountain. There, on top of a small grassy hill not far away, a curtained-off stage had been set up. Already, numerous Ponies were gathering around, and Kyle made his way towards it. As he approached, a familiar multi-hued mane stood out near the front of the small crowd, and Kyle angled himself towards it.

“Hey Rainbow,” he announced his presence as he stopped beside her.

Rainbow Dash turned her head towards Kyle and grinned. “Hey, glad you could make it,” she responded. She held out her hoof, and Kyle bumped his knuckles against it.

“You and me both.” Kyle turned his head and scanned the crowd for anyone else he might recognize - in particular a certain local princess - yet saw no one that stood out. “Any idea where the others are?”

“Well Rarity’s backstage getting ready.” Rainbow Dash took to the air and hovered a few feet off the ground, spinning in circles in the air. She soon dropped back down and shook her head. “Dunno where the others are, but they shouldn’t be too long. We’ve been working too hard to help put this together for us to miss it.”

“So I heard.”

Kyle and Rainbow Dash continued to talk as they waited for the others to show up. As they talked, the crowd around them grew steadily larger and larger. He told her about how quiet things were in Ironwall, and she mentioned to him a few things coming up in the near future in Ponyville. She was preparing for a history test to join the Wonderbolt Reserves, which she had been training her whole life to do. She also mentioned a migration of Breezies - small, magical creatures that flew through Equestria to a portal that opened to their homeland. This migration would be taking place a few days after the Grand Galloping Gala.

“And speaking of the Gala.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “I heard you got invited. You planning on going?”

Kyle nodded. “I figure it’d be rude to turn down an invitation from Princess Celestia herself.”

“Bleh.” Rainbow Dash made an exaggerated gagging sound. “You couldn’t pay me enough bits to get me to go back there. I mean, talk about BOOOORING!”

“Aw c’mon now, it wasn’t that bad.” Kyle turned his head just in time to see Applejack stepping up beside him with a mischievous grin. “Yer just upset that you didn’t get t’ spend some alone time with the Wonderbolts.”

“And you’re telling me the one pie you sold was worth the trouble?” Rainbow Dash retorted. “I still get nightmares about how Fluttershy went off the deep end.”

Applejack blinked. “I suppose you got a point there…”

“Are we talking about the Gala?” Kyle took a sharp breath as Pinkie Pie’s voice rang out next to his ear. “Oh my gosh, that was the worst!” she continued as she hopped forward next to him. “I thought it was going to be so much fun, but nopony wanted to actually party at a party!”

“T’ be fair, all of us went in with some mighty high expectations.” Applejack pawed at the dirt in front of her. “Ah’ll be honest, Fluttershy’s reason fer goin’ was the most reasonable, and she got shot down the hardest. Yer right, Rainbow. She can be mighty scary when she gets angry like that.”

Kyle glanced back and forth between the three mares. “Note to self - Remove Fluttershy from the list…”

The rustle of wings above them drew their attention. They turned their heads upwards just as a familiar purple Pony dropped out of the sky and settled down to Kyle’s right, wobbling only slightly as she touched down. Spike hopped off of her back and quickly moved closer to the stage, his eyes locked on Rarity “The Gala? Yeah, it wasn’t… all that we imagined,” Twilight agreed. “But hanging out at Donut Joe’s with you girls afterwards was pretty fun. Especially when Princess Celestia showed up and told us that she had hoped it would turn out the way that it did…”

“Wait, what? She did…” The rest of Kyle’s question was cut off as the lamps near the stage began to dim. The chatter in the crowd died down with the lights. A large spotlight lit up, illuminating the center of the pink velvet curtain that concealed the backstage. An instant later, Rarity stepped through the curtains, wearing the same gold-trimmed green sweater that he had seen her in the other day.

“Good evening, citizens of Ponyville!” She announced. “I want to thank you all for coming out tonight and generously supporting the Ponyville Pet Center! Thanks to your kindness, pets are finding loving homes, and we're sure to meet our fundraising goal! “

Next to him, Kyle sensed Twilight’s head swiveling back and forth. “Where’s Fluttershy” she asked. Sure enough, as Kyle scanned the crowd, he couldn’t see Fluttershy’s pink mane or butter-yellow coat.

“Probably hidin',” Applejack scoffed. “You know how much that Pony hates the spotlight.” It was at this point that Kyle noticed the turkey that was resting beside Pinkie Pie. A small, toothless alligator - her pet, Gummy, he reminded himself - had the turkey part way in its mouth. Kyle leaned over and plucked the poor bird away, earning him a blank stare from the baby gator.

“So, with no further ado,” Rarity continued, drawing Kyle’s attention back to the stage, “please welcome the Pony Tones!” The crowd cheered, Kyle included, as three other Ponies stepped through the curtains to join Rarity on the stage. Sure enough, Big Macintosh was among them, dwarfing the other three in both height and size. The usually indomitable-looking stallion appeared unusually nervous as he stood amongst his companions - perhaps he had stage fright as Kyle did? There was also a long-legged, lanky-looking blue stallion - likely the tenor - and a shorter mare that matched Fluttershy’s butter-yellow coat, but with a mane that alternated between magenta and orange stripes.

Rarity’s horn lit up, and a small wooden circle with holes in the side floated out from backstage. It hovered in front of her mouth, and she blew into it, producing a brief note. Big Mac’s eyes darted nervously from side to side as he took a deep breath…

And the song began.

It started off with Big Mac singing on his own, a short, catchy vocal melody that was soon accompanied by a drum beat. As he began, Kyle raised an eyebrow. There was something… off. He and Kyle had exchanged very few words in the past, but he knew that Big Mac usually had a drawl similar to Applejack’s - more pronounced, if anything. But his singing lacked that drawl. Something he had practiced? Kyle shrugged and returned his attention to the stage.

By now, the other three had begun singing an accompanying harmony to Big Mac’s bass melody. The drum beat had continued, and now had a small accompaniment in the background. Big Mac seemed to grow stronger and more confident with each passing second, and soon he took a small step forward.

“Trot outside and you see the sunshine,
Something's in the air today!
Sky is clear and you're feelin' so fine,
Everything's gonna be a-okay!”

By now, Kyle could see Spike right behind the front row, dancing to the music. On stage, Big Mac took a step backwards, and the tenor and alto stepped forward.

“If you listen carefully
On every corner there's a rhythm playing,
Then it happens suddenly
The music takes you over and you'll -”

At this point, all four Ponytones began singing together in harmony, with Rarity providing some high-key echoes.

“Find you've got the music
Got the music in you
Find you've got the music
Got the music in you.”

Big Mac stepped forward again and did a full octave jump in a vocal melody before continuing with the song. Kyle spotted a magenta mare in the front row - he recognized her as Cheerilee, the Ponyville Schoolteacher - raise one hoof to her head and swoon as Big Mac continued.

“Everypony's sayin' you should 
learn to express your voice
But if talk doesn't seem like it's the answer -”

And once again, the other three jumped in along with him.

- Luckily you have a choice!”

“When you find you've got the music
Got the music in you
Find you've got the music
Got the music in you.”

“Got the music, got the music in you!”

The crowd cheered again as the song ended. The Ponytones bowed down several times, grinning the entire time. It had certainly been shorter than Kyle had been expecting, but it had still been impressive. He hadn’t known Big Mac could sing like that.

A good portion of the crowd began to make their way back into the rest of the park. Twilight, Kyle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, ran up to the stage, where the Ponytones were still standing. “Ponytones!” Twilight exclaimed. “That was truly amazing!”

“And you sounded better than ever, big brother,” Applejack added, to which Big Mac chuckled nervously.

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie’s voice exclaimed. She was no longer among the main group, but now standing in front of a timid-looking Fluttershy emerging from backstage. “You were on the wrong side of the curtain! You totally missed the show! 

Rarity stepped forward towards the pair “Uh, just like a true professional, Fluttershy was backstage making sure everything ran smoothly!” She leaned in and whispered something to Fluttershy. The others seemed to buy it, but Kyle raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t missed that slight hesitation in Rarity’s voice.

A large Pegasus stallion moved forward and began to speak to Rarity while the rest of the group dispersed. At that moment, Kyle remembered the other thing that he had meant to do while he was here today. “Hey, Twilight. Can I have a quick word?” he asked.

“Hm? Sure.”

As the two made their way out of the crowd, Kyle felt that same anxiety that he had felt when speaking with Lyra gripping his chest once more. He couldn’t explain it, other than it felt like apprehension. It only grew worse as they  moved around to the other side of the stage.

“What’s up?” Twilight asked.

Kyle took a deep breath. Too late to back out now. “So, I heard there’s a… a dance? At the Gala?”

Instantly, Twilight’s demeanor shifted. She tensed up, her feathers twitched and extended a bit, her pupils constricted ever so slightly. “Uh… yeah. Yeah I heard that too…” she murmured.

“Know who you’re going with?”

A moment’s hesitation. Twilight shook her head.

“Well… since you’re going, and I’m going, I was thinking… you and me, go together?”

Twilight froze. “As friends!” Kyle added quickly. “I mean, since we’re both going already, neither of us have anyone to go with. And you said yourself the best part of the Gala last time was spending time with your friends."

Twilight’s posture relaxed slightly. Her eyes betrayed a mixture of emotions - worry, relief… something else? There was another moment of silence. Finally, she took a breath. “Yeah. Yeah, sure. Sounds good. We’ll go together. As friends.”

“As friends.”

“Alright… well… see you later then, I guess.” 

Without waiting for a reply, Twilight took off into the air and flew away. Kyle turned his head and spotted Spike running after her as she soared out of the park towards her treehouse. He let out a deep sigh of relief. “Only one thing left to do…” he murmured to himself as he made his way backstage with the intent on waiting for Rarity.

Instead, he found that Fluttershy and the Ponytones were already there and speaking amongst themselves. He walked forward and placed a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Shame you couldn’t join us out there,” he began.

“Ahh!”

Kyle jumped backwards as Fluttershy let out a loud yelp. Or, at least the sound came from Fluttershy’s mouth. But it wasn’t her normal voice. Instead, it was the voice a fully grown man - er, stallion. “What the -”

Kyle found himself cut off as Rarity rushed forward and covered his mouth with her hoof. “Kyle! I wasn’t… expecting you…” she laughed nervously. Her eyes darted back and forth between him and Fluttershy. Finally, she sighed and dropped back down onto all four hooves.

“What… what was that?” Kyle demanded. He pointed at Fluttershy, who was shielding herself from his gaze with her wings. “What happened to your voice?!”

“Oh dear… it’s a long story, darling…” Rarity began. “I, uh… First, you have to Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony about this. Nopony can know!”

Kyle raised an eyebrow, but made the motions with his hand. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” he recited quickly. “Alright, what’s going on?”

“Well, there was a… a turkey call competition the other day.” Rarity shot a glare at Big Mac, who ducked his head. “It appears that Big Macintosh here lost his voice… and the championship.”

“Ee-yup.” Big Mac’s voice certainly sounded strained as he nodded glumly.

“So… We went to Zecora’s hut to try to find a remedy,” Rarity continued. “But there was nothing that would fix his voice in time for the show tonight.”

“So where does Fluttershy come into this?”

“Well… you see…” Kyle shook his head as Fluttershy’s newfound manly voice spoke up. “There’s this plant called Poison Joke. If you touch it, it affects you in some funny way. Like when Rainbow Dash touched it she lost control of her wings, Applejack became very small. And when Rarity touched it…”

“That’s quite enough of that, darling!” Rarity piped up quickly. “We do not speak of that day!”

“So… it makes your voice all… manly?” Kyle asked. 

Fluttershy nodded in response. “I guess… you could call it… Flutterguy?” she smiled weakly.

“Instead of making a potion to cure Big Mac’s voice, we instead got a potion with Poison Joke for Fluttershy so that she could sing his part tonight,” Rarity admitted. “He was on stage lip-synching, and Fluttershy was back here singing his part.” There was a moment of silence. “He’d be able to sing it just fine were it not for that turkey call!” Rarity said quickly. “This was the only way! If we didn’t do this, we wouldn’t be able to sing tonight!”

Kyle sighed. “Right, right… I'm assuming it isn't permanent?”

“Oh, no. There’s a special bath at the spa that can clear it up" Fluttershy replied. She averted her gaze. "Although… we may have signed up to perform at a little filly's cute-ceneara tomorrow…” she added weakly.

Kyle chuckled and shook his head. He reached down and untied the small bag of coins around his belt and handed them over to Fluttershy “For the fundraiser. I won't tell anyone about this. Just don’t go overboard. Someone else is bound to notice at some point.” she nodded and turned to walk away. “Oh, and Fluttershy.” She turned her head back towards him. “Great job tonight.”

Fluttershy smiled brightly as Kyle motioned for Rarity to follow him. A moment later, the two were exiting backstage and walking away. “So, the reason I came backstage in the first place - “

“Your suit, yes of course,” Rarity interrupted. The two settled down on a small park bench underneath a nearby tree, and a sketchbook appeared in Rarity’s magical grip. She laid it on the table in front of Kyle, who picked it up. “One question before you look at those,” she added. “Have you figured out whom you are going with?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah, I have.”

“Excellent! Who’s the lucky mare?”

“Twilight.”

There was a heartbeat of silence as Rarity looked up. “As in… Twilight Sparkle, our friend?” she asked. Kyle nodded. “Well… I’m a bit surprised, but congratulations darling!”

Kyle frowned slightly. He didn’t miss the new tension in Rarity’s voice. The fact that her grin was slightly too big, her eyes moving about too much, looking anywhere but at him. “Surprised?” he asked. She nodded quickly. Too quickly. “Who did you think I was going to ask?”

“Well… I saw you and Lyra at Sugarcube Corner the other day,” she admitted slowly. “And then later in the park under the tree. She seemed to be very… friendly with you. I’m surprised you didn’t ask her. I was under the impression that you two -”

“No,” Kyle interrupted quickly.

“But darling, she was asking to cuddle with -”

“No, Rarity. I mean… yes she was. But we’re not together. It was a misunderstanding between us. A misunderstanding that has since been cleared up. Lyra and I are friends. Just friends.”

“So instead it’s you and Twilight?” Rarity’s eyes grew slightly wider, and she leaned forward.

Kyle frowned and leaned backwards in response. This was getting out of hand. “No, we’re going as friends. Just friends,” he repeated. He narrowed his eyes. “Why are you so interested anyway?”

Rarity blinked and drew backwards into her own seat. “Well, I always like to keep up to date with how my friends are doing,” she replied. She flipped the sketchbook open and tore nearly a dozen pages out before laying them facedown on the table next to her. “Well then, those designs won’t work with Twilight’s dress…” she murmured. She tore three more out and laid them out in front of Kyle. “These three I think are the ones that will best suit both you and Twilight,” she said. “We’ll have to make sure the colors match, obviously. But we’ll worry about that later. This is about the actual design. So, which one do you like best?”

Kyle didn’t miss the fact that Rarity had changed the subject as soon as she had been put on the defensive. Nonetheless, he let the subject drop. He glanced back and forth between the three designs, noting how detailed they were before pointing to the one on his right. It was the least flashy of the three, lacking the sparkles on the center one or the fancy trim on the left one. It reminded him of the ones he saw the nobility in Stormwind wearing. It also included a necktie with small star designs running down its length and what appeared to be a handkerchief in his breast pocket. “That one,” he said.

Rarity sighed. “I knew you would pick that one,” she murmured. “Oh well. The customer is always right.” She placed the other two designs on top of the stack of other rejected designs. “We’ll take care of the color tomorrow, if you’re available.”

“Sure thing.” Kyle glanced over Rarity’s shoulder as his eyes spotted a flash of movement. Sure enough, the shorter mare from the Ponytones was waving. “I think your colleague wants a word with you,” he said.

Rarity glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll be right there, Torch Song!” she called out. The chosen design and her sketchbook were picked up in her magical grip and she trotted away from the table, leaving Kyle alone.

Kyle watched as the pair disappeared backstage once more. He then glanced towards the stack of papers that Rarity had left behind. He glanced back up at the stage before reaching over and pulling the papers closer. He flipped them over and began to flip through them.

Kyle had to admit, most of these designs were quite good. Nothing too flashy - maybe a bit of trim here, a little something extra there, but overall well done. Nearly every single one, he noted, was even more detailed than the ones Rarity had shown him, to the point that, in comparison, the other two that she had shown him looked… rushed? He also noted that a harp-shaped design kept popping up in several of the sketches - one had the design on the breast-pocket handkerchief, one had them running down his tie, another even had them circling the cuffs on the dress shirt underneath the suit jacket.

“She was REALLY expecting me to go with Lyra,” he thought to himself as he realized that the harp symbol was nearly identical to Lyra’s cutie mark. “Did everyone think we were together? Does everyone still think that?” He found himself crumpling up the designs and hurling the wad of paper at a nearby wastebin, where it rattled in. “Doesn’t matter,” he murmured. “I’m not going with Lyra, I’m going with Twilight.” 

“As a friend.”

> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weather Ponies had certainly held true to their word. As the days wore on, the air became colder, more wintery. The days were shorter, the nights longer. Winter was fast approaching. Even at midday, it was possible for one to see their breath rising away as a faint fog, and frost coated the grass in the morning on a daily basis now.

Kyle didn’t mind. The chill of winter didn’t bother him as much as many of the others. Maybe it was his time in Northrend. Maybe he was just one of those people that could tolerate the cold better. Either way, he found himself unfazed by the chill in the air as he sat outside in the early morning, with nothing but a cup of coffee and a light coat over his usual attire to keep warm. He took a sip and watched as the sun slowly began to melt the frost from the grass. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander.

It had been five days. Five days since the fundraiser. Fluttershy, he had heard, had gone to perform at that filly’s cute-ceanera. And then the next day at a ribbon cutting ceremony. And again at the spa. And at the schoolhouse. And just last night, she and the Ponytones had performed at Sugarcube Corner, even though Big Mac’s voice had recovered by that point. And of course, just as Kyle had predicted, Fluttershy had been exposed when she accidentally knocked over the curtains. From what he heard, the reaction from the crowd had been incredibly positive, though Fluttershy still refused to perform for anyone besides her closest Pony and animal friends.

Five days since he had confronted Lyra. The two had spent a couple of afternoons together since then, and Kyle had to admit that their friendship felt a bit more strained now. Of course, that was to be expected. Their words were more carefully chosen, their actions thought through more thoroughly. Oh sure, they still had fun - Just the other day, they had gone to watch the Ponies play that strange game on the dirt diamond again. Baseball, Lyra called it. But there was a new tension between them, just under the surface, dampening their spirits.

Five days since he had asked Twilight to the Gala. Of course, he had refrained from mentioning this to Lyra - she’d certainly see it completely the wrong way and get angry. He hadn’t even mentioned the Gala to her. He and Twilight had also spent an afternoon together recently. He had watched as Scootaloo and her friends came over and Twilight began to teach them how to do various things - Scootaloo was re-assembling a unicycle, Sweetie Belle was learning her Unicorn magic, and Applebloom was learning rudimentary alchemy. Even though her potion had ended in failure, it at least hadn’t blown up like many first attempts were known to do. It was also at this point that the trio had learned that Kyle and Twilight were going to the Gala together, earning them some smirks from Scootaloo.

It was safe to say that things had become a little awkward between him and Twilight.  They hadn’t really talked much that day, even after the crusaders had left. In the end, after sitting around on the couches for a few minutes in silence, Kyle had decided to read up on the Minotaur tribes, since he would soon be attempting to negotiate trade deals with some of them, while Twilight had settled in with one of her own books. That led to nearly three hours of silence between the two, ending only when Kyle said his goodbyes.

Kyle reached for his mug of coffee, only to discover that it was now empty. He glanced towards the horizon, where the sun had now fully risen. He rose to his feet and stepped back into the town hall. A moment later he was seated at his desk in his office.

The stack papers in front of him was quite small, so he didn’t feel the need to begin immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t long after that a knock came at his door. He opened his eyes again. “Come in,” he called out. 

As usual, Filwin stepped in. She had her usual goggles, her usual clipboard, her hair was tied up in its usual pigtails.  But Kyle’s smile fell as he saw the not-so-usual look of concern on her face as she approached. “Good morning, Commander.” Even her voice seemed a bit off.

“Hello Filwin…” Kyle said slowly as she hopped up in the seat opposite him. “What’s the word today?”

“Nothing new around Ironwall. This, however...” She pulled a tied-up scroll from her pocket and handed it to him. “... Is another matter. From Canterlot. Princess Celestia, I’d be willing to bet. The courier said it was urgent.”

Kyle felt his heartbeat quicken as he took the scroll. He glanced across the table, and his eyes met Filwin’s for a brief moment. He nodded and untied the scroll. It slowly unrolled, and he began to read.

        Commander Slater:

I hope the day finds you well. We have received several reports from citizens and scouts near Appleoosa of disturbances out in the badlands and to the south. Trees from the forests south of the Badlands have been cut down, and strange markings have been discovered. Neither the Appleoosans nor the Minotaur Tribes in the area have claimed the cutting of these trees or these markings.

At this time, we do not have any evidence that this is related to the Changelings in the area, but we cannot rule anything out. It is likely nothing, but as you are closer to the situation, I would still ask that you investigate into this matter. If you can, contact the Changelings and inquire about this and let us know what they tell you.

Princess Celestia

P.S. I look forward to seeing you and Twilight Sparkle at the Gala. -P.L.

Kyle forced himself to ignore the final line from Luna and re-read the main message. “Trees cut down… strange markings… the locals claim no responsibility…” he murmured.

Filwin walked around to the other side of the desk and looked up at the scroll as well. “That’s… odd,” she said. She turned her gaze towards Kyle. “Should I send an envoy to the Changeling Hives?”

Kyle shook his head. “No. After the battle at Hive Regali, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Changelings would be distrusting of any Humans wandering around. I’ll go personally. At the very least, Empress Yxia and I are on speaking terms.”

“Shall I prepare a hippogryph?”

Kyle shook his head again. “Not yet. I’m expecting Scootaloo over this morning for a training session, and I’d like to at least get that done before heading out.”

“In that case, I shall have a hippogryph ready at midday. I’m assuming you won’t be too much longer than that.” 

Kyle shook his head for a third time. “No, we won’t be.” He glanced over at the time. 9:00. “She should be here any minute. Go ahead and do what you need to do.” Filwin saluted and took her leave, closing the door behind her.

Kyle stared after her for a moment before pulling the letter back in front of him. “Ponies, Minotaurs, and Changelings, all living in the vicinity of this disturbance…” he murmured. “And yet no one knows what caused it…” His first stop, he reckoned, should be Appleoosa. There, he could get one of the locals to show him to the disturbances so he could get a look personally. After that, he’d head over to Hive Regali to see what Yxia knew about this. Hopefully it was nothing. Maybe a Minotaur or a Changeling chopping down some lumber. Still, better safe than sorry.

Kyle took another glance at the clock. 9:05. Surely Scootaloo would be here by now. he set the letter aside and made his way out of his office. Sure enough, as he stepped out of the large building, the familiar orange Pegasus was trotting up the road towards him. He grinned as he walked forward and tousled her mane. “Hey squirt,” he greeted.

Scootaloo pulled away from his hand and growled playfully. “C’mon, cut that out,” she said. “You know my parents hate it when my mane gets all messed up.”

“Like our training sessions don’t mess it up enough?” he countered.

“True. Speaking of, what are we doing today?”

“I’ve got something new in store,” Kyle replied. He began to walk away, and motioned for Scootaloo to follow. “Come. We’re heading down to the sparring ring.” Scootaloo quickly fell into step behind him.

The sparring ring, as it turned out, was little more than a crudely-drawn circle in a large open area of dirt, nearly fifty meters across. They were not the only ones there - A heavily-armored Draenei was already waiting in the center of the ring. His armor shone brightly in the morning sun, contrasting greatly against the large, dull wooden sword that he clutched in his left hand.

“Glad to see you’re ready, Nobrul,” Kyle greeted as he shook the Draenei’s free hand. “Thanks for helping out today.”

“No thanks are necessary,” Nobrul replied. He turned his head towards Scootaloo. “It is always a pleasure to aid in teaching others to defend themselves and their allies.”

“Huh?” Scootaloo cocked her head as she looked between the two.

“You’ve done well with what we’ve studied so far,” Kyle began. “We established your control of Chi early on, and honed it through practice. You’ve also learned the martial skills that a Monk utilizes in combat. However, the only opponent you’ve fought - not including the Sha, demons, or the Changelings - is me. Another Monk, whose skills you’ve learned from and learned to counter. Your only other opponents have been essentially mindless creatures, or foes overcome by insatiable bloodlust. Now, it is time to branch out.”

Kyle gestured towards the Draenei. “Nobrul here is a Draenei Paladin - A skilled warrior who also wields the power of the light to smite his foes and protect his allies. His skills and abilities are vastly different from our own. In time, you may have to face a foe such as Nobrul. Someone whose abilities and skills you do not know. Not a common foot soldier, but a skilled foe. You must learn to think in the moment, to react and adjust as you learn.”

“To this end, I’ve asked Nobrul to spar with you today. You and he will duel in the arena, and you must learn to counter his attacks and land your own.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Got it.” She turned to face Nobrul, who was now staring intently at her. She eyed him up and down, from his muscular body to his truesteel armor to the large weapon in his hand. “So when do we begin?”

Kyle glanced towards Nobrul. “Now.”

A golden hammer of light instantly materialized over Scootaloo’s head, knocking her to the ground. She yelped as her face hit the dirt, and scrambled to her hooves as Nobrul raced towards her. She barely managed to roll to the side as moved his sword in a wide uppercut through the space where she had just been. He spun to the side and used the momentum of his uppercut to bring the wooden blade slamming down to the ground, narrowly avoiding Scootaloo as she jumped to the right. She launched herself forward, but found her jab blocked as Nobrul lowered his shoulder to intercept the strike. He flung his arm outward, sending Scootaloo flying backwards.

Scootaloo took a brief moment to recover her composure as Nobrul raced towards her again. She ducked under his sideswipe, but did not anticipate his armored boot coming up to meet her. It grazed her jaw, sending her spinning to the side as she reeled away from the blow. Nobrul did not relent, but instead stretched his hand out towards her. A fist made of the same golden light raced forwards, slamming into the underside of Scootaloo’s stomach and knocking the wind from her. In an instant, Nobrul was on top of her. He tipped her over onto her side with his boot and drove the wooden sword into the dirt next to her head. “I claim this victory,” he declared.

Scootaloo laid on the ground for a moment, gasping for air. She eventually recovered her breath and staggered back to her feet. Kyle motioned for her to come over, and he began to channel a Soothing Mist onto her as she approached. “So… how’d I do?” she asked. Judging by how she refused to meet his gaze, she already knew the answer.

“If that had been a real fight, you would be dead,” Kyle replied bluntly. “But that’s to be expected on your first attempt against a seasoned veteran like Nobrul. But I must ask… do you know where you went wrong?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “You were beaten at the start,” Kyle explained. “When you were knocked to the ground by his Judgement. We’ve discussed this before. If you are caught off-guard, an opponent will have an easy time defeating you. If possible, you must make the first strike. The advantage you get is crucial.”

Kyle patted Scootaloo’s back and nudged her. “Alright. Get back in there. Don’t forget the basics. You can do this.


---


Three hours later, Scootaloo staggered out of the arena again. This time, she sported a bump across her head, and had a small limp. She collapsed in front of Kyle, who stepped aside as a Priest knelt down beside her. It had gotten to the point where Kyle’s own rudimentary Mistweaving skills were insufficient to keep up with the beatings she was taking.

Every time, she was beaten for a different reason. She lost her footing at a crucial moment. She wasn’t fast enough to dodge a blow. She attempted a head-on attack against a heavier, better-armored foe. That last time, she had taken the hilt of his sword to her forehead as she attempted to flip over him. But she was realizing where she was messing up. And that could only lead to improvement.

Nobrul himself seemed as collected as ever. He almost made it look easy, beating Scootaloo time and time again. Only the slight shimmer across his forehead showed the effort he was exerting. The experienced Paladin certainly wasn’t going easy on the young Monk. But not once had she complained. She just walked back into the arena every time, ready to give it another shot.

As the Priest backed away for what felt like the millionth time that day, Kyle gave her body a quick look-over. The bump on her head had faded away, and as she took a few steps, her limp was gone. “Alright. Let’s go again,” she said calmly.

Kyle shook his head. “No, that’s enough for today,” he said. “We don’t want to wear you out too much.” He glanced over at the Priest, who nodded and began to walk away. He then turned his head towards the Paladin still in the ring. “Thanks again for your help today, Nobrul. Would you be willing to join us again next time?”

“Certainly.” He turned his gaze towards Scootaloo. “You have learned and improved from our matches, youngling,” he commented. “More than can be said for many who have faced a challenge like this. I look forward to our next session.”

Kyle and Scootaloo watched as Nobrul effortlessly tossed the wooden sword off to the side of the arena as if it were a toothpick. As he walked away, Kyle turned back to his apprentice. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked. “Didn’t get too beaten up in there, I hope.”

“No. No, I’m alright,” she sighed. She averted her gaze. “I should have done better.”

“Not really.” Scootaloo looked over as Kyle chuckled. “You actually handled yourself better than I expected. You almost had him that last time. I didn’t expect you to beat him. Neither of us did. We wanted to see how well you would respond to a new challenge, and while you didn’t win, you learned a lot.”

“Hm?”

“I could see it as you went back in again and again,” Kyle continued. “Every time, you adjusted something, you tweaked something about how you handled yourself. Your reaction time to his attacks, even new ones he would unleash, became quicker every single time. You’re learning how to handle yourself in an actual fight against a powerful opponent, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

Kyle saw a small smile form on Scootaloo’s lips, and he patted her on the back. “There you go,” he grinned. “So, we’re probably going to have our next session after the Gala. Let’s say four days after?”

“Sounds good to me.” 

Kyle patted Scootaloo’s back once more and rose to his feet. “Well, That’s it for today. If you want to meditate you can, but I’ve got to get going. I have a hippogryph to catch.”

“Huh?” Scootaloo turned her head towards him. “Where are you going?”

“There’s been a disturbance out in the Badlands,” he explained. “Odd markings, trees cut down, no one claiming responsibility. I’m going to investigate, and maybe meet with Empress Yxia while I’m there.”

“Sounds exciting! Can I come?”

“No you may n…” Kyle trailed off his automatic response and glanced towards the sky. Part of him wanted to say no, but the other half asked “Why not?” It would only be a day - two at the most. Plenty of time to get her back in time for the school week. And it’s not like he was off to fight a battle or anything. It was just investigating. And as her mentor, he was supposed to take her out into the world with him.

“You know what?” he finally said. “Sure, you can come along. Go get your saddlebags and get ready for a trip. It’ll only be a day or two.” Scootaloo beamed and spread her wings, taking to the sky. “And tell your parents where you’re going!” he called after her as she sailed over the walls of Ironwall.

Kyle stared after her for a brief moment before turning and walking away from the sparring arena. He had some packing to do himself. Food, water, survival tools... It was the Badlands, after all. Better safe than sorry.

> Chapter 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“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.”

> Chapter 18
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was still dark when Kyle awoke. The only light in the small, two-bed saloon room came from the pale moonlight that filtered through the dust-caked windows. Had he still been in Ironwall or on a trip to relax, there was a good chance that he might have simply rolled over and gone back to sleep.

But this wasn’t Ironwall, and he wasn’t here to relax. This was Appleoosa, and he had a job to do. A job that just so happened to start at the break of dawn. A time which was fast approaching. So rather than drift back into sleep, he stretched his arms and pushed himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes and peered through the darkness to the other bed in the room. The small lump in the sheets that indicated where Scootaloo was sleeping had yet to move. No need to get her up quite yet. He instead pushed himself out of his bed and made his way to the door, with a trip to the bathroom in mind. 

His trip didn’t take long. Even so, by the time he returned to his room, the eastern horizon had begun to change from black to a brilliant blood red. Dawn was nearly upon them. Which meant it was time to get to work. Kyle moved over to Scootaloo’s bed and sat down at the foot of it. He poked at the lump underneath the sheets. “Hey, squirt,” he said quietly. “Time to get up.”

The lump squirmed, and a moment later Scootaloo’s head poked out from under the covers. “Already?” she yawned. She glanced out the window behind her. “The sun’s not even up yet…”

“We’re starting at dawn, remember?” Kyle reminded her. He pushed himself off of the bed and shouldered his bag “Come on, get up. We’ve gotta get going.” Scootaloo yawned again, but rose to her hooves and hopped down from the bed. “Alright. Get your things together and meet me downstairs. I’ll get us some breakfast from the bar, and we’ll be ready when Silverstar arrives.”

Kyle and Scootaloo exited the room together, with Kyle turing right to head down to the bar and Scootaloo heading left towards the restroom. As Kyle exited the stairwell and stepped into the main room, he noted with little surprise that the area was deserted. The only other creature in the room was the Pony behind the bar. Kyle sat down at the bar and placed his order - two plates of eggs and an apple each, along with water for Scootaloo and some coffee for himself. The Pony jotted down his order and walked into the back, leaving Kyle alone.

His solitude didn’t last long. The sound of hoofsteps and the creaking of the stairs announced Scootaloo’s approach well before she came into view. She shrugged her bag off before hovering up to the seat next to Kyle at the bar. The two sat in silence as they waited for their food, and the silence continued as it arrived and they ate.

Kyle had just finished the last dregs of his coffee as the saloon doors were pushed open. Sheriff Silverstar walked into the building, flanked by two other Earth Ponies - a lanky-looking yellow stallion with a buzzed orange mane, and a bulkier blue stallion with a slightly longer black-and-grey mane. They hung back by the door as Silverstar walked up to the bar. “You two ready?” he asked.

Kyle glanced over at Scootaloo, who was chugging down the last of her water. She dropped the glass back onto the bar and nodded. “We’re ready,” Kyle confirmed.

“Alright.” Silverstar turned and walked back towards the entrance, with Kyle and Scootaloo right behind him. He turned towards the two stallions waiting beside the door. “Quick Draw, Dustbowl, you two stay behind and keep the peace while I’m gone.”

“Sure thing, boss,” the smaller one replied.

“And that don’t mean just hidin’ away in the office and playin’ cards.”

There was a slight hesitation before the smaller stallion nodded again. “Got it.”

“Good.” Silverstar watched as the two stallions turned and walked out of the saloon and headed back down the street. He glanced over his shoulder and flicked his tail. “C’mon you two,” he said as he pushed the doors open himself. “We got a bit of a walk ahead of us.”

Silverstar lead them down the street towards the apple orchard. Kyle turned his head this way and that as they entered the treeline. The ground beneath him was firmer than the dusty street in the town itself, yet gave more leeway than the sun-cracked earth in the rest of the Badlands. Up ahead, he could see a series of large mountains looming over the horizon. “Seems like an odd spot for an apple orchard,” he commented. “Out here in the desert.”

“Ain’t as bad as most Ponies seem to think,” Silverstar replied. “This is part o’ the Badlands in name alone. Appleoosa ain’t nothin’ like the rest o’ the Badlands. The Everfree Forest ain’t too far away, but far enough that all them dangerous beasts in there don’t show up ‘round here. Plus the Macintosh Mountain Range comes up from the south. We’re kinda wedged in a little chokepoint here between the eastern and western halves of the Badlands. Gives us a nice inflow of cooler air from the western seas, keeps the temperature cooler. And all the weather Ponies said this would be the best spot in the Badlands to grow anything.” There was a short silence. “Doesn’t hurt that they bring plenty o’ rain from Cloudsdale down here during the growin’ season,” he added.

“How long have you all been out here?”

“Not too long. Just had our third harvest this year. We were still buildin’ out here when the whole Nightmare Moon incident happened. Braeburn tells me you know his cousin Applejack, yeah?” Kyle nodded. “She brought one of her own apple trees down here t’ be planted fer the first harvest. She and her friends helped us out of tight jam.”

“How so?” This time it was Scootaloo who spoke up.

“The buffalo,” Silverstar sighed. “They’ve been roaming the badlands fer generations. They only settle in one spot fer a few days before moving on. And every year, the tribes migrated from one half of the Badlands to the other. Turns out, we were planting our orchard right in the middle of their stampede path. We tried negotiating, but…”

“It didn’t work out?” Scootaloo finished.

“Pretty much,” Silverstar nodded. “I’ll admit, I might’ve been a bit… boneheaded. The buffalo actually ended up trying to stampede right through Appleoosa before we finally came up with a compromise. We give ‘em a few dozen apple pies each year, and we cut ‘em a path through the orchards for them to stampede through.”

“So that’s the stampede path you had marked on the map,” Kyle murmured.

“Eeyup. We’ll actually be crossin’ it here in a minute or two.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Just a big ol’ dirt road at the moment. Their stampede came through a couple o’ weeks ago at the end of the harvest. Shouldn’t be anything going on there now.”

Sure enough, it was only a few moments before the trees suddenly parted. The three of them stood on the side of a wide dirt path through the canopy of the apple trees, clearly beaten down by repeated stampedes and marked by hoofprints. Rain and wind had blurred and erased many of the prints, but evidence of the buffalo stampede was still clear in the ground

The trio made their way across the the stampede path and into the southern half of the orchard. The mountains were now rising higher and higher into the sky, clearly visible between the leafless branches of the orchard trees. “And those are the Macintosh Mountains?” he asked.

“Eeyup,” Silverstar nodded. “Marks the border of the Kingdom of Equestria. Appleoosa’s really the only holding the Princesses have out here in the Badlands. You’ve got Dodge Junction out to the west, but that’s not really in the Badlands. Everything else is either wilderness or controlled by the Changelings or the roaming Buffalo tribes. A good number of Dragons call those mountains their home. I’ve also heard rumor of hermits or exiles taking refuge in there.. Beyond the mountains you’ve got the southern reaches of the continent, where the Minotaur tribes have settled.”

“But obviously we’re not going that far,” Silverstar added. “Our destination is just inside the foothills. Shouldn’t be too much longer before we clear the orchard.”

Soon, the sheriff's words came true. The apple orchard abruptly ended, revealing a large stretch of open land leading towards another distant line of pine trees. Kyle guessed that there was at least a mile and a half of open land between them and the forest. Unlike the rest of the Badlands, this area looked comparatively bountiful, with grass stretching both to the east and west as far as the eye could see. He even spotted a small pond not too far away from the orchard. “Couldn’t the buffalo have just used this open place to stampede through?” he asked.

“We suggested that at first,” Silverstar nodded. “But they’ve got some weird superstition about the Macintosh Mountains. Part of their folklore, I reckon. They don’t like to be any nearer to them than they can help. Their traditional stamped path took them right through Appleoosa, and some of them were upset at moving even that little distance south to the path we cut for ‘em.”

“What kind of superstitions?” Scootaloo asked.

Silverstar shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve been in those foothills plenty o’ times and ain’t once met anything worse than a few bears. But I ain’t gonna question it too much. We got our deal, and it works out good for both sides. No use fixin’ what ain’t broke. Now c’mon.” He stepped forward out of the treeline and into the plains. “The trees were cut down in that forest over there.”

For a while, the trio walked in silence across the field. Kyle couldn’t help but note again how different this place was to the rest of the Badlands that he had seen. The dominant color was not the brown that the rest of the Badlands saw, but instead a light golden-green. Short grass grew everywhere, and taller grasses as well in isolated patches.

“So how did Apple Munchies notice the missing trees in the first place?” Kyle finally asked. “Seems like that forest would be a bit… out of the way?”

“It’s where we get most of our firewood and such,” Silverstar explained. “We don’t dare try and cut down any of the Everfree trees. Ain’t a soul in Equestria foolish enough to try that. I’m guessin’ she was out there cuttin’ some down and noticed ‘em missing. Or she mighta been relxin’. It ain’t really that far away, and it’s a nice enough spot to just wander around in for an hour or two.”

Silence descended upon the group again as they approached the treeline. Soon, they were walking through the treeline and into the forest. Here, unlike the apple orchard further north, not all the trees had not shed their leaves. Though some had turned brown and fallen away, many of them retained their green color. It was clear that Ponies didn’t actively take care of this area - the undergrowth was widespread and fairly thick at points. The fact that the ground was beginning to slope upwards didn’t help them overcome the undergrowth, making Progress through the forest slow.

It was about fifteen minutes before Silverstar finally stopped. on a relatively flat bit of ground. “Alright. It’s just on the other side of these branches,” he warned. “Be careful now. We dunno if whatever made this mess has or is gonna come back.” He pushed his way through the branches and onto the other side. Kyle and Scootaloo exchanged a glance and a small nod before following him through.

Sure enough, there were no trees behind the branch. A huge swath of trees had been clearcut from the forest. There had to be over two hundred stumps in this clearing now. Not even the branches had been left behind. They’d been taken with the trees by whomever had done this.

“Well then…” Kyle cleared his throat. “I, uh… I didn’t expect it to be so… noticeable.”

“Yeah. Kinda hard to miss,” Silverstar nodded. “I’ll stand over here and keep a lookout. You and yer apprentice take a look around, see if you can find anything.”

“Right. Scootaloo, you look around that side,” Kyle said, pointing towards the right. “I’ll look over here. Try and find anything that might give us a clue as to who might have done this. Markings, anything left behind, anything. Five minutes, we meet back in the center”

Kyle and Scootaloo split apart and walked to opposite sides of the clearings. Kyle knelt down next to one of the smaller trunks. It was a clean cut. No bits of bark remained above the location of the cut, and indeed some bits of bark from the stump had been ripped away, indicating great strength behind the cut - this tree could have been felled by a single swipe.

A marking in the dirt next to the stump caught his eye, and he bent down next to it. It was the imprint of a boot, no doubt about it. It was also fairly sunk into the ground. Many other prints similar to this one crisscrossed each other all across the clearing.

He wandered towards the edge of the clearing and took a peek around the treeline for any clues. There, on the ground next to one of the still-standing trees. A tiny drop of a green liquid. Kyle picked up a loose stick and poked at the liquid. It stuck to the branch and held it in place, and it took a decent effort for Kyle to rip the branch away. He peered at the small amount that had been ripped away and clung to the branch. This substance was familiar...

Finally, his eyes moved towards another pair of prints. These two were perfect circles and obviously a pair, far clearer and near the edge of the clearing. If anything, they were sunk even deeper into the ground. Bits of bark were scattered around the prints, as well as a small drop of a black substance. Kyle picked up a piece of bark and dipped it into the liquid. He brought it to his nose and took a small sniff. His heart beat faster, and a feeling of horror washed over him.

By this time, Scootaloo was making her way towards the center of the clearing, and Kyle did the same. “So, what did you find?” Kyle asked.

Scootaloo took a breath. “Well, firstly, the number of trees cut down…” she began.

“Which tells you what?”

“This wasn’t a small job. This was a bunch of lumberjacks working together.”

“Which rules out Zinju, unless he’s managed to get more of his Legion lackeys here into Equestria,” Kyle nodded. “Go on.”

“These prints…” She bent down towards a print similar to the one Kyle had noticed. “That’s no hoofprint. Which means it wasn’t somepony from Appleoosa, and it wasn’t a Minotaur either. I dunno if Changelings can shapeshift into Humans, but…”

“It’s was definitely a Humanoid creature,” Kyle finished. “And a heavy one at that, judging by how deep the print is set in.”

“That’s all I could find,” Scootaloo admitted.

“Well, I think I’ve found something else,” Kyle murmured. He led her back towards the second set of prints he found. “That’s no hoofprint either,” he commented. “Nor was it the same thing that left the other prints behind.”

“Then what was it?”

“A machine. And a heavy one at that.” Kyle pointed towards the puddle of black liquid. “Oil,” he stated.

“So…” Scootaloo glanced around. “Any idea what caused all this?”

“I have a hunch,” Kyle murmured. His heart began to beat faster again. “But I’m praying that I’m wrong…”

“Hm?”

“We’ve got to go talk to Empress Yxia,” he replied. “There was a drop of a sticky green liquid just inside the treeline as well, and I’m willing to bet a Changeling left it behind.”

“You think the Changelings did this?” Silverstar asked, causing Kyle to jump. He had forgotten that the stallion was there as well.

“No. I don’t think the Changelings were responsible for cutting this place down,” Kyle replied. “But they were watching. I bet they know who is. And we’re about to go find out.”
> Chapter 19
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure the Empress will know what’s going on?” Scootaloo shouted past the rush of the wind.

“As sure as I can be,” Kyle replied loudly. He leaned forward and urged his hippogryph onwards, pushing it to go as fast as it could. The ground beneath him was a mere blur, a streak of brown. Any rocky features among the desolate landscape left his field of vision before he could even register that they were there. They’d only been in the air for half an hour, and yet to Kyle it felt like an eternity. Surely the entrance to the Hive should be showing up by now…

Aha. There it was. A large, nearly perfectly-round hole sunk into the desert floor and sloping down beneath the surface.  He’d only seen the entrance once before, under the cover of night, but there was no mistaking it in this wasteland. He pulled back on the hippogryph’s reins and flew in a wide circle around the hole in the ground. Scootaloo followed suit, and soon the two of them touched down at the top of the slope.

No Changelings were waiting for them. None announced their presence as they slowly descended into the mouth of the Hive. Not that he expected a welcoming party. He had no doubt that they were even now being watched by the inhabitants of the hive, but he knew that their observers would not reveal themselves. Not unless they had a good reason to. And for now, he was content to not give them that reason.

As Kyle looked around the slope leading into the bowels of the hive, he noted a stark similarity between the Changeling architecture and the designs of other races on Azeroth. It looked very much like a cross between the Mantid’s architecture and the ruins of Ahn’Quiraj that he had explored. The dominant colors were brown and purple, with intricate patterns and carvings displayed on the walls and floor. Amber lanterns dotted the  walls, while the ceiling was illuminated by glowing amber crystals. On occasion, a side passages would jut out to the side. Each one was wide enough to comfortably fit half a dozen Humans side by side, with room to spare. Each one, he noted, had a different series of runes inscribed on the floor leading into the corridor - perhaps labeling what lay beyond.

The upper levels appeared deserted, or else the Changelings within were hiding themselves very well. There were no signs of life - no movement, no noise besides their own footfalls, nothing. As they descended lower, however, Kyle would notice increasingly frequent signs of life. A flicker of movement off to the left. A faint green glow in the shadows. The faint buzz of wings. A single glowing blue eye to the right. They were watching, alright.

And then, he saw them. Dead ahead, a row of seven Changelings, standing shoulder to shoulder, fully covered in ebon-colored armor. He sensed Scootaloo’s movement become more tense as she caught sight of them too. He couldn’t blame her. It was all he could do to keep his own pace casual as he approached the line. He came to a stop a half dozen paces from the Changelings and stretched out his arm, stopping Scootaloo as well.

Kyle locked eyes with the Changeling in the middle of the line, who returned his stare evenly. Seconds passed. Seconds that seemed to stretch on for an age. Finally, the Changeling took a step forward. “You have entered the realm of the Changelings,” he announced. “Be you friend or foe?”

“Friend,” Kyle replied calmly. “We come in peace.”

“Why have you come at all?” The Changeling demanded. “You are certainly a long way from home.”

“I must speak with Grand Empress Yxia.”

The Changeling glanced over his shoulder at the line behind him before returning his gaze to Kyle. “The Empress is not receiving visitors, Human.” he retorted, sneering on the last word.

Kyle’s posture hardened. “She will receive me,” he insisted.

The Changeling’s eyes narrowed, and he crouched ever so slightly closer to the ground. “Leave. And do not return.”

Kyle returned the glare. “You will inform your Empress that Kyle Slater is at her doorstep,” he hissed. He didn’t miss the fact that half of the Changelings remaining in the original line stiffened at the mention of his name. “Or you will answer to her when she learns that he has been turned away.”

Nor did he miss the Changeling in front of him draw back half a pace. “Slater…” the Changeling hissed softly. He glanced to either side again before returning his attention back to Kyle, whose gaze had not left him. “Fine,” he growled. He turned towards the Changeling to Kyle’s far left. “You. Stay here with Slater’s beast,” he commanded. The Changeling saluted and moved forward to take the hippogryph’s reins from Kyle. The first Changeling then turned back to Kyle. “Follow us. And do not stray.” Kyle chose to ignore the threat behind the Changeling’s words, and instead fell into step alongside Scootaloo behind the seven Changelings as they descended further down the slope.

As they descended even deeper into the hive, the signs of life became far more obvious. Changelings no longer hid themselves, but instead walked openly among the side streets and up and down the main slope. Many of them starred as Kyle and Scootaloo walked past, and some of them leaned close to each other and began to speak in their language of hisses and clicks. It was clear that they didn’t see visitors very often. “Not that that’s a surprise,” he thought as he shot another look at the Changeling who had confronted them.

The group of guards leading them took an abrupt turn down one of the side passages to the right, and Kyle and Scootaloo turned to follow. Here, the street was lit far better than the main slope. The path itself was completely flat and curved slightly to the left. Various doors branched off of the street on either side

The guards turned and walked through the third such door on their left, and Kyle and Scootaloo followed. A short, narrow hallway lay beyond, leading to an even narrower counterclockwise spiral staircase that stretched both up and down. The group of eight followed the staircase upwards for a minute or two before reaching the top, which opened up into a vast hallway. Amber pillars lined the sides, each one ornately carved and decorated with fine gems and precious metals. Between each set of pillars, a detailed statue of a Changeling stood tall and proud, with a plaque at the base of each statue written in the Changelings’ native tongue. One, however, was barren - just a pedestal and a blank plaque. At the end stood a large double door, flanked by half a dozen armored Changelings on each side.

The procession stopped outside of the double doors, and the lead Changeling turned to face Kyle again. “Wait out here,” he ordered.

The Changeling turned to open the doors, but was forced to take several hasty steps backwards as the doors were flung open from the inside. Another Changeling raced forward, this one much smaller and leaner than the guards. The newcomer yelped as he barreled straight into the lead guard, sending both of them collapsing in a heap on the floor.

The guard was the first to rise, bristling. Hisses and clicks flew furiously from his mouth as he gestured angrily at both the door and the smaller Changeling cowering before him. The smaller Changeling seemed to stammer as it produced a sealed envelope. The guard blinked and glanced towards Kyle. He then pointed. The smaller Changeling’s gaze followed the guard’s hoof, and its eyes opened wide. “Kyle Slater?” it asked in a distinctly feminine voice. Kyle nodded. “Excellent! The Empress wishes to speak with you.”

Kyle couldn’t help himself as he saw the look on the guard’s face - a mixture of shock and outrage. He shot the guard a smug grin as he and Scootaloo strolled passed the guards and into the room beyond. The doors slammed closed behind them, leaving them alone in the the room.

Kyle recognized the room instantly. This was the throne room - the heart of the Changeling hive. They stood upon a path leading towards the throne, seemingly made of pure amber while the rest of the floor was stone. Four intricately-carved pillars on each side of the path towered high above them to touch the ceiling, each one wide enough to conceal both Kyle and Scootaloo easily. A small door leading to the Empress’s quarters lay near the throne on the right side of the room. And though it was now concealed, Kyle knew that the secret entrance into the throne room lay in the corner behind him and to his left.

The throne itself lay at the top of a flight of stairs. It appeared to be carved of solid amber, with purple velvet attached to it for a seat and back-rest. A trio of stained-glass windows lay behind the throne, each one depicting a Changeling - presumably great Emperors and Empresses from the past.

And speaking of Empresses…

The only other creature in the room besides Kyle and Scootaloo was a lone Changeling, sitting upon the throne. Her appearance was far different from that of the others - For starters, her eyes had fully-formed pupils, rather than being pure blue spheres. She was far taller than any other Changeling, with her head coming up to Kyle’s. Her horn, which was jagged - unlike the normal curved horns of the others - stretched far above Kyle’s head.

Yxia, Grand Empress of the Changeling Empire.

Kyle saw her raise an eyebrow as he and Scootaloo approached the throne. She hopped off of her throne and descended down the stairs to meet them at the base. “Kyle Slater.” Kyle blinked. Her voice no longer had the same Draenei-like accent that the others had. It had become smoother, more feminine, less accented. Similar to how Chrysalis’s had been, but distinctly higher-pitched. “It has been a while since last we met face-to-face,”

“Indeed,” Kyle replied. For a moment, the two of them locked eyes, neither willing to break eye contact. Finally, Yxia smiled. She extended one hoof towards Kyle, who returned the smile. He took a step forward and embraced the Empress in a light hug.

They broke the hug, and Kyle stepped backwards next to Scootaloo again. “The hospitality of your Hive leaves a bit to be desired,” he commented. “Your guard was prepared to chase us out before I mentioned my name.”

Yxia’s smile faltered slightly. “Yes, your name seems to hold power over my Changelings. They remember the death you unleashed upon the empire, but also the salvation you helped to bring. You must forgive my guard’s reaction.” Her voice became drier. “You can imagine that we do not entertain guests often. Ponies never seem to want to stop by and visit.”

“But that brings me to a question,” she continued. “I had only just sent a courier to Ironwall, not two minutes before you entered. You came of your own accord. What brings you to Hive Regali? And with your apprentice, no less?”

“I’m afraid that we’re not here to stop and visit, either,” Kyle replied. “I’m hoping you can help us.”

“Oh?” Yxia cocked her head. “How so?”

“We need information.”

“Go on.”

“There was a disturbance in the forests south of the Appleoosa Apple Orchards a few days ago,” Kyle began. “Right in the foothills. There were -”

“Trees missing and strange prints?” Yxia interrupted. Kyle hesitated for a split second before nodding. “Funny that you should come asking about this, when I had just sent a courier to you requesting you to come speak to me about this very same thing.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “So you clearly thought that this was something I should know about anyway,” he said.

“Indeed. One of my scouts noticed the harvesting of the trees in progress. I sent another squad of scouts out to monitor the situation. They stayed in the forest, out of sight of the cutters, and followed them.”

Kyle smiled. “Excellent. So you know where these guys are hiding out?”

“Yes. High in the mountains, farther than our patrols scout.” She paused, and Kyle gestured for her to continue. “I’m assuming you’d wish to see for yourself?”

“Yes, please.”

“Very well.” Yxia took a step backwards and closed her eyes. For a moment, she stood perfectly still. Finally, her eyes opened again. “I am told that you have brought a beast of flight with you?” she asked. Kyle nodded. “Then I and a flight wing will accompany you to their stronghold.”

“Stronghold?” Kyle repeated.

“Aye. Stronghold.”

Kyle felt his heartbeat quicken. “By any chance,” he began slowly, “did your Changelings describe to you what they looked like? Were they Minotaur”

“No, they were no Minotaur,” Yxia closed her eyes again. “Though they did stand on two legs as a Minotaur does. Let’s see now… There were two different types of creatures. Both were green. One, however, was far taller than the other, with large muscles. The smaller creatures were -”

“Let me guess,” Kyle murmured. He felt his heart tighten as he took a deep breath. “Large ears - many of them pierced - long noses, arms that nearly touched the ground, some of them riding big machines with buzz-saws attached to them?”

Yxia nodded slowly. “How did you know?”

Kyle shook his head. “Damn it all to hell…” he muttered. “The Horde is in Equestria.”


---


“Up ahead. Quiet now,” One of the Changelings murmured. Kyle nodded and glanced around him for what felt like the thousandth time. He and Scootaloo had been accompanied by Yxia and half a dozen Changelings out of Hive Regali, and together they had flown almost directly west, right towards the Macintosh Mountains. They’d flown over the foothills and past a few of the mountain peaks before settling on the western slope of one of the mountains, next to a large lake. Two of the Changelings had remained behind with Kyle’s hippogryph, while the rest of them had pushed on ahead.

And here they were. Skulking through the forest like a pack of bandits, creeping up on their target. Kyle glanced back towards Yxia, who waved with her hoof. “Go on,” she gestured. “We’ll wait back here. You go take a look.” Kyle nodded, and he and Scootaloo pushed through the trees closer towards their destination.

For a minute, the pair crept through the forest in silence. A faint smell of smoke reached Kyle’s nose. He turned his head towards his apprentice. “You okay?” he murmured to her. “You’ve been pretty quiet.”

“Not much for me to say,” Scootaloo replied quietly. “You seemed to have it covered.”

“Nervous?”

“A bit,” she admitted. She glanced over towards him. “I’m just remembering the last time I saw the Horde. That Tauren up in Kun-Lai.”

“Oh yeah…” Kyle had almost forgotten about their encounter with the Druid high in the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit, where the Tauren had saved them both from an attack by the summit prowlers. “What was his name… Tulstag?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me tell you right now,” Kyle warned, “Don’t expect every member of the Horde to be like Tulstag. He’s by far the exception, not the rule. We’re not exactly going to be welcomed with open arms if we’re spotted. So keep low and keep quiet.”

“Assuming this is actually the Horde,” Scootaloo added.

Kyle hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. “I’m praying that I’m wrong,” he murmured. “But I doubt I am.”

The two fell into silence again. The only sound besides the rustling of the undergrowth as they moved through it was the sound of birds overhead. By now, the smell of smoke was far stronger. There was definitely something up ahead. And it wasn’t far away.

Kyle pushed another branch aside and instantly drew back. “Down,” he hissed as both he and Scootaloo dropped to the ground. For a moment, there was silence. Kyle barely dared to breathe as he waited. Finally, after a full minute, he slowly moved the branch to the side again and peered under it. “Patrol,” he murmured. “A Troll and an Orc. They were headed the other way. Let’s move uphill and see if we can avoid another run-in like that.”

The two slowly made their way uphill, being careful to keep their sense open for any approaching patrols. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any around them as they crept up the mountain. It wasn’t long before Kyle pushed another branch aside and looked upon his target.

Kyler and Scootaloo stood upon a sheer cliff-face overlooking a fortress of iron and stone, tucked in a corner between the cliff they were standing upon and a second cliff. It was well-fortified, and had clearly been built up for a while. Solid stone buildings, metal walls, red roofs, large metal spikes. But most telling of all were the two large, red banners draped on either side of the largest building pressed up against the mountainside, with identical black symbols drawn across them. If the patrol wasn’t enough evidence, the stronghold before him left no question. 

Horde.

Kyle muttered a series of expletives under his breath. The Horde was in Equestria. As if dealing with Zinju and the Burning Legion wasn’t bad enough. He looked back over the stronghold before him. Large towers rose out of the walls, each manned by two or three archers - some Troll, some Orc, and even an Undead. As he watched, a trio of wyverns sailed overhead and landed atop the large building pressed up against the mountainside. “How did they even get here?” he murmured.

It was at that moment that his mind flashed back. Many weeks ago, back to that day when he had met with Celestia and Twilight in Ironwall. “Several intruders, on separate incidents, made their way through the portal before one was caught in the act. Intruders that, to our knowledge, are enemies of the Alliance.” That’s what Celestia had said. “Damnit,” he swore again. “I should have found those intruders before it got this out of hand.”

“Hm?”

Kyle blinked and looked over. He had almost forgotten Scootaloo was there. “Doesn’t matter,” he murmured. “That’s the Horde. No doubt about it. Let’s get back to Yxia before we’re spotted.”

“Shouldn’t we do something?” Scootaloo whispered back. “I mean, we’re right here. Maybe we could -”

“Maybe we could get ourselves killed,” Kyle interrupted. “We are two Monks. Skilled Monks, but still only two. Against a stronghold like that? We’d be lucky to reach the front gate past all those archers. No, we pull back and live to fight another day.”

Kyle and Scootaloo began to make their way back down the mountain, being careful to avoid the scouts that patrolled the forest. It seemed to Kyle that in the short time that they had observed the fortress, the number of patrols had increased dramatically. More than once, they had to freeze as they spotted a patrol dangerously close. One particular encounter had a Tauren’s hoof not half a dozen feet from where  Kyle lay prone in the undergrowth.

Still, the pair slowly made their way away from the Horde’s fortress. It wasn’t long before they pushed their way past another set of branches and spotted Yxia and her Changelings waiting for them. Yxia’s head popped up as they approached. “Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked.

Yes. It’s the Horde alright,” Kyle replied. “Thanks for showing this to us, though I’m afriad that there’s nothing we can do right now except get out of here.  We need to head back to Ponyville and inform our leaders about this. And if I may be so bold, I’d suggest you keep yourselves quiet. If the Horde doesn’t see you as an ally, then you’re an enemy.”

Yxia nodded. “Your suggestion is noted. Your beast of flight is waiting for you by the lake.” She turned towards her Changelings and spoke quickly to them in their native language. The five Changelings then spread their wings and took to the sky, flying out of the trees and away from the mountains.

It didn’t take Kyle and Scootaloo long to make their way back to the hippogryph. As Yxia had promised, it was waiting next to the lake, drinking deeply from the crystal-clear water. Kyle mounted the hippogryph and looked down at Scootaloo. “Think you can manage the flight back to Ponyville?” he asked. “We’ve already done a lot of flying today…”

“Let’s try,” Scootaloo replied. “I’ll let you know before we reach the Everfree Forest if I don’t think I can make it.”

“Right. Let’s fly.” Kyle nudged his mount with the heel of his boots, and the hippogryph spread its wings. A moment later, he and Scootaloo were soaring over the mountain forests and around the peaks, headed north towards Ponyville.

But they weren’t the only ones in the sky.

Kyle turned his head to look over his shoulder. There, in the distance, back towards the Horde’s fortress. There were two black shadows. Two big, black, winged shadows. And they were getting bigger. Which meant they were getting closer.

Wyvern riders.

“We’ve got company!” Kyle yelled over the rush of the wind. Scootaloo risked a glance behind her, and her eyes shot open. She turned her head towards Kyle, who was now focused straight ahead. “Just keep flying!” He yelled again. “Maybe they’ll give up! If not… well, we’ll deal with that then.”

The pair continued to fly away from the Horde fortress, but it became increasingly clear to Kyle that the the riders were not about to let them get away. Their Wyverns weren’t as agile as a hippogryph or a Pegasus, but what they lacked in grace they made up for in raw speed. The distance between the Monks and their pursuers became increasingly small.

“Alright squirt! New plan!” Kyle yelled. “I hope you’ve been practicing your aim, ‘cause we’ve got a fight on our hands! We’ve got to take these guys down! Stay airborne, stay mobile, don’t let them hit you! Remember, don’t aim where they are, aim where they’re going to be! Break left!”

At his command, Scootaloo veered sharply to the left, while Kyle angled his hippogryph right. An instant later, a fireball flew through the space where his body had just occupied. Kyle whipped his hippogryph around and flew straight at his pursuers. A burst of lightning flashed from his fingertips, but was too far to the right as he soared past the Wyvern riders. One of them broke off after Scootaloo, while the other circled around and gave chase to Kyle.

Another fireball soared over Kyle’s head, forcing him to duck. This rider was a good shot. It was only a matter of time before Kyle’s luck ran out. He needed to end this quickly before that happened. Another flash of lightning arced out at the rider, this one crackling underneath his target.

For a few tense moments, Kyle and the Wyvern rider traded shots, neither able to connect. Kyle’s hippogryph was certainly more agile than the Wyvern, but the Wyvern’s speed was throwing Kyle’s aim off time and time again. Finally, the stalemate ended as Kyle clipped the Wyvern’s right wing. The creature screeched in pain and rolled to the right, flipping its rider off. Kyle couldn’t help but flinch as the rider’s scream was suddenly cut off as he impacted on the ground. The Wyvern itself spiraled down to the forest floor after its rider.

It didn’t take long for Kyle to spot Scootaloo. By now, they had left the mountains, and were in the foothills leading back into the Badlands. The rider chasing her was, if anything, even more skilled at flying than Kyle's pursuer had been. His Wyvern was making turns much faster and shorter than Kyle had believed possible out of a Wyvern. Still, it lacked the pinpoint turning that Scootaloo had, and the rider didn't seem to be nearly as good a shot as Kyle's pursuer had been, allowing her to easily avoid the ice lances that flashed out at her.

As Kyle watched, Scootaloo launched a counterattack of her own. As she and the rider sailed past each other, she flipped upside down and fired a sphere of Chi energy wildly to the right. For a moment, Kyle thought that she had missed badly… Until the rider swung to the right as well. Kyle cheered as the Chi Burst connected with the rider and exploded, sending the rider and his mount flailing to the forest floor below.

Kyle and Scootaloo reconnected in mid-air, and together they covered the small distance that still lay between them and the desert. They landed at the edge of the forest. Kyle hopped off of the hippogryph and stroked its beak a few times. The hippogryph snorted in agitation, but appeared unharmed, and so he left the beast alone. Instead, he ran over to Scootaloo, who had collapsed on the ground. “You okay?” he asked as he knelt down next to her.

Scootaloo was breathing heavily, but she grinned back up at him. “Yeah, I’m alright,” she panted.

Kyle returned the grin. “Hell of a shot back there,” he patted her on the back. “I’ve seen some good shots in my time, but that has to be one of the best. How’d you do it?”

“We’d passed each other like that a few times,” Scootaloo replied. She paused as she tried to get her breathing back under control. “Every time, I noticed that afterwards he’d turn right. I just shot where I thought he’d be, and it worked.”

“No kidding. Great job,” Kyle praised.

Scootaloo beamed, but her smile quickly faded. “But won’t the fortress notice if two of their riders went missing?” she asked.

Kyle’s own smile faded. “Yeah, they will,” he muttered. “If we’re lucky, they won’t find the bodies. We took them down a fair distance from the fortress. They might assume that they got taken down by wildlife or had an accident, if no one else saw us and if the riders didn’t tell anyone before they started chasing us.”

“That’s a lot of ‘ifs’,” Scootaloo muttered.

“I know, but it’s the best we can hope for.” Kyle rose back to his feet. “We should get out of here before anyone else spots us. Still think you can fly back to Ponyville?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not after that fight, no.”

“Then hop on.” Kyle walked over and mounted the hippogryph once more. “This guy can carry us both back.”

Scootaloo slowly pushed herself up and hopped onto the hippogryph as well, laying sideways on its back behind Kyle. He made sure to hold onto her as the hippogryph took to the air again and set out over the Badlands back towards Ponyville.

> Chapter 20
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was just beginning its long journey through the sky as Kyle awoke. A bit later than usual, but not unusually so. On any normal day, Kyle would head for the outhouse, and then make his way to the kitchens for a coffee before settling down in his office to do his work for the day.

But today was far from a normal day.

Oh certainly, he made his morning trip to the latrine, and he followed this up with a quick wash. He retrieved his daily coffee - perhaps a bit stronger than usual, but nothing too out of the ordinary. But his office remained empty. Today was not a day for office work. For this was the day he had been both anticipating and dreading for weeks.

The day of the Grand Galloping Gala.

So instead of settling in at his desk, Kyle instead retreated back into his room. He sat down on his bed and sipped at his coffee, reflecting on the events of the past week. It had been a mere four days since he and Scootaloo had discovered the Horde Stronghold in the Macintosh Mountains. Kyle had made sure to inform both King Varian and Princess Celestia of the situation, in the hopes that they would be able to offer advice. Perhaps some way of ousting the Horde

But alas, has hopes were in vain. King Varian, though obviously angry at the development, admitted there was little that he could offer in the way of help. All available reinforcements were spread between three worlds, and with the war in Draenor escalating as the Alliance prepared for an assault on the Blackrock Foundry, there were simply no soldiers left to counter the Horde in Equus. Besides which, as the King had reminded him, this was Celestia’s problem, not his.

Princess Celestia, too, offered little in the way of aid. Equestria had no standing army to speak of outside of the Royal Guard - hardly large enough to take on a fortress like that. And even if there was an army, they would be unable to reach the Horde. Though they bordered Equestria, the Macintosh Mountains were technically the territory of the Minotaur Tribes. And even then, the Minotaurs allowed the Mountains to be ruled almost exclusively by the Dragons. Any force large enough to take on the stronghold that was caught moving into the mountains would be seen as an act of aggression, and would risk conflict or even open war with their southern neighbors - a risk neither Celestia nor Kyle were willing to take.

And so Kyle could do nothing but wait. He forced himself not to worry too much about the Horde. They were far to the south, days away from Ponyville and Ironwall by foot. The march across the Badlands alone would take nearly two full days. Plenty of time for the Alliance to notice and rally a defense, should the need arise. Combined with the air superiority that Equestria boasted with the Pegasi (Along with a potential flank attack by the Changelings, should Kyle request their aid), and any invasion from the Horde Stronghold would be hard-pressed to last.

 At least, that’s what he told himself in order to sleep at night.

Kyle took one final sip of coffee and drained the mug. For a long moment, he simply sat there on his bed, rolling the last few drops around in the bottom of the mug. He closed his eyes and whistled a short tune. He glanced out the window and observed a pair of robins flying past. Anything to take his mind off of not only the Horde, but the Gala that evening.

Finally, he glanced at the clock. 8:10. He sighed and sat his coffee mug to the side. Enough delaying. If he was going to go, he needed to get ready. And so he pushed himself off of his bed and to his feet. He made his way over to his wardrobe and opened it, pulling out a hangar with a large plastic bag draped over it, as well as two flat cardboard boxes. He pulled the plastic off of the hangar and revealed the outfit beneath it.

It was a plain black suit - simple, yet perfectly suitable for a formal event. Kyle ran a finger over the pants and found the material to be very soft and somewhat familiar - perhaps Rarity had used the same Imperial Silk for the pants that she had used for Twilight’s dress?  Kyle shrugged and laid the suit jacket and pants aside, turning has attention to the cardboard boxes.

The first contained a pair of black socks and dancing shoes, along with a belt. Kyle sighed. Yes, the dance. He’d have to pray that he remembered how to do dance before he went and made a fool of himself. He set the footwear aside and opened the second box. Inside lay a long-sleeved dress shirt, colored royal blue - no doubt color-coordinated with Twilight’s dress, considering Rarity designed both of their outfits. Underneath the shirt lay a darker, midnight blue tie with pale-blue star patterns running down its length.

Well, no use just looking at it all. Time to get ready.

Kyle tossed off his pants and quickly donned the black dress pants rarity had provided, along with the socks. The shirt soon followed, which was tucked into the pants, and the belt was attached. He put on his socks, stepped into his shoes and walked around his room in them for a moment. To his relief, they seemed comfortable enough - at least he wasn’t going to have sore feet in the morning from shoes that were too tight.

His suit jacket remained on his bed as he pulled the tie out. This would be the hard part - he hadn’t tied a tie in the longest time. Not since before the Cataclysm at the very latest. Even so, he managed to get it tied after much struggling, and he pulled it up to his neck.

A knock at his door interrupted him as he reached for the jacket. “Enter,” he called out.

The door swung open, revealing a blonde-haired Human standing in the doorway, dressed in a flowing blue robe that identified her as a mage. She took a step inside and looked over at Kyle. “Commander,” she greeted. “I’m assuming that tonight is the Grand Galloping Gala?”

Kyle nodded. “Yes. And I’m in the middle of getting ready, so -”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the mage nodded. She reached behind her back and produced an envelope. “This just arrived for you, sir,” she continued, placing the letter on the table next to the door. She looked back up at Kyle and frowned slightly. “My apologies, but your tie is… well, to put it bluntly, it’s a disaster.”

Kyle groaned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve tied a tie, alright?” he sighed. “I’m doing my best here.”

“Well here, let me fix it.” The mage took a few more steps into the room and reached for Kyle’s tie. It was quickly undone, and she flattened it out before wrapping it around Kyle’s neck again.

Kyle sighed once more. “Thanks,” he said. “Sorry I snapped. It’s been a rough week.”

“Not a problem sir.”

“What is your name?”

The mage looked up. “Eva, sir. Eva Vel’Omnis. Frost Mage.”

Kyle nodded. “A strong name,” he said to no one in particular. He tilted his head upwards as Eva began to tie the tie. “Where are you from, Eva?”

“My family is in Stormwind, sir. But I hail originally from Lordaeron. Before the third war.”

Kyle nodded. The implications behind her homeland were clear enough, as Kyle had experienced the fall of Lordaeron firsthand. It was still a painful memory for him.

Eva backed up and looked him up and down. “Much better,” She nodded. “Good luck tonight. And don’t forget the letter that I left.”

“Thank you, Eva,” Kyle replied as she turned and exited the room. He turned his attention back to the envelope that Eva had left behind and reached for it. He tore the top open and pulled out the contents, smiling as he saw what it was. It was a small card from Scootaloo, wishing him luck tonight. He chuckled as he set the card aside. True, it was just a small thing, but it was enough. His heart felt just a little bit lighter as he returned to his bed and put on his suit jacket.

Once he was satisfied that his jacket was on properly, he moved over to the mirror that hung on the far side of his room. The man that looked back at him certainly didn’t look like a soldier, a commander of a military town. He looked almost exactly like one of the Stormwind nobles, except without the top hat and cane. And his hair, which was still unruly. He reached for the comb and did his best to flatten it out, with some success. 

A second knock on his door drew his attention. He turned his head towards the door. “Enter,” he called out for the second time that day.

The door swung open again, and Filwin stepped into the room. “Good morning, Comman-” She began, but was silenced as she looked over at him. “Well, you certainly look different,” she commented as she looked him up and down. “It’s a nice change. You should dress up more often. It suits you.”

Kyle shrugged. “Everyone looks better if you drape five hundred gold worth of cloth over them,” he replied. “It’s not worth the cost and effort if there’s not something important going on.”

“If you say so, sir.” Filwin glanced down at the clipboard that she had in her hands. “So, yesterday you took care of what we had on our schedule for today…” she murmured. “And tomorrow you’re taking a day off, since you likely won’t be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest… So I think we’re covered there.” She looked back up at him. “Ready for your 9:00 train?”

Kyle looked over at the clock. 8:25. “Yeah, I think I am.” He and Twilight had met two days before to discuss their plans for today. As a princess, Twilight needed to be in Canterlot a few hours before the Gala to help finish setting up. Kyle would be accompanying her up there. They’d go to the Gala, spend the evening in the castle, and return to Ponyville the following morning.

Filwin nodded and stepped to the side. “Well then, I’d suggest you get going, sir,” she said. “Your train leaves in half an hour, and you certainly don’t want to miss it.”

“Right. Then I guess I’m out of here.” Kyle moved towards the door and closed it as Filwin followed him out. “You’re in charge again until I get back. If anyone notices the Horde, Zinju, anything weird going on, you send a letter to me immediately. Got it?”

Filwin saluted. “Got it, boss.” Kyle watched as she walked down the corridor away from his room, and a moment later heard the door close as she exited the town hall. He stepped back into his room to collect one final thing - a small pouch of bits, which he deposited into his pocket before exiting the room again. He made his way down the corridor as well and exited the town hall, taking the path out of the main gates of Ironwall and down to Ponyville

It wasn’t long before he was wandering through the streets of Ponyville. Heads turned towards him as he walked down the roads towards the train station. Kyle wasn’t known for wearing the finest clothes, as some Humans were known to do. So to see him in a suit was an oddity for any who were familiar with him - that is to say, most of the town.

He made his way to the train station and presented his ticket to the mare behind the ticket window. She gestured him forward onto the platform, where a shining steam engine was waiting with a dozen cars behind it. This wasn’t the usual train that came through Ponyville, but was instead an express to shuttle guests to the Gala faster. Not that there would be many getting on the train at this time. Kyle expected it to be just him and Twilight on the ride up

The train was indeed empty, or at least the front car was. Twilight was already waiting for him as he entered the train. He noted that she had not yet changed into her dress. She waved him over, and he sat down next to her. “I was wondering if you were going to be late,” she said as he settled into his seat.

The train whistle blew as she finished speaking, and the train lurched forward into motion as it pulled out of the station. “Nope. Right on time,” he chuckled. He glanced over at Twilight. “I’m guessing you’re getting ready up in Canterlot?” he asked.

“Yes. Rarity had my dress shipped up to the palace earlier this week.”

For a long while, the two fell into silence. The scenery outside the window opposite them slowly changed, from an increasingly distant view of Ponyville to vast fields and farms, and soon enough into forests. The train was certainly moving faster than the usual train - Kyle predicted that it wouldn’t be more than two hours before they arrived in Canterlot.

Kyle glanced over and just barely caught Twilight turning her head away. The two continued to avoid eye contact as the train ride continued, and the air around them became increasingly tense. Kyle silently willed the train to go even faster, if for no other reason than to end the awkward silence.

Finally, after nearly half an hour, he could stand it no longer. “Nervous?” he asked.

“Hm?” Twilight turned her head and met Kyle’s eyes for the first time since they had left the station. “I, uh… A bit,” she admitted. “You?”

“Same.”

Silence fell again. Thankfully, this one was shorter. “So… all the princesses are… bringing someone, or somepony, to this?” he asked. Twilight nodded. “So I’m assuming Princess Cadence and your brother are going together. Do you have any idea who Princess Celestia or Princess Luna are going to dance with?”

Twilight paused for a moment before shaking her head. “No, not really,” she admitted. A small smile crossed her lips. “I guess it’ll be fun to see when the time comes.”

“That it will,” Kyle agreed. “Do you know anyone else who’s going to be there?”

“Well, there are a few Ponies who show up every year.” Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof. “There’s Prince Blueblood, Princess Celestia’s 'nephew' of sorts. He’s a direct descendant of Princess Platinum, one of the founders of Equestria… Let’s see… Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, two of the most prominent Ponies in Canterlot’s high society. The Wonderbolts are almost always there. And I believe there are going to be a number of people from Azeroth there tonight as well.” Twilight’s smile grew slightly wider. “I’ve even heard that King Varian may be attending.”

Kyle nodded slowly. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised by that,” he said. An image came into his mind of King Varian in a suit, and he couldn’t help but smile a bit. “It’ll be odd to see the King without his armor on,” he continued.

“Well it’s a bit odd to see you dressed up, too.” Twilight retorted. Kyle looked over at her. “You look nice, by the way,” she added as her cheeks took on a slightly redder hue. “You should consider dressing up like this more often.”

“So I’ve been told.” Kyle leaned back in his seat and settled in a little more. “I’ll make a note of it.”

The rest of their trip passed in silence. Twilight curled up in her seat and closed her eyes, and soon she drifted off into a nap. Kyle listened as her breathing slowed, and he closed his eyes as well. However, a nap was not on his mind. Instead, he turned his mind inward and began to mentally prepare for the day and evening ahead.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn't worried. He’d been nervous about the Gala even before the events of this week. He had some experience dancing, but it had been a while, and he’d never tried to do so with a Pony. How they’d manage, he had no idea, but he was certain that it would be a bit awkward.

And now, he had the Horde to worry about. Oh sure, they were way far away, outside of Equestria’s borders. But the Grand Galloping Gala was said to be one of the biggest events of the year in Equestria. Important Ponies and other members of the Alliance were all congregating into one spot. And no one in the Alliance would ever forget the last time that had happened. How many lives were lost in Theramore when that bomb went off…

Even through his closed eyelids, Kyle’s vision flashed red for an instant. Even the memory of Theramore filled Kyle with such rage… And now those monsters were here in Equestria. Even if they were supposed to have a non-aggression treaty, Kyle knew better. Experience had taught him to know better than to trust any so-called treaty signed by the Horde. Hell, they were fighting on some piddly little island in Draenor when they were supposed to be working with the Alliance to stop the Iron Horde. There was no reason for the Horde to cooperate here, not unless a lone Troll working for the Burning Legion was considered a reason.

Kyle noticed a sharp pain is his palms, bringing him reeling back from his thoughts. He found his fists clenched tightly, and his nails had begun to dig sharply into his palms. He quickly unclenched his fists, but the marks still remained. He sighed and closed his eyes again. He’d let his anger get the best of him. Something he knew better than to allow to happen. But the rage had come on so suddenly... He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Relax,” he murmured to himself. “King Varian knows about the Horde being here. The Princesses know. They’re going to have security all over Canterlot. The Horde won’t be able to get close to the gala. We’re not going to have another Theramore here.” 

Kyle fell silent and turned his mind inward. His mind was roiling with emotions - nervousness, fear, the echoes of the rage he had just dispelled. It would do no good to do his usual meditation. He had to find peace within himself first. And so he was comfortable simply soothing himself for a while. 

It was only when the train began to slow that he opened one eye. The sight outside the window was a sheer cliff face, but it almost instantly vanished. In its place lay the outskirts of Canterlot, and off in the distance, the station. Kyle glanced up at the clock. Nearly 11. Just as he had predicted. He nudged Twilight to wake her, and the pair waited as the train slowly approached the station. Before long, they stopped with a small jolt. The pair made their way off of the train and out of the station into the city. Kyle took a deep breath and steeled himself.

Show time.
> Chapter 21
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Kyle and Twilight made their way through Canterlot, Kyle found himself once again mesmerized by the beauty of the city. The buildings shone and glimmered in the sunlight, bouncing the light around between each other until they sparkled like a million precious gemstones. The streets themselves were immaculate, the white stone brick bearing not a scrap of dirt.

It was clear that the city was ready for the Gala. Banners and streamers had been hung, music rang through the streets, and the air was filled with good cheer. It was almost as though Winter’s Veil had come a month early. A small breeze blew past Kyle, bringing with it the smell of caramel apples and roasting cashews.

The Ponies, too, were clearly prepared. The last time Kyle had been to Canterlot, there had been a fair number of Ponies wandering around unclothed. Today, it seemed that Twilight was the only one not wearing something. Shirt collars and ties, top hats and monocles, dresses and tuxedo jackets, everyone was dressed up in something fancy. Kyle kept looking around and wondering how many of these Ponies were actually going to the Gala.

In Ponyville, it seemed the only Ponies who cared about the Gala were those that had received invitations, but here Kyle couldn’t turn his head without seeing the event’s influence on the city. Of course, it made sense that the Grand Galloping Gala would be a major deal here. Not only was Canterlot the city to host the event every year, but the Gala was originally started as a celebration of the city’s construction many centuries ago. Kyle likened it to the Ponyville Days Celebration that had happened only a couple of weeks ago. An event for Ponies to celebrate and be proud of their city.

As they made their way through the streets, Kyle couldn’t help but notice how Ponies would stop and stare at him as he walked past. Or maybe they were staring at Twilight, a Princess who was walking around under-dressed compared to everyone else. Or maybe they were staring at them both. Either way, Kyle began to feel awkward after the first few minutes of staring. It was with great relief that the massive gates leading up to the palace came into view. Half a dozen armored stallions flanked each side of the gate, a mixture of all three Pony races. They stepped aside as the gates swung open, and Kyle and Twilight stepped out of the city streets and into the palace grounds.

Here again, Kyle was forced to look around and take in the sights again. True, he had been here before - multiple times, in fact - but it always seemed that there was something new. The palace towered high into the sky directly in front of them, with the peak of the mountain looming even farther overhead. Off to his left, Kyle could see a row of hedges with a small gap in the wall - possibly a maze of some kind? A number of detailed statues of Ponies surrounded the maze. To his right, he could see a large open area with a few trees, benches, a few paths… very similar to the park in Ponyville, including a small stream cutting through. And closer to the palace was a large paved area with many tables and chairs and lights.

Kyle glanced over his shoulder for an instant - just enough time to see a flicker of movement atop the walls bordering the palace grounds. As he focused in on the movement, He identified the source. A Human, sporting a long, slender rifle. And not far away as a Night Elf holding a staff. And a Dwarf with another rifle. Indeed, all along the walls lay riflemen and archers and spellcasters, patrolling back and forth, looking out over both the grounds and the city. Security had definitely been stepped up - an observation that was reinforced as Kyle noticed for the first time the Hippogryph formations that flew over the city.

Dead ahead lay the palace doors, flanked once again by half a dozen armored stallions. on each side. As with the guards at the gate into the grounds, the door was opened for them and the guards stood aside, permitting them access. Twilight and Kyle stepped into the palace, and the door was shut behind them.

Despite the number of times Kyle had been to Canterlot, he had never once entered the palace through the front. In the past, he had come in through a balcony after riding Celestia from Ponyville, or through the dungeons. The doors opened up into a large entrance hall. They stood upon a red velvet rug draped over a marble floor decorated in a pale violet and white checkerboard. The rug continued on and on, stretching up the stairs ahead and also branching off to the left and right, with a sun symbol similar to Celestia’s cutie mark at the center of the four-way split. To his left and right, the velvet path continued around two identical mirrored bends and out of sight, while at the top of the main stairs in front of him it continued to the left and right up another small flight of stairs on either side and disappeared behind the walls.

The entrance hall itself was very large, easily able to accommodate over a hundred Ponies with plenty of room to spare. Tapestries were hung upon the walls, depicting various images - pictures of the sun or the moon, a crown, the crest of Equestria. High above them, a chandelier was illuminated by thousands of miniscule magical lights passing through thousands of equally miniscule crystals. It cast a warm light across the entire room, leaving not a single corner in darkness.

And there, waiting at the top of the stairs, were two familiar forms. Two familiar, royal forms.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia smiled as the pair approached the stairs. “It is good to see you again. And you as well, Commander.” Her eyes were now focused fully on Kyle. “I see you are already prepared for this evening,” she commented. “You look -”

 “ - Nice dressed up?” Kyle asked. “So I’ve been told.”

Beside her sister, Luna nodded. “You should consider -”

“Dressing up more often? Aye, I’ve been told that too.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, though her smile did not falter. Twilight nudged Kyle and shot him a look before smiling back up at the Princesses. “It’s good to see you too, Princesses.” trotted up the stairs, and she and Celestia shared a quick nuzzle. “I’m ready to help with the preparations in any way that I can,”

“We are nearly ready for tonight,” Luna replied. “Though there do remain some ribbons to be tied in the main ballroom. If you would follow me…”

Luna walked down the stairs with Twilight right behind her. Kyle turned to follow, but stopped as Celestia spoke up. “Commander.” Her voice was as warm as ever, but Kyle didn’t miss the curtness that it now held. “A word with you, if you would?”

“Certainly.” 

Kyle turned away from Twilight and Luna and walked back up the stairs towards the solar princess. She turned and walked up the left-hand staircase, motioning with her tail for Kyle to follow. They walked through the halls for a moment before pausing. Celestia turned towards him. Kyle met her eyes, and he saw something in them. Something that he hadn’t expected to see.

Amusement.

“So, Commander,” she began. She let silence fall for a moment before smirking slightly. “You and Princess Twilight?”

Kyle blinked. This wasn’t at all what he had been expecting. “Uh… not really…” he said as he shook his head. “We’re friends. Just friends.”

If Kyle hadn’t been paying attention, he wouldn’t have noticed Celestia’s smirk dip ever so slightly. “I see,” she said as her face fell back into a more neutral expression. “I had thought... never mind. Of course, this is not the only reason that I wished to speak to you. I received your letter about the Horde here in Equus.”

Kyle sighed. “Aye. They’re in the Macintosh Mountains, not too terribly far from Appleoosa. I found them while looking at that disturbance you sent me to investigate. They’re -”

“- Not our problem,” Celestia interrupted.

Kyle blinked. “Huh?”

“They are outside of our kingdom,” Celestia continued. “As I said in the letter I sent to you. They are in the territory of the Minotaur Tribes now, and therefore their problem.” Her gaze hardened slightly. “I would also like to warn you against wandering outside of Equestria in such a manner again. Had the Minotaur spotted you, it could have sparked an international incident. Many of the other kingdoms of Equus are uneasy enough at our new pact with the Alliance. I would rather not give them any more reason to distrust us. Am I clear?”

Kyle nodded quickly. “Aye. Crystal clear.”

“Good.” Celestia’s expression relaxed once more. “Tonight, several important members of both the United Minotaur Tribes and the Griffonian Empire will be joining us at the Gala. Two of whom I think you may remember. But I digress. I would ask that you refrain from mentioning the Horde settlement in their territory to the Minotaur. My sister and I will be the ones to bring the topic up.”

“Understood.”

“Good. Now, I believe we can move on from such heavy topics.” Celestia’s usual calm smile returned as she looked at Kyle. “I assume you are ready for the dance tonight?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. The dance will open the Gala, at 8:00 sharp. The four princesses of Equestria, along with their partners - that’s you, Commander - will be ready in the ballroom. We will start the dance, and others will join in as they see fit. All that is required for tonight is that you dance with Twilight for one song…” Celestia’s eyes twinkled as her smile took on a more mischievous appearance. “... Although none will complain should you choose to continue beyond that.”

“Wait…” Kyle held up a hand. “You mean… we’re starting… alone?”

“Along with myself, Luna, and Cadence, yes.”

“I uh…” Kyle found himself overcome with another round of nerves. But just as quickly, it faded away, and he gave out a loud sigh. “You know what? Forget it,” he muttered. “I’m done freaking myself out over this whole thing.”

“Likely a wise decision.”

For a moment, silence descended upon the hallway. It was broken only when Kyle could stand it no longer. “So… if you don’t mind me asking, who are you going to be dancing with tonight, princess?” he asked.

Celestia flashed him one of her trademark smiles. The ones that said nothing and yet everything that needed to be said at the same time. “Ah, but then the fun would be spoiled,” she replied with a wink. With that, she turned and walked away back down the way they had come, leaving Kyle alone in the middle of the hallway

Which, he realized only too late, was in the middle of a palace that was as good as the hedge maze outside. 

“Damnit…” he muttered as he set off after Celestia. After all, it couldn’t take too long to find his way back.


---


Apparently it could take too long.

He’d only recalled walking with Celestia for a moment or two, but it took him a good hour of wandering through the castle (And several sets of directions from the guards) before he finally made his way to the entrance hall - down the flight of stairs opposite the ones Celestia had led him up. He shook his head and let out an exasperated chuckle. Maybe he’d find his way around this place one day.

One day, but not today.

Kyle walked back down the main flight of stairs and into the center of entrance hall. Off to his left, he could hear muffled voices and an occasional giggle. Having nowhere better to go, Kyle decided to investigate. He turned and followed the voices out of the entrance hall and around a corner to his left. They became progressively louder as he turned to his right and came face-to-face with a large double door, cracked slightly open. He slowly pushed the door open and stepped past it.

The room beyond was absolutely massive. A fully grown drake from Azeroth would easily be able to fly around the room high above the floor. It was almost entirely square, with the exception being a relatively small semi-circle inset into the wall to Kyle’s right, though even this was large enough to seat two dragons comfortably. The wall displayed three stained-glass windows - one each of Celestia’s and Luna’s cutie mark, with the center one being the crest of Equestria. In between each stained glass window was a pair of smaller, clear windows, along with a door leading to an outdoor balcony. 

The semi-circle itself was populated with numerous chairs and tables, as was the outer edges of the larger room. Each table sported two chairs, a snow white tablecloth, and a 3-armed candelabra. A large raised platform on Kyle’s left had no tables, but instead bore four rows of chairs in a semi-circle around a small podium - no doubt where the orchestra for the evening would be performing. Marble Pillars lined the outer-edges of the room as well, supporting the ceiling. The very center of said ceiling disappeared into a beautiful glass dome that allowed natural sunlight to flood the room. Spotlights were placed between each pillar to shine down upon the center of the room. Ribbons had been tied around each pillar, connecting them to each other.

The central area itself stood out greatly from the rest of the room. Underneath the glass dome above, it was illuminated brightly in the mid-day sun. It was not the same violet-and-white checkerboard pattern that the rest of the floor was, but was instead a well-polished, light-colored hardwood. This hardwood centerpiece took up a good majority of the enormous room, easily able to accommodate a hundred Ponies or more with room to move around comfortably.

It was the ballroom, of that Kyle had no doubt. Where he and Twilight would be dancing in a mere few hours.

And speaking of Twilight…

Another giggle echoed across the vast ballroom. Kyle directed his eyes to the source and spotted Twilight and Luna on the opposite side of the room. Next to them was Princess Cadence, who was giggling at something. Something embarrassing, apparently, for Twilight’s cheeks had turned bright red even against her lavender fur. Kyle cleared his throat to announce his presence as he made his way around the dance floor towards them.

Cadence turned her head towards him, and her smile grew wider. “Kyle!” she exclaimed happily as she trotted forward. “It’s great to see you again!”

“Good to see you too, prin… er, Cadence,” Kyle cut himself off as Cadence nudged him. “How are things going in the Crystal Empire?”

“Better than we expected,” she beamed. “We’ve had a lot of help getting everything sorted again. Most of the damage to the city is repaired, and we expect that the Equestrian Games will be able to continue as planned.”

“Well that’s great to hear.” Truth be told, Kyle had no idea what these Equestrian Games were - he vaguely remembered Scootaloo and her friends winning the right to bear Ponyville’s flag at the games months ago, but he still didn’t know what they were about. But it was obvious that they were important to the Ponies of Equestria. “So everything’s back to normal?”

“Just about. Thanks to you and Twilight.” Her smile arced upwards into a small smirk. “How did you two end up coming to the Gala together, by the way?” she asked.

“Well I learned about the ball from Rarity,” Kyle began. “And I really didn’t have anyone to go with. So I figured I’d ask Twilight. We’re friends, and she was going anyway, so it made sense.”

“I see…” Cadence glanced behind her towards Twilight before returning her gaze to Kyle. “Well if I were you, I’d be wary of Shining Armor tonight.”

“Hm?”

“Well he is Twilight’s big brother, after all,” Cadence explained. “Even if you two are just friends right now, he might not see it that way, and he may want to have a… little chat with you.”

“Noted.” Not that Kyle felt he had anything to fear from Shining Armor. There was no reason for him to be nervous about such an encounter.

A loud chime echoed through the room, and all three princesses instantly look up towards the sky. “Oh dear, it’s already one o’clock?” Cadence asked. “Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve really got to go and start getting ready for the Gala. I’ll see you all later!” She turned away from Kyle and trotted out of the ballroom.

“I believe Twilight and I should go prepare as well,” Luna said. “As for you, Commander, you already appear dressed for the evening’s activities. Please do make sure to not dirty yourself between now and then.”

Kyle nodded. “I’ll… find something to do, I guess.”

“Perhaps a study of Equestrian dance may help you for tonight?” Luna suggested. “You can find several tomes on the subject in the library. Simply ask a guard for directions… or in your case, perhaps an escort would save you some time?” she added with a mischievous grin.

Kyle ignored the friendly jab. “I may do just that…” he murmured. He watched as Luna and Twilight walked out the ballroom as well, murmuring back and forth between themselves. As they stepped through the door, Kyle saw Luna snort as Twilight reeled back. And then they were gone, leaving Kyle alone in the ballroom.

Though not for long. Kyle quickly made his way around the central dance floor once more and out of the ballroom, following the corridor back to the entrance hall. At this point, he faced yet another dilemma - he had no idea where the library was in this labyrinth of a castle. And despite Luna’s suggestion, Kyle saw no guards around.

Oh well. Kyle made his way towards the staircase and ascended them, going up the right-hand path this time. No reason to wait around. He’d encounter a guard patrol that could help him get to the library sooner or later.

With his luck, most likely later.

> Chapter 22
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.”

> Chapter 23
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence.

No one spoke. No one dared to move. Eyes flicked back and forth, observing the newcomers, the Princesses, the King. Kyle was acutely aware of how rapidly his heart was beating, how tense his muscles were, how loud his breathing was… or maybe that was just the silence. Even the distant echoes of the guests in the ballroom seemed to have faded away. Everyone was watching. Waiting. Unwilling, or perhaps unable, to act.

Finally, someone dared to make the first move

“Greetings, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Baine Bloodhoof’s bassy voice shattered the fragile silence like a stone thrown through a glass pane. He inclined his head respectfully towards each royal sister in turn as the rest of the room suddenly remembered how to breath normally. “I hope the evening finds you well.”

Varian scowled angrily and opened his mouth. His words were silenced before he could utter them, however, as a hand reached out and was placed upon his shoulder. Anduin looked up at his father and reached up to murmur something to him. Varian’s expression did not soften, but his son’s words seemed to have placated him, for he took a step away from Baine and sat down heavily upon the seat he had risen from.

Instead, it was Princess Celestia who met the Tauren in the center of the room. “High Chieftain,” she inclined her head slightly. “We were not expecting somepony of your position. I must say, your arrival is… surprising. ”

Baine’s eyes met Celestia’s. “I am hoping that it is not… entirely unwelcome,” he replied.

“That would depend on the circumstances of your arrival,” Luna spoke up for the first time, taking her place beside Celestia. “We have heard many tales of your Horde, Baine Bloodhoof. Very few of them are pleasant.”

Celestia turned her head to look at her sister. “Luna, please…”

“No no, she has reasons to be less than trusting,” Baine interrupted. “After all, it isn’t every day that a Tauren appears unannounced at an Alliance gathering.”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed. Which I suppose brings me to the first question.” There was a short pause. “High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof, why have you come here?”

“A number of reasons.” Baine glanced over at the Minotaur beside him, who remained silent. “My new friend here, Chief Longhorn, invited me to join him for tonight’s festivities. Warchief Vol’jin and I agreed that it would be beneficial for both parties if we were to discuss a few… items of interest.”

“You mean your stronghold?” Varian demanded. The King locked eyes with Baine. “We know about your fortress in the mountains, Bloodhoof. And if you think we -”

“You will find that that stronghold is not under our jurisdiction, King Varian,” Cadence interrupted. “That is the land of the Minotaur Tribes. Assuming that it was built with their knowledge and permission -”

“Which it was,” Longhorn added.

“- then we have no say in whether or not it should be allowed,” she finished.

Varian’s eyes narrowed at the young Alicorn. To her credit, Cadence did not allow her expression to change as she met his glare with a visage of calm collectedness. It was only when Anduin leaned in again and whispered to the King once more that they broke their eye contact. Varian closed his eyes and shook his head with a snort, but followed his son as Anuin walked past Baine and Longhorn. Anduin’s eyes met Baine’s and Kyle swore he saw a small smile on Anduin’s lips - a smile which was not mirrored on the Tauren. Even so, Baine’s eyes seemed to soften as they broke eye contact. The door closed as Anduin and Varian left the room.

Kyle let out a low, soft growl. He could understand Varian’s anger completely. A leader of the Horde had the audacity, the gall, to step foot into Canterlot?! If Baine had not been there as a guest of the Minotaur’s ambassador, Kyle was certain he would have attacked the Tauren on the spot. As it was, he simply sat there, closing his eyes and desperately trying to control a sudden wave of rage flooding through him.

All eyes had been following the Wrynn’s as they left, but now returned towards Baine and Celestia. Baine’s expression returned to its neutral state, while Celestia had not let any emotion show during Varian’s departure. As usual, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Finally, it was Baine who broke the silence again. “I understand that you have reason to distrust the Horde,” he began. “You say that you have heard much about us from your allies, including unpleasant tales… Some of which, I must admit, are true. But I assure you that my intentions here tonight are nothing but peaceful. I simply wish to speak on matters, nothing more.”

Celestia closed her nodded slowly. “Very well. We will speak on these matters,” she said. Her eyes opened and locked on Baine. “The first of which, I must insist, being the trespassing of Horde scouts on Alliance territory.”

Baine did not speak, so Celestia continued. “We have evidence that, several months ago, the portal connecting Stormwind and Canterlot was used by several enemies of the Alliance. It does not take much guesswork to find that the Horde was behind at least one of these intrusions.”

Baine nodded. “Yes, a Horde agent did indeed use the portal. A Blood Elf, to be specific. But tell me, Princess…” He paused for a moment. “Did this agent cause any disruptions to the city?”

A brief silence. “No.”

“Did he break any laws while in Equestria? Harrass any of your citizens?”

“Not that we are aware of.”

“Is there any evidence that this agent did anything at all except use the portal?”

“No.”

Baine nodded, a faint glimmer of a smile on his face. “Then I see no issue,” he said calmly. “Our agent left the city, and later Equestria itself, and brought us into contact with the Minotaur, who agreed to allow us to establish a settlement within their territory.”

“Within the mountains?” Kyle spoke up. All heads turned towards him. “Why not build somewhere… I don’t know, safer? Less secluded?” His eyes narrowed. “If you were really trying to be peaceful as you claim, why all the secrecy?”

“Our intent was not to provoke the Alliance,” Baine replied evenly. “We knew how you would react should you find our settlement. And so we attempted to conceal our presence for the time, so as to avoid conflict. Although, I will admit,” he continued, “that the mountains do possess their own dangers. Why, we have already lost two of our Wyvern scouts to the local wildlife.”

Kyle felt his heart hammering in his chest as Baine spoke these last words, the Tauren’s eyes never breaking away from his. “He knows,” he cursed silently. Then again, of course they knew. There was never really any hope that they wouldn’t find out what had happened to those riders. “Shit… and we killed them in an area where they had permission to be…” So that entire fight had been his fault. Technically, it had been an aggressive move by the Alliance against a thus-far peaceful operation by the Horde. “Oh please don’t let this come back to bite me in the ass…”

“Now Princess, I wanna make one thing very clear,” Longhorn interrupted Kyle’s thoughts. “Yes, we’ve allowed the Horde on our land. Yes, we understand that you’ve made an Alliance with their enemies. And yes, we’ve even begun to talk of trade. But the Council of Clans has made no move to join in an alliance with this Horde. We’re trade partners, nothing more. I’m hoping this arrangement won’t complicate the relationship our two nations share too much.”

Celestia closed her eyes. For a long moment, she was silent as she stood before the two creatures towering before her. Finally, she shook her head. “The King will not like it,” she began slowly. “But I see no reason why this should change any of our agreements. Your guests have done nothing illegal or malicious to our kingdom, save for the questionable means of entry… Which can be overlooked.” She peered up at Longhorn. “Assuming that such a peaceful existence continues,” she added. “And as for your stronghold, High Chieftain,” she continued as she turned her head towards Baine, “Please refrain from placing your lumber operations close to the border. We wouldn’t want to scare my citizens… again.”

Baine inclined his head. “Noted,” he replied.

“If I may?” Cadence asked from the back of the room. Baine nodded towards her. “I’m just wondering, what brought you here in the first place? Here to Equus, I mean.” she asked.

Baine nodded. “A fair question,” he began. “You have no doubt heard of the war on Draenor. Even now, the forces of the Horde strike out against the Iron Horde all across the planet. But our resources run thin. Even the scant few we have managed to recover from our garrison on Draenor has not been enough to sustain us. We had hoped to gather resources here to supply our war effort, and to aid in the reconstruction of Orgrimmar. A new trade partner was a welcome addition.”

That seemed to satisfy Cadence’s question, for she offered no more. Instead, it was Baine once again who was the next to break the silence. “I am also hopeful that, perhaps, Equestria would be willing to engage in trade as well?” he proposed.

There was silence. Finally, Celestia shook her head “Perhaps one day,” she said calmly. “But not today. One step at a time.”

“I expected as such,” Baine replied. “I shall reinforce to the outpost that they are not to trespass into Equestrian territory.” A pause. Baine’s gaze shifted over to Kyle once more, the unspoken message clear in his eyes. “I’m certain that my presence inside the ballroom would cause a bit of a stir. Therefore, I believe I shall take my leave. Should you wish to contact us again, one of your Pegasi will be welcomed into our outpost to deliver a message. Otherwise, I am hopeful that we shall be able to coexist in peace, and that we shall not need to meet like this again.”

With that, Baine reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, flat, disk-shaped white stone with blue markings in a spiral on one face. He clutched it tightly in one hand, and it began to glow with a calm green aura. It pulsed twice, and then flashed brightly. When the light died down, Baine had vanished.

All eyes slowly made their way over to Chief Longhorn, who was now leaning up against the doorframe with his eyes closed. It took him a moment before he opened his eyes and saw everyone staring at him. He glanced around the room and spread his hands open slightly. “What?”

“Perhaps the Gala wasn’t the best time to introduce your new… trading partner?” Kyle suggested.

Longhorn shrugged. “Well, I was already making the trip up here,” he replied. “And my mate wasn’t gonna come up here with me. She hates this kinda massive party. So I figured I’d bring Baine along. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

“Will you be staying, Chief?” Luna asked.

Longhorn nodded. “Yeah, I’ll hang around, if you’ll still have me,” he said. “Think I’ll excuse myself from the dance floor, though.”

“Understandable.” Celestia gave him a small smile. “You are, of course, welcome to stay, Chief Longhorn. Officially, this arrangement between you and the Horde changes nothing between our nations.”

“And unofficially?”

Celestia sighed. “Your trading with the Horde is a matter that will have to be taken into consideration for any future negotiations or trade agreements we work upon,” she admitted. “But that is a bridge we will cross when we get there. For tonight, we should not concern ourselves with the Horde any longer. The dance will begin soon, and I am certain that King Varian is growing impatient outside. We should make our way to the ballroom to begin the Gala.”

Kyle watched as Celestia, Luna, and Longhorn made their way out of the room ahead of Iron Wing and his partner, with Cadence and Shining Armor right behind them. He pushed himself to his feet and turned to follow, but something hard poked his hand. He turned his head to see Twilight looking up at him, concern clear in her eyes. “Hey… you okay?” she asked.

It was at that point that Kyle realized that his hands were curled into fists, squeezing so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Kyle took a deep breath and nodded as he unclenched his fists.. “Yeah. I’m alright,” he replied. “Not entirely happy about the Horde, but…” his voice trailed off and he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter,” he muttered.

“But the Horde isn’t going to be bothering us.” Twilight cocked her head questioningly. “That Tauren just said that they’re going to stay in the Minotaur’s lands.”

Kyle snorted. “Yeah. Right,” he scoffed. “Look, I don’t trust the Horde as far as I can throw ‘em. I’m agreeing to keep my troops from making a move against the Horde, but that doesn’t mean I’m trusting the Horde to do the same for us. Experience has taught me better.”

He shook his head again and forced himself to smile. “Forget it,” he said. “Princess Celestia is right. No more thinking about the Horde tonight. Let’s head on over to the ballroom. It’ll be time soon.” Kyle felt his own heartbeat quicken, and a small trickle of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. If the twitching of Twilight’s feathers we any indication, she was just as nervous as him as she walked past him out into the hallway.

Celestia and Luna were standing on the opposite side of the corridor, speaking in hushed tones to Varian, with Anduin right beside him. As Kyle glanced over, Varian closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. Their conversation was kept from Kyle’s ears, however, as he and Twilight rounded the corner, following Cadence and Shining Armor towards the ballroom.

“I wonder what Secretary Iron Wing thought about all of that,” Twilight murmured. as she stared at the retreating forms of the two Griffons

“No idea,” Kyle replied. He forced another smile and nudged Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey, I thought I said no more thinking about the Horde tonight, hm?”

Twilight giggled softly and nudged him back. “You’re right,” she relented. “No more. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night.”

“You nervous?” Kyle asked as the pair crossed the entrance hall towards the ballroom.

“A bit,” she admitted. “My dancing… isn’t exactly the best. I’ve been practicing with Rarity, and she said I’ve gotten a lot better, but...” her voice trailed off, and she glanced away

“Well if you fall down, I promise I’ll fall too,” Kyle grinned. “We can look like idiots together.”

That seemed to help. Twilight smiled up at him - only a small smile, but unforced this time. Ahead of them, the two Griffons, Cadence, and Shining Armor were pushing their way through the door into the ballroom. Kyle and Twilight exchanged a quick glance, and Kyle pushed the door open as well, standing back to allow Twilight through before he entered and closed the door behind them.

The ballroom now was full of Ponies. Ponies as far as the eye could see, some standing around the edges of the room or around the pillars, some seated at tables. All were dressed up for the occasion, wearing tuxedo jackets and fine silken shirts or elegant dresses of every color of the rainbow. A few of the stallions bore monocles or top hats, while several of the mares wore fancy hats on their heads. Here and there, Kyle could see a few Azerothians - Humans, Gnomes, Dwarves, a scattered Worgen or two.

Kyle and Twilight slowly made their way through the crowd towards the table they had been sitting at before. They found that it had not been occupied by another couple in their absence, and gladly took it for themselves again. “So…" Twilight began as they sat down. “I believe you were about to tell me something about… Kulak?”

“Kalu’ak,” Kyle corrected. “Aye, I was talking about how Morkie got me back for the Harpie incident. So, this was up in -”

A series of eight loud chimes echoed through the ballroom, cutting Kyle’s story off before it could begin. The buzz of conversation that filled the rest of the room quickly died down as the eight chimes rang out. It did not continue as the bells faded away. Everyone was looking around expectantly. It was eight o’clock. Time for the Gala to start.

Time for the ball to begin.

A small ripple of movement from near the entrance to the ballroom caught his eye. It expanded outwards as Ponies made a small aisle leading from the door towards the dance floor. Sure enough, Celestia and Luna soon emerged from the crowd and stepped onto the dance floor, with Varian and Anduin hanging back among the crowd at the edge of the dance floor. On the far side of the room opposite the other princesses, Kyle saw Cadence also make her way onto the floor, with Shining Armor also waiting near the edge of the dance floor.

“C’mon,” Twilight murmured as she nudged his arm. “It’s time.” Kyle nodded and rose to his feet, following her through the crowd. As with Varian, Anduin, and Shining Armor, Kyle waited just outside the dance floor among the crowd as Twilight stepped into the center of the dance floor. She, Luna, and Cadence formed a small line behind Celestia as Celestia’s horn lit up. A golden glow surrounded her throat, and quickly faded away.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” she began, her voice magically amplified so as to be audible even in the far corners of the room. “Citizens of Equestria, and esteemed guests. Welcome to the 957th Grand Galloping Gala.” Her words were met with polite applause, which quickly died out as she continued. “Tonight, we celebrate the completion of the construction of Canterlot. But this evening, we also celebrate another grand occasion. The opportunity to make new allies from far away. To enjoy the company of others, whether they walk on four legs or two. Our friends from the recently-discovered world of Azeroth have joined us tonight, and I hope that you will make our new friends feel welcome here in Equestria.” There was another spattering of light applause. “Now, please welcome our conductor for this evening's orchestra, Sir Pyotr Tchaiclopsky, and the Ponyville Symphonic Orchestra” 

The spotlight, which had been focused on Celestia, quickly moved across the floor and onto the large raised platform on the opposite side of the room as Kyle. It came to rest on a well-dressed grey stallion standing on the large platform on the wall oppostie Kyle. Behind him, Kyle could see the outlines of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Ponies sitting in seats, though he couldn’t make out any of their features due to the spotlights that shone around Tchaiclopsky. His own throat became enveloped in a grey aura for a brief moment as he cast the same spell that Celestia had used to enhance her own voice. An item floated up from the podium in front of him. A small, slender stick, which hovered beside the stallion. It began to make swift, crisp movements through the air…

And the music began. 

It opened with a soft mix of wind and stringed instruments, accompanied by a lovely harp sound in the background. As Kyle listened to the music, the conductor began to speak. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” he began. His voice was rich and deep, and carried the same accent that Kyle recognized from many Gilneans. “Introducing tonight’s opening dancers.”

“Princess Celestia and her partner, King Varian Wrynn.” At that moment, Varian stepped out onto the dance floor. Princess Celestia walked over to meet him halfway. They stopped a step apart and bowed to each other.

“Princess Luna and her partner, Prince Anduin Wrynn.” Prince Anduin followed his father out towards the center of the dance floor. He and Luna met each other and moved closer to the orchestra on stage before bowing.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her partner, Prince Shining Armor.” By now, most of the instruments had faded away, leaving only the harpist playing an impromptu solo section. The chords sung out as Cadence and Shining Armor met each other halfway and, as with the two Princesses before them, stopped a step apart and bowed to each other.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle and her partner, Commander Kyle Slater.”

Kyle’s heart leaped into his throat as his name echoed out across the room. He gulped nervously and took a tentative step forward. His heart was racing, and he desperately wanted to look around. But he forced himself to maintain eye contact with Twilight as the two approached each other. They stopped a step apart and, as with the three pairs before them, bowed to each other.

As they rose back up, their eyes met again, and Twilight flashed him another smile. A smile which he tried and failed to return. Was she not nervous? She didn’t look it. She looked as unfazed as Celestia or Luna…

“Dancers. Meet your partners.”

Kyle and Twilight both took a half-step forward, as did the other six dancers on the floor. As one, the Ponies rose onto their hind hooves and leaned forward to support themselves against their partners. Celestia and Luna both towered over their partners, their heads easily reaching over those of Varian and Anduin. Twilight, however, was smaller than both Celestia and Luna, and her eyes came up to the same level as Kyle’s, with her horn reaching just above his head. She leaned against his shoulders and wrapped her right hoof around his back. “Relax,” she murmured, soft enough for only him to hear. She smirked slightly. “Or it’ll be you that ends up making us fall over.

Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He wrapped his left arm around her back, and his right arm extended outwards to grasp her left hoof. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Varian and Celestia had assumed a position identical to the one that he and Twilight had taken. So at least they had that right.

At that moment, he realized that the harp had faded away. Silence filled the room - silence so pure that he could hear his own heartbeat. The conductor had now turned to face the orchestra, and the slender stick was raised above his head. He brought it down…

And the music began again.

It was a classic waltz - a three-beat rhythm in a warm, rich key, the melody being slightly bouncy and yet maintaining its elegance. Two sets of this three-beat rhythm passed before Twilight spoke, again just loud enough for Kyle to hear over the music. “One two three, here we go.”

Kyle barely reacted in time as they both took their first steps in time with the rich sounds of the brass instruments. He noted that the other three pairs had begun at the same time as they had, alleviating his fear that he had begun to early or too late. A couple of Ponies applauded from the crowd as the four pairs began to dance their way across the floor.

As Kyle and Twilight danced around the room, Kyle felt himself begin to relax. He hadn’t messed up yet. No one seemed to be paying him any more attention than the others present on the dance floor, and indeed a faint buzz of conversation wafted through the air. He felt himself smile as the music began to grow more powerful.

Not far away, Kyle spotted Cadence and Shining Armor, each looking as relaxed and content as could be. As he watched, Shining Armor twirled Cadence around on the spot before catching her again and resuming their movements. Kyle glanced back at Twilight again, thinking for a moment. Finally, he smiled. “Spin?”

“Hm?” Twilight raised an eyebrow before glancing over towards her brother. “Oh. Yes.”

“In three.” The pair took three more steps in time with the music and, just as the first chorus hit, he released Twilight’s extended hoof and spun her. She twirled on the spot, wobbling only slightly as he caught her again. His hand met her hoof again, and she grinned as they continued their dance.

As the song went on, Kyle and Twilight tried a few more moves. There were several more spins, including one in the opposite direction. Twilight even led him into lifting her into the air, a move that had to have been pre-organized, as the other three princesses were also lifted into the air at the same time. As they came down, there was more applause and even a cheer from the back.

And so it went on. Kyle and Twilight danced and spun around the dance floor to the melody of the waltz. His earlier nervousness was gone. This wasn’t nearly as bad as the anticipation had been. No other couples had joined the original four on the floor, but Kyle didn’t mind. It just gave them more room to work with.

Everything else was gone. The Horde, the crowd, the Gala, the other dancers, even the music to an extent, it had all faded away from his mind. He had long ago stopped paying attention to the melodies and harmonies, instead only sub-consciously using the beat of the music to direct when he should step. 

Likewise, Twilight seemed to be lost in the moment as well. Her face was flushed red, and she was smiling non-stop now. Her nervousness seemed to have faded as well, for she moved with confidence in time with him. Another twirl, another lift, and her smile only grew wider. She was certainly enjoying this. And if he was honest, Kyle was too. This was even… dare he say it… fun.

But all too soon, it came to an end.

Kyle registered in the bag of his mind that the finale had begun. They only had a moment more before the song ended. The final measures. Kyle and Twilight locked eyes again, and with an unspoken acknowledgement, they swapped their hands. Now, instead of Kyle’s right hand holding her left hoof, his left hand was holding her right hoof. They took four more steps, and Twilight did a slight turn. The final note of the song rang out, and she leaned backwards, coming to rest at a slight angle against Kyle’s extended right arm.

Loud applause rang out from around the room as Kyle helped Twilight back upright. They were both breathing heavily as their eyes met, and they both grinned. He released her hoof, and she fell back down onto all fours. Around them, the other Ponies were likewise dropping back down onto their front hooves. All eight of them bowed to the applause before making their way to the edge of the dance floor.

And suddenly, another song began.

This time, several other couples moved out towards the dance floor - half a dozen, perhaps, including Iron Wing and his partner. The melody this time was faster, a bit more bouncy. Kyle glanced down at Twilight, and their eyes met. Slowly, Kyle grinned, and he extended his hand.

“Another?”

Twilight smiled as well and placed her hoof in his hand. “Absolutely.”


> Chapter 24
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the third song ended, Kyle and Twilight finally made their way off of the dance floor. The second dance had been just as enjoyable as the first, and so had the third. But by now, they were both read in the face, and Kyle felt a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck. So it was that they decided that they needed at least a brief rest from the dance floor. They made their way through the crowds towards their table and sat down.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Their faces slowly began to return to their normal colors, the redness fading away. Their eyes wandered around the room, glancing at each other on occasion. Twice, Twilight opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly closed it again.

Finally, it was Kyle who broke the silence. He met Twilight’s eyes again and smiled. “That… wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared,” he admitted.

“It was fun,” Twilight agreed, to which Kyle nodded. “It looks like this year’s gala isn’t going to be quite as crazy as last year.”

“I still can’t believe all of that really happened,” Kyle chuckled. “Without Discord being involved, no less. Did Fluttershy really -”

“Yes.” Twilight shuddered visibly. “Let’s… we don’t speak of that. I know Rarity still wakes up in a cold sweat from nightmares about that.”

Twilight’s eyes suddenly shifted from Kyle’s to something behind him. She tilted her head and leaned to the side to look past him. Kyle turned his head as well to see what she was looking at. Near one of the corners of the dance floor, Cadence was looking directly at Twilight, waving her hoof and motioning at her.

Kyle looked back at Twilight, who was still staring at Cadence. “I think she wants to talk to you,” he commented. Twilight looked back at him as he continued. “You go see what she wants. I’ll go get us some drinks.”

“A cider for me, please.” 

Kyle gave Twilight a thumbs-up, and the two slid out of their seats once again. Twilight moved past Kyle towards Cadence, while Kyle turned towards the circular area on the side of the room, moving towards the central stained-glass window. He carefully slid past the Ponies in his way, and soon he found himself looking at a long table covered in white cloth. Numerous bowls and glasses were laid out on it, with the bowls containing liquids of various colors.

Kyle ignored the bowls and moved down towards the end of the table, where a decent-sized line had begun to form. There, a light-green stallion was standing beside a keg of cider, managing the tap and handing filled glasses to the Ponies waiting in line. Kyle moved past the line to take his place at the end.

Almost immediately, a second Pony moved into line behind him - a dark blue Pegasus mare. The line moved up, and Kyle took a step forward. Judging by the size of the line, he was going to be waiting here a while.

“Enjoying the evening, Mr. Slater?”

Kyle jumped as a feminine voice spoke up right next to his ear. He spun around to see the Pegasus mare grinning at him. Kyle looked around quickly, finding that there was no one else around. “I… I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked.

The mare’s smile only grew bigger. “Certainly.”

Kyle was beginning to grow uneasy. Not once since he had spun around had the mare’s eyes left him. He couldn’t even say for certain that she had blinked. “Care to… jog my memory?” he asked.

“Do not trust your eyes commander, for they can be deceived.” The mare glanced over her shoulder quickly before leaning in closer, her voice only a whisper. “I am not who I seem.”

Kyle’s eyes flashed with recognition. “Yxia?”

The mare’s grin returned. “Who else?” she chuckled. “It took you long enough.”

Kyle glanced over his shoulder as well. The Ponies in front of him in line didn’t seem to have noticed their conversation, so he returned his attention to Yxia. “Are you out of your mind?” he hissed. “What are you doing here?”

“Enjoying the evening,” She replied, unfazed by Kyle’s reaction. “Just as you are.”

“Do you have any idea how big of a risk you’re taking by coming here?” Kyle demanded. “Need I remind you about the last time a -” He glanced over his shoulder again before leaning in closer. “ - a Changeling showed up at a big Equestrian event?”

“Chrysalis was a fool. We have already made this perfectly clear,” Yxia replied. “I am no fool. I will not be found.”

“Chrysalis never intended to be found either.”

“But she did intend to cause trouble.” Yxia tapped her chest with her hoof. “I, on the other hoof, intend no such thing. There will be no reason to suspect that Sapphire Sky is anypony other than who she says she is.”

Kyle sighed and shook his head. “I still say you’re insane for coming here,” he growled. “But whatever. If you get caught, it’s not my fault or my problem.”

“That’s a good way to look at it,” Yxia nodded. “Now, let us move on. How fare things in Equestria? Have you any more information regarding the outpost we discovered?”

“Shhhh!” Kyle glanced around quickly, only returning his attention to Yxia when he was certain no one else had heard her. “That’s sensitive information right there,” he hissed quietly. “I can’t talk about it here in the open, and honestly I need some time for it to sink in. I’ll send an envoy with a letter in the next day or two to Hive Regali.”

Yxia raised an eyebrow, but did not object. “Fair enough,” she shrugged. “And what of you? Are you well?”

“Better than I thought I’d be at this point,” Kyle admitted. “I thought the dance was going to be a lot worse than it actually was.”

“Ah yes. I do recall hearing your name earlier. Dancing with Princess Twilight, if I’m not mistaken?” Kyle nodded in confirmation. “Well I am glad to see that you survived it seemingly unscathed.”

At that moment, Kyle reached the front of the line, and he turned to take the two mugs from the Pony stationed at the keg. He said his farewells to Yxia and began to make his way over towards their table. It was still unoccupied as he approached it. Twilight, it would seem, was still busy with Cadence.

On the way, Kylee couldn’t help but notice that, unlike just about everyone else who had mentioned him and Twilight that evening, Yxia had not asked about the status of their relationship. “Then again, she can sense love,” Kyle thought as he sat down at the table. “She can tell there’s nothing going on.” He turned his head just in time to see Yxia moving away through the crowds. As if on cue, she turned and locked eyes with him. Even from that distance, he could see the faintest of smirks curving her lips.

“Light… even her…” he grumbled quietly.

“Oh come now, why so serious?”

Kyle’s head whipped around in the other direction. What was it with Ponies sneaking up on him today? This time it was an elderly tan Unicorn stallion - or at least, Kyle assumed he was elderly, judging by his snow-white hair, goatee, and overly-bushy eyebrows. But his face seemed devoid of the wrinkles that old age tended to bring, and his eyes were bright and shiny with almost youthful energy. His cutie mark, Kyle noted, was exposed, unlike most of the other Ponies in the room - a grey, swirling whirlwind. “Can I help you?” he said cautiously.

“Oh most certainly, commander.” Already Kyle wasn’t liking this stallion. The high-pitched, almost nasally voice, the odd look in his eyes… He almost seemed to sneer as he dragged out Kyle’s title. “You see, I’m rather bored here at this little get-together, and I’m looking for somepony to entertain me.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to find someone else,” Kyle snorted. He turned his head away from the stallion towards the other side of the table, intending to end the conversation.

What he didn’t expect was to see the stallion already there, already staring at him. “Oh come now, is that any way to treat an old friend?” he demanded. “One whom you’ve neglected to so much as acknowledge for nearly a month now?”

Kyle snorted again. Enough of this. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“Perhaps this can spark your memory?” The stallion raised his hoof and snapped it - “Wait what?! How did he -” and the stallion’s facial features suddenly changed. His eyes changed to yellow with red pupils, one became bigger than the other, one of his teeth elongated into a fang, and from the top of his mane, Kyle could see two small, mis-matched horns - one of a deer, and one of a goat - protruding from his head.

Kyle  drew back slightly as the stallion grinned. Another snap of his hoof, and his facial features returned to their previous, normal state. “Well?” he insisted.

“Discord.”

“And we have a winner, fillies and gentlecolts!” In the distance, Kyle swore he heard a party horn going off. “So come now, Kyle,” the Pony-Discord leaned in and wrapped one hoof around Kyle’s shoulders. “Why have you been ignoring your old pal Discord, hm? What happened to what we once had?” He shook Kyle’s shoulders lightly. “I thought we had something special! I thought were friends!”

“News to me,” Kyle muttered

“What was that?”

“I said I figured you’d still be upset at me. You know, after I broke your jaw? I thought you’d still be bitter.”

“Bitter? Me?” Discord drew away and pressed one hoof to his chest in feigned astonishment. “Just because you couldn’t handle a simple prank? Just because you decided the best action to relieve your stress was physical violence?” Steam began to float away from his ears, and he began to glare. “Just because you broke my jaw and threw me right at that Tatzlwurm to be sneezed upon and made actually sick for TWO WHOLE WEEKS?!” By now, Discord was red in the face and leaning in close towards Kyle, who refused to budge.

And then, it was all over. The steam stopped, Discord’s face returned to normal, he leaned back, and a smile replaced his glare as he closed his eyes. “No, I’m not bitter,” he chuckled. “When you get frozen in stone for a couple of millennia, you learn to stop holding grudges. Let bygones be bygones, I say.”

“Right…”

“So, where did your pretty purple Pony princess run off to?” Discord asked as he glanced around. “Did… did you get stood up?” he whispered.

Kyle glared at the Pony-Draconequus. “No. Princess Cadence called her away for something,” he replied curtly. He turned his head away yet again, hoping to end the conversation. Discord was certainly one of the last beings Kyle wished to see at that moment.

At that moment, the orchestra began a new song - much slower paced than the previous one had been. Elegant, precise, not nearly as energetic as the one before. “Bleh,” Discord feign-gagged. “This music is really dragging me down.” He paused and sat up straight before nudging Kyle’s shoulder. “C’mon, let’s blow this joint,” he grinned. “Go find us some fun. Maybe a few pranks, stir up a little mild chaos, hm?”

Kyle sighed as he raised one hand to his temples. To be fair, now that he was off the dance floor, he had to admit that the party was a bit dull. But even so… “No, Discord,” he finally said. “I’m not going to help you wreck the Gala. Absolutely not.”

Discord’s smile instantly vanished. “Fine,” he shrugged. “Suit yourself. Miss out on all the fun.”

“And don’t even think of stirring up any trouble yourself,” Kyle warned as Discord took a step away.

Discord turned his head around and smirked up at Kyle. “Or what, Mr. Goody-two-shoes?” He sneered. “Going to break my jaw again?”

“Tempting. But no.” Kyle leaned forward in his seat towards Discord. “Just know that if any catastrophe happens tonight, I now can point to you as being the probable culprit to Princess Celestia. And then we might see if you’re a bit bitter after another thousand years or so as a lawn decoration.”

“Princess Celestia wouldn’t dare order the use of the elements against me for that!” Discord exclaimed. “After all, I’m reformed!”

“Ruining the annual celebration of the construction of Equestria’s capital doesn’t seem very ‘reformed’ to me.” Kyle countered. “You’re right. She probably wouldn’t. But why take that chance?” Kyle smiled ever so slightly as he saw a hint of uncertainty in Discord’s eyes. “But of course, it doesn’t have to come to that. I’d rather it didn’t. All you have to do is behave yourself for the rest of the night. I know it’s hard for you to act civilized, but just… keep the chaos for Ponyville, hm? They’re used to it, at least.”

“And that’s what takes all the fun out of it,” Discord pouted. Still, he seemed mollified for a moment as he raised one hoof to his chin. “I suppose, as a creature of Chaos, everypony would expect me to stir up some excitement here… so how better to be chaotic than to do nothing at all?”

Discord continued to murmur to himself as he walked away from the table, leaving Kyle alone. Kyle sighed in relief and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. “Bloody Chaos Gods…” he muttered.

It wasn’t long before Kyle heard the sound of a chair moving cut through the noise of hundreds of hooves. He opened his eyes as Twilight hopped up in the chair opposite him. Her horn lit up, and the mug that Kyle had brought back for her rose from the table to her lips. Kyle had neglected his own drink, and so followed suit.

A moment later, they both placed their mugs back on the table. Kyle picked up a napkin and wiped some of the foam from his upper lip. “So, what Did Princess Cadence want?” he asked.

“She just… wanted to talk,” Twilight replied. She picked up Kyle’s napkin in her magical grasp and wiped away a small speck of foam that had dotted his nose. “We talked about it earlier, but the Crystal Empire is nearly rebuilt already. There’s still some cleanup needed on the southern end, and the stadiums for the Equestrian Games were damaged, but everything’s on track for the games to continue.”

“Yeah, I remember her talking about that earlier.” Kyle sat up straighter in his seat. “I’m still amazed at how quickly they repaired the damage,” he commented. “I mean, you and I both saw what the city was like when we took the Crystal Heart back. The southern half of the city was just… gone. How’d they do it?”

“Well they got a lot of help. Ponies from all over Equestria came to help rebuild, and we even got volunteers from the Minotaurs and the Griffonian Empire.” She glanced around before leaning in close, her voice just above a whisper. “We also may or may not have gotten some help from a couple of Changelings under Empress Yxia’s new Empire.”

“Speaking of which…” Kyle dropped his voice down as well. “Did you know Yxia is here tonight?”

“What?!”

“Yeah. Pretty much my reaction as well,” Kyle nodded as he and Twilight both leaned back in their seats. “She was in line behind me to get some cider. Disguised, of course, but she’s here.”

“Well… No. No I didn’t. Although… Princess Celestia did say that there would be a few surprise visitors. I guess Yxia would be one of them…” Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head. “At least it’s not Discord.”

Kyle remained silent, barely resisting the urge to laugh. It took a moment for Twilight to look up and lock eyes with him. “He’s here too, isn’t he?” she deadpanned.

“Yep.”

“Disguised as a Pony?”

“Yep.”

“Planning to cause trouble?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Because it’s Discord.” Kyle gestured out to the crowd still milling about. “Anyone who knew he was here would expect him to stir up some trouble. So he’s apparently decided that the best way to cause chaos is to… well, do nothing.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And did you have something to do with this decision?”

“I might have,” Kyle smiled innocently.

“I won’t even ask,” Twilight sighed with smile as she shook her head.

At that moment, the orchestra changed songs yet again. This one, like the previous, was smooth and elegant, yet more bouncy and energetic. “Oh I love this one,” Twilight smiled.

“Are you up for another dance?”

“Absolutely.” Together, the pair rose from their table and joined the numerous couples moving out onto the dance floor.


---


As the orchestra stopped playing and the dance floor began to clear once again, Kyle and Twilight followed the mass of Ponies away from the center of the room. They made their way back towards their table, but rather than sitting down at it, the pair found themselves moving past it. They made their way through the crowds, past numerous other tables, and finally walked through one of the double doors leading out of the ballroom to the outside.

Here, they found themselves on a large, semi-circle balcony that hugged the crescent-shaped wall of the palace. A short guardrail was stationed along the open end of the balcony, and a pair of mirrored staircases at either end of the balcony curved downwards towards the palace grounds. Out on the grounds themselves, Kyle could see a few scattered Ponies here and there, all of them walking together in pairs.

A few other Ponies were out here on the balcony as well, enjoying the night sky. It was certainly the perfect evening to do so - the stars were visible as Kyle had never seen them before, the moon was bright and high in the sky, and from the north, a line of green-and-blue aurora lights curved and twisted through the night sky.

Kyle and Twilight both moved towards the left side of the balcony and made their way own the short staircase into the palace grounds. Here, the grounds were arranged very similarly to the park in Ponyville - long, curving sidewalks cutting through vast stretches of fields, scattered trees here and there, with the occasional bench placed along the sides of the paths. Kyle and Twilight turned down one of these paths and began to wander.

Soon, the sounds of the music had faded away, leaving them in near silence. All that could be heard were their own feet against the stone path, the sound of crickets chirping, the fluttering of wings as nocturnal birds soared the sky. It was so serene. So peaceful.

For a long while, the two walked in what seemed to be circles around the palace. They were content to not speak. Neither one wanted to break the comfortable silence. On occassion, they would pass another couple headed in the opposite direction. Often, they would hear the Ponies approaching before they were seen, and their voices seemed unnaturally loud as until they faded out of earshot once again.

As eleven o’clock approached, the balcony finally came back into sight once again. Kyle and Twilight ascended the stairs back up towards the ballroom, on the opposite side this time. The music was not playing, for as a glance through the open doors revealed, it seemed that the orchestra had stopped playing. The members were packing up their instruments, the dance floor had been cleared, and much of the greater ballroom was empty.

The balcony itself was likewise deserted, leaving Kyle and Twilight alone. Twilight moved over towards the balcony, and Kyle followed her over. He stopped next to her by the railing and leaned forward, resting his arms on the railing. For a while, they simply stood there, staring out over the now-empty gardens.

“Thanks for tonight,” Twilight’s voice cut into the silence. “It was fun.” There was a brief pause. “A big change from the last one. I had a good time with you.”

“So I’ve heard,” Kyle chuckled as he lowered his hands to his side. “Yeah, It was a good time, once the actual Gala started.”

At that moment, Kyle felt something soft and furry brush past his hand. He looked down to see what it was. His eyes went wide. It felt like history was repeating itself. For the second time, a Pony was nuzzling his hand. But this time, it wasn’t Lyra.

It was Twilight.

Kyle’s body froze as his mind began to process what he was seeing. Twilight was nuzzling him. Romantically. So she… So that’s why everyone… “How long?” he found himself wondering. “How long have I not noticed this? Am I really that bad at seeing the signs?”

Finally, Kyle’s body began to catch up with his mind. Twilight had stopped nuzzling him at this point, and was now looking up at him, with her chin resting just on top of his hand. Slowly, he looked down at her. Their eyes locked. Every part of his mind was telling him to pull his hand away. Telling him that he should feel incredibly uncomfortable with Twilight’s actions. After all, he had felt that way with Lyra. He should feel the same way now.

But to his shock, he didn’t.

Instead, he reached over to scratch her cheek.

That seemed to be the reaction Twilight had been hoping for. She grinned and leaned back in, nuzzling his hand further. Kyle swore he heard a catlike purr coming from her. His hand slowly moved from her cheek to near her left ear, and then to the top of her head. It was an almost mindless motion, mindless in that his attention was not focused on his actions. Instead, he was in the middle of an internal civil war.

On one side, Twilight was a Pony. A creature that Kyle had, for twenty-five years, considered to have no intelligence to speak of. Yes, Equestrian Ponies were far different from their Azerothian counterparts, but the physical resemblance was certainly there. It almost felt unnatural to have any feelings beyond friendship with a creature so physically dissimilar from him.

And on the other hand… he didn’t care.

That was the shocking part. That a part of him didn’t care that she was a Pony and not a Human or other biped. A surprisingly large part. After all, this wasn’t a Pony like the ones he had known in Azeroth. She, and the rest of Ponykind, was intelligent - very much so, on the same level as any other sentient race on Azeroth. So she wasn’t Human. So what? Humans had been known for years now to form relationships with Elves, Dwarves, even Draenei. It should be no different here.

And so it was that, when Kyle’s mind finally resolved its inner conflict and he snapped back to reality, he did not cease scratching Twilight’s head. Rather, he smiled slightly and continued to do so. And when he finally did stop and removed his hand from her head, Twilight moved in closer, pressing her side up against his leg. “Sweet Light, this feels weird,” Kyle thought as he looked down at her. “Not bad, but… odd.”

And it did. It felt odd, trying to reconcile part of his mind with what had just happened. And then there was the small voice in the back of his head, reminding him of the last time something like this had happened. “Lyra won’t be pleased about this,” it whispered. “And you won’t be able to hide it for long. Not when you’re now dating a Princess.”

The clock struck the hour, and eleven tolls echoed out across the city. As it did, Kyle and Twilight both turned to move back into the castle and up to their rooms for the evening. It almost felt normal. Almost. Twilight walked closer than before, Kyle’s hand brushed her side occasionally. Something had changed.

Dealing with Lyra’s reaction was going to be a problem. A huge problem. Kyle already knew this for certain. Not one that he’d have to deal with tonight, or tomorrow. But soon. And it wasn’t going to be as easy as his last encounter with her, of that he had no doubt. No, this was not going to be pleasant. 

It could even mean the end of a friendship.

Kyle’s heart leaped into his throat at that thought. He glanced down quickly at the mare walking beside him. Was he willing to risk Lyra’s friendship for this? Was that a chance he was willing to take? “I can’t… I can’t think about that right now,” He finally decided. “I’ll take a look at it in the morning. Get some sleep, get some distance… Talk to Twilight about it. Maybe Cadence too. She’s got some expertise in this area. Yeah. I’ll talk to Cadence.”

“In the morning.”

> Chapter 25
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was long gone behind the horizon. The moon had long since taken its place, full and bright, high in the sky. Yet for all its luster, the pale white light could not pierce the thick veil of leaves and vines, trunks and branches. Only a fraction of its light reached the forest floor. By then, the light itself had grown almost sickly. Not enough to truly see by, just to illuminated the gnarled trunks and twisted branches. An unnatural haze clung to the ground like a blanket, smothering yet more of the moonlight and hiding what may yet lie ahead. For any normal creature, even one who had not grown up in its ever-looming shadow, the Everfree Forest was a dark and foreboding place. One to be avoided. A place where others would warn you not to enter, lest you never return.

But there were those who did not heed such warnings.

Looking through the mist, an observer might not see the traveler making its way through the forest, obscure by the mist as it was. A short, hooded figure, wrapped in a black cloak to obscure every inch of its body, wandering through the forest. Not even its eyes could be seen beneath the darkness of its hood. Here in the unnatural shade, in the forest that was home to creatures able to devour the miniscule traveller in a single bite, one would expect it to feel and show fear, or at least apprehension. But it displayed no such emotion. It moved instead with purpose, with confidence, as though it had travelled this exact route numerous times in the past.

Nor did it falter as the mist suddenly faded away into nothingness. The air here was no longer foreboding, no longer filled with the threat of danger at any moment. The danger was here. The threat had been made manifest. It was all around. The air itself tingled with foul energy. The trees and undergrowth reeked of tainted power. And the mist - the seeming embodiment of the forest’s hidden threats and dangers - even it drew away from this place.

Up ahead, a sheer cliff rose from the forest floor. A vertical wall of stone, broken only by a single small hole. A symbol had been carved into the stone wall above the opening, which periodically pulsed with a sickly green energy. The figure did not hesitate in approaching the pulsing rune. Instead, it stretched out one hand towards the rune. From underneath the hood, a pair of red orbs momentarily lit up. The rune, in the middle of a pulse of green energy, suddenly turned a brilliant violet, and then faded away. The cloaked figure seemed satisfied, for it walked towards the opening and entered, disappearing into the darkness.

The darkness did not last for long. The roughly-hewn passageway twisted and turned this way and that, but a small, faint light from the end gave just illumination to see by. As the figure rounded the last corner, the source of the illumination became clear. The passageway opened up into a well-lit cave, with multiple additional paths branching off here and there. It was difficult to see into the cave, however past the two Felguards and the Voidwalker that stood guard over the entrance.

The cloaked figure came to a stop as the Felguards readied their axes. The Voidwalker, though without eyes, seemed to peer down at the small figure before it. “State the password,” It demanded in its deep, echoey voice. “Or die.”

“Felsworn.” Though smaller than any of the demons before it, the voice that came from the figure was unnaturally deep. Dark, throaty, dry. 

The demons seemed appeased by the cloaked figure. The Felguards lowered their axes and stood to the side, while the Voidwalker floated backwards to allow the figure to step forward. “The masters have been expecting you for some time,” it commented as the Felguards resumed their defensive positions in front of the entrance.

“Then let us not make them wait any longer,” the figure replied. “Take me to them.”

The Voidwalker turned and led the figure towards the right-most tunnel, leading deeper down into the bowels of the earth. Here, the ground itself had become infused with the fel energy that filled the air. The stone glowed ever so faintly, the earth beneath the figure’s feet had become dry and cracked, and even red-orange flames rising from the mounted torches were tinged with a hint of green

This second passage curved in on itself as it led downwards, but was not nearly as long as the entrance tunnel had been. It opened up into another cave, this one much larger and far more open. Though clearly recently-cut from the stone that made up the walls, it had been done so with a great deal of precision. The room itself was nearly perfectly square, with four pillars holding up the ceiling near each corner. 

On the far side of the cave, two more figures stood face-to-face - a hunched-over biped, and a similarly hunched-over quadruped. The biped turned towards them as the pair entered the room. Its hood fell down, revealing bright green braided hair, a pair of tusks pierced with golden rings, and glowing blood-red eyes. “Finally,” he exclaimed. “We were startin’ t’ tink ya weren’t comin’.”

“My apologies, Zinju,” the figure replied as it waved one hand dismissively. The Voidwalker bowed slightly before turning and floating back up the passage it just just emerged from. “I was delayed. But not unnecessarily so. You will find that the path is clear for our operation.”

“Dis be a risky move, mon,” Zinju growled. “It betta be worth it.”

“Calm yourself, Zinju,” the final figure wheezed as it trotted forward. “This operation is necessary to activate the second rune. Only when all four are active can I return to my full power.”

“And do not worry about your own obligations, Zinju,” The smaller figure continued as the Troll opened his mouth to object. “Using the runes to unlock Lord Tirek’s power will still leave you with plenty of power to bring the rest of the Burning Legion to Equestria. I assure you, you will not feel Kil’Jaeden’s wrath. Azeroth will fall.”

“But first, we must activate all of the runes,” Tirek added. He reached into one of the pockets on his cloak and withdrew a small, polished stone. It appeared almost perfectly smooth, save for the symbol carved into one side. “The second is very nearly ready, but it must feed on even more fear.”

Zinju shook his head slowly. “I know, mon, I know. I just be worried. We only got one shot at dis. And dey gonna come lookin’ for us after dis.”

“Leave that to me,” Tirek replied. He turned his head towards the smaller figure. Tirek stretch out one withered arm and dropped the stone, which the hooded figure caught. “Our forces await your command,” he added.

Though the figure’s face was still concealed beneath the hood, it was clear that it was grinning. A sinister grin, borne not of happiness but of dark, grim pleasure. “Lord Tirek,” the figure began. “Begin the preparations.” The stone was pulled into the cloak, disappearing beneath the folds.

“We march at dawn.”


---


The sun was already rising by the time Kyle awoke. As the light crept over his eyes, he muttered incoherently and rolled over to the side, intent on shielding himself from the sunrise. But the sun continued to bother him, as it reflected off of the mirror on the far side of the room right onto his closed eyes. With another round of grumbling, he pushed himself upright and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He yawned and stretched his arms, grunting as one of them gave off a satisfying pop.

His clothes had been laid out neatly across a chair the night before, but he wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Instead, he made his way to the left-hand wall of the room. There, he pushed a door open and walked into an ornately-decorated bathroom. A large, glass-enclosed shower was set into one corner, right next to a large bathtub - or it might have been a small swimming pool. Neither of these, however, drew Kyle’s interest. Instead, he moved towards the sink and turned it on. He cupped his hands under the faucet and filled them with cold water before splashing it across his face. He repeated this a couple of times before reaching for a towel, drying his face, and exiting the bathroom.

It wasn’t long before Kyle was fully dressed in his suit once again. He tightened the tie, which he had simply loosened the night before rather than completely undoing, and stepped into his shoes before taking a look at himself in the mirror. His hair was a bit more unkempt than the night before, and he tried in vain to flatten it down. Still, it’s not like there was another party that day. It was just a simple train ride back to Ponyville with Twilight.

Twilight.

And just like that, memories from the night before came rushing back to him. Baine, the dance, the walk, her nuzzling his hand, him scratching her cheek. Thoughts of Lyra’s possible reactions once again flashed before his eyes. And once again, none of them were pleasant. He took a sharp breath, but quickly let it go. Uncertainty still ate away at his mind, but he already knew who he could turn to to help him. Someone who was an expert in these sorts of problems

Princess Cadence.

Yes, surely she’d be able to help him. She was the Princess of love, after all. She had to have some saying, some piece of advice, some something to help. With that thought in mind, Kyle pushed the door to his room open and stepped out into the hallway. A quick word with the guard later, and he was being led down the corridor towards Cadence’s quarters.

It was a fair distance away, on nearly the opposite side of the palace from the general guest rooms where Kyle had been staying. Still, he eventually found himself staring at a large oaken door with Cadence’s name and cutie mark emblazoned in gold upon it. One of the guards stepped forward towards the door, raised a hoof, and knocked three times on the door. “Princess Cadence?” he called out.

There was a brief pause. “Yes?” the response came a few seconds later. “Who is it?”

“Kyle Slater has asked to speak with you, ma’am.”

“Ah! Mr. Slater!” There was another moment of silence, during which time Kyle and the second guard exchanged a quick glance. The door opened a moment later, revealing Cadence on the other side. It was clear that she had not been up for very long - a brush had been run hastily through her mane, though a few hairs still stuck out here and there. She smiled as her eyes locked on Kyle. “Please, come in, come in,” she said quickly, ushering Kyle into her room. As Kyle stepped through the threshold, the door closed behind him.

Cadence’s quarters in the Canterlot Palace were designed very similar to those of the guest rooms on the opposite ends. In fact, Kyle would have called them identical, save for a few small differences. The room was considerably larger than the other guest rooms, with one corner containing a fireplace and a number of chairs and sofas situated around a dark wooden table. Otherwise, the room was indistinguishable from the one Kyle had stayed in the night before, and during his previous visits to the palace.

Cadence led Kyle over to the corner and laid down on one of the couches, while Kyle sat down in one of the chairs. He glanced around the room once again, and found that other than himself and Cadence, the room was unoccupied. He turned his attention back to Cadence just as she began to speak. “So, Mr. Slater. What brings you here this morning?”

“I’ve got a problem,” Kyle began bluntly. “Given your… area of expertise, I was hoping you might be able to help me, or at least give me some advice.”

“Area of expertise, hm?” Cadence’s lips curved upwards slightly. “Does this ‘problem’ happen to involve my sister-in-law?” Kyle nodded. “Yes, I saw you two last night. I must say, you seemed to be enjoying yourself quite well. Especially after your little walk around the palace grounds.”

“You saw that?”

“Of course,” Cadence chuckled. “I was watching you two with great interest last night. And it seems that, once again, my senses were correct.” Cadence’s smile slowly faded away. “However, you mentioned a… ‘problem’? What’s wrong?”

“It’s a bit complicated.” Kyle sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Just suffice it to say that… the events of last night may not sit particularly well with another friend of mine, whose romantic advances I have turned down more than once.”

“And you fear that, by accepting Twilight’s, you will anger and alienate this friend and lose her friendship,” Cadence finished. “Tell me, who is this friend of yours?”

“Her name’s Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Heartstrings, Heartstrings…” Cadence murmured. She closed her eyes and hummed softly. “The name is familiar for some reason, though not somepony that I encountered directly…”

“No matter.” Cadence’s eyes snapped open and locked on Kyle’s. “So, you’re afraid of losing this friend of yours.” She shifted herself and sat up a bit straighter. “Now, the first question, I suppose. You know that Twilight likes you. Quite a bit. How do you feel about her? The same?”

“Light, I don’t even know,” Kyle groaned. “She’s one of my best friends here in Equestria, and I’d trust her with my life… actually, come to think of it, I’ve done so. Several times. But… I don’t know.”

“Hmm.” Cadence tapped her chin with one hoof. “And this Lyra mare,” She continued. “You’ve said you’ve turned her down in the past. What is she like?”

“Well… she’s my other best friend, besides Twilight,” he began. “Really nice, really friendly. A bit eccentric, has quite a number of quirks, but still a great friend.”

“What kind of quirks?”

“Well…” Kyle rubbed his chin for a moment. “If you asked anyone in Ponyville to describe her, they’d call her odd. She’s always had a fascination with the possibility of life existing outside of Equus. So you can imagine how excited she was when I was revealed to the public. She’s always been kind of a loner. She says she only had one childhood friend really, and all of her other friends besides me have come through her job as a harpist in the Ponyville Symphonic Orchestra.”

“And how did you meet her?”

“Funny story, that,” Kyle snorted. “When I was revealed to the public, she was obviously ecstatic at the news that life did indeed exist outside of Equus. And she wanted to meet me, to get to know the alien who had confirmed her lifelong beliefs. But She was nervous I guess, so she didn’t just come up and introduce herself. Instead she… well, quite bluntly, she took to stalking me. I first met her face-to-face in the train station when I confronted her.”

“And how did that go?”

“About as well as someone confronting their stalker can go. I basically told her to quit, and that maybe we could talk if she stopped following me everywhere. That was when she first asked me on a date. Which I declined, obviously. I had to go after that, because my train to Canterlot was leaving. But she took it… to say she took it bad is very mild.”

“What happened?”

Kyle closed his eyes and shook his head. Memories played before his eyes - the encounter with an angry Bon-Bon, the approach to the house with Fluttershy, the dilapidated and disrepaired state of the building, the fire roaring in the fireplace… Her maniacal grin… and those eyes. Those empty, emotionless, soulless eyes. “She was possessed,” he finally explained. “By the Sha of Misery. Scootaloo and I fought her off as best we could, but really, only Pinkie Pie’s arrival stop her from killing us both.”

“After I got out of the hospital, I went to go see her. I wanted to make sure she was alright, check her for any lingering signs of Sha corruption, and then hightail it out of there. I stopped by around noon for a five minute visit. But… well, five minutes turned into ten minutes, ten minutes turned into an hour, and next thing I know I’m making us both dinner. I’d only ever seen her at her absolute worst, and that day I got a chance to see who she really was.”

“And?”

“Well, We’ve been friends ever since. She’s helped me with training Scootaloo, we’ve gone to each other for advice… She asked me on another date a couple of weeks ago, but I turned her down again.”

“And then asked Twilight to the dance.”

“...Yes.”

“And that’s the point where you messed up,” Cadence commented. “Why didn’t you just ask Lyra to go to the Gala with you?”

“I didn’t want to give her the wrong idea,” Kyle explained. “Send the wrong message.”

“I see… So, my next question - Why did you turn Lyra down? Is there something about her that does not appeal to you?”

“Well the first time, it was… yeah.” Kyle rubbed the back of his head. “She’d just been stalking me, and then asked me out on a date. I was a bit creeped out, to say the least.”

“But you became friends. What about the second time?”

“I, uh…” Kyle began. He cut himself off, however, as he began to realize just how foolish he was about to sound. His primary reason for turning Lyra down, for not even giving her a chance, had been the fact that she was a Pony. And yet, he hadn’t held that against Twilight the night before. Cadence continued to stare at him as he realized his blunder, and he looked away. “Well.. a, uh, a pretty poor reason, in hindsight…”

“Right.” Cadence’s tone was sharper now, a bit harsher. “Well then, you seem to have dug your own grave here, Mr. Slater. Your own poor judgement has caused this.”

“I know!” Kyle exclaimed suddenly. “I know, damnit, I know. I was an idiot, alright? I just want to fix this whole mess I’ve gone and made.”

Cadence’s gaze softened. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there,” she admitted. “You must follow your heart from here on, Mr. Slater.”

“Right,” Kyle sighed. He pushed himself back to his feet and walked past Cadence towards the door. “Thanks. I guess.” He could feel Cadence’s gaze boring into him as he walked away, but he didn’t look back as he stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

The guards that had led him before were waiting for him outside, and they snapped to attention as he stepped into the hallway. “Commander,” the one on the left greeted. “Princess Twilight came looking for you, sir. She says that your train leaves in half an hour.”

“Right. Could you lead me to the entrance hall? I think I can make my way to the station from there.”

“Of course.” The guards turned away from Cadence’s room, and Kyle turned to follow them. The trio wandered through the labyrinth of rooms and corridors, down several flights of stairs, and finally emerged in the entrance hall. The large double door was open, and Kyle nodded his thanks to the guards before stepping through out onto the palace grounds. He followed the long path out towards the main gate and waited as it was opened for him, stepping through that and emerging into the streets of Canterlot.

As Kyle attempted to maneuver his way through the roads, he came to a somewhat obvious conclusion - Canterlot was a big city. And big cities come with big crowds. His movement through the streets was slow, hampered by Ponies and carts and stalls and all manner of obstacles. There was no way he’d make it to the station in time.

Unless…

Without warning, Kyle sped up into a full sprint, startling several Ponies around him. He leaped on top of a cart on the side of the road, and then onto a sign hanging above one of the doors. From there, he was able to clamber up the wall until he pulled himself onto the rooftops. Here, high above the streets, he could see the railroad that led to the station, near the edge of the city. Ignoring the cries of surprise from below, he set off at a run down the sloped roof and leaped across the gap, clearing the street and landing on the roof on the other side.

Kyle continued like this for a while, sprinting across the roofs of Canterlot and leaping across the streets below. It had been a long time since he had been able to just run like this. Not running into battle or away from something. Not since before the Battle of the Crystal Empire, at least. Though sweat beaded his brow and began to run down his neck, he felt relaxed. At ease. It was peaceful up here, with no one to tell him what to do or not to do.

But alas, his run had to end. The train station was just on the next street, and he’d have to make his way down from the roofs to get in. Kyle smirked and put on an extra burst of speed as he leaped across the largest gap yet. Too large, in fact. Even as fast as he was going, he wouldn’t be able to clear the double-lane street below.

But he hadn’t intended to. Instead, he dropped into a tree resting in the median of the street, using the branches to slow himself as he clutched at them. It wasn’t long before he dropped out of the tree and landed on his feet in the small strip of grass below, with a few broken twigs and leaves falling after him. He appeared to have arrived unnoticed, for no one around stared as he walked out from under the tree and into the train station. A quick word later, and he stepped aboard the Friendship Express. And not a moment too soon. As soon as the door closed behind him, the whistle sounded, and the train jerked into motion. Next stop: Ponyville.

It didn’t take him long to find Twilight’s car. It was the only one with the compartment door still open. She was waiting for him. He stepped around an elderly mare pushing a food trolley and into the compartment, sliding the door closed behind him. Sure enough, Twilight was laying down on one of the benches, her nose buried in a book. It didn’t even appear that she had noticed him enter.

It wasn’t until he sat down beside her that Twilight looked up at him. “Oh! You made it!” she exclaimed. A bookmark floated over into her book, and she closed it and set it to the side. “I was wondering where you were. Looks like you had to hurry to get here,” she added with a glance towards his sweat-lined forehead.

“Yeah. Too many Ponies on the ground, so I took to running on the roofs,” Kyle admitted. “I didn’t mean to be so late. I had to go meet… someone, and it took longer than I expected.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it.” Kyle glanced down at Twilight as she scooted over closer to him. She leaned in close and rested her head on his knee, with one wing, draped over the back of the seat behind them. If it hadn’t been there, Kyle had no doubt that her wing would be draped over his shoulder instead.

Kyle sighed and shook his head. She liked him a lot, there was no doubt about that. But he still had to consider Lyra. The ultimate question crossed his mind yet again - was this worth potentially losing a friend for? And despite his best attempts, despite the advice Cadence had given him… he didn’t know.

“Twilight?” he finally said. His voice was quiet, hesitant. And Twilight seemed to sense his troubled state, for she almost instantly looked up at him. “We… need to talk.”


---


A more awkward train ride, Kyle had never experienced before in his life. Including the one where Luna had ended up falling asleep in his lap.

He and Twilight now maintained a healthy space between them on the padded bench they were sitting on. It had been several hours since their conversation had ended, and their level of discomfort had not dropped one bit. In fact, it had only been amplified by the passage of time.

It was only when the train finally slowed down, and eventually jerked to a stop, did they even make eye contact. Kyle was the first to rise. He moved over to the compartment door and opened it, allowing a wave of fresh air to rush into the room. It was as through a great breath had been released. Twilight was a few steps behind him as they both joined the small crowd exiting the train.

As they stepped onto the platform in Ponyville, Kyle made sure to slow down, waiting for Twilight. Soon, they were walking side-by-side, though they still refused to meet eyes. “Twilight,” he finally began. “Look, I know how that sounded. I’m hoping that, for now at least, we can still be friends. I’m not saying yes. I’m not saying no. I just… I need some time to think.” Twilight looked up at him, but didn’t say anything, so Kyle continued. “I mean… I could be risking a friendship here. I just… need to think it over. Alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine.” Twilight smiled, but it was obvious that it was fake. Forced. It didn’t reach her eyes. Kyle knew she was hurt. But he also knew that he was, at least for now, making the right choice by being cautious.

Twilight’s fake smile disappeared as she sniffed the air. “Do you… *sniff*... Do you smell that?” she asked.

Kyle took a deep breath. He frowned. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Smoke. And not from a campfire.”

As the pair emerged out onto the streets, Kyle’s frown deepend. Several Ponies were glancing over the shoulders towards the west, a concerned look on their faces. Almost frightened. Kyle and Twilight both turned to see the cause of their concern. They didn’t have to look hard. There, rising above the streets and buildings, a large plume of smoke rose high into the sky. A smoke column like that could only come from a large fire - far too large to be even the biggest of bonfires. And it seemed to be coming from…

Kyle and Twilight both gasped at the same time. They glanced towards each other, eyes wide in shock.

“Ironwall!”


> Chapter 26
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle and Twilight weren’t the only ones who had stopped to stare at the pillar of smoke rising over the rooftops. It seemed that every Pony in the streets had dropped what they were doing and turned to the west, watching as the pitch-black plume rose higher and higher into the sky. There was scattered murmuring here and there, growing more and more concerned by the second. A few Ponies even took a step or two backwards.

Kyle was the first to break out of his stupor. He shook his head to clear it. The smoke had to be coming from Ironwall. If it had been in Ponyville, there would already be mass chaos. Not to say that there wouldn’t be soon. A couple of Ponies had already turned tail and begun trotting away with fearful glances over their shoulders, and the muttering had become more widespread as the townsponies tried to figure out what was going on.

“Twilight.” He nudged his friend to draw her attention. “I’m going to see what’s going on at Ironwall. You need to stay here and try to keep everyone calm. I don’t know what’s happening at Ironwall, but the last thing we need is a panic here. Alright?”

Twilight nodded. “Got it. And… good luck,” she added as Kyle turned away.

As Kyle took off down the street towards Ironwall, the signs of distress were becoming more and more evident. Concern was fading into full-blown fear, and a few individuals were galloping at full speed away from the towering pillar of smoke. It didn’t help that the few Azerothians in town bearing the emblem of Ironwall, though trying to maintain a calm visage, were standing with weapons openly drawn. Unable to stop himself, Kyle took off at a full sprint towards the edge of town, ducking and weaving through the crowd.

Finally, the crowds thinned out, and he made his way out of town. From here, he could see the towers of Ironwall off in the distance. More importantly, he could see what was happening within. The tower of smoke was coming from within the garrison, there was no doubt about it. But that wasn’t the only thing rising from within the walls. The dense, black smoke was flashing with multiple hues near its base, reflecting the light of spells cast by those at its base. And judging by the faint roar of yelling and explosions that even from this distance could be heard, not all of those spells were aimed at quenching the fire.

It wasn’t long before the signs of the carnage came fully into view. Outside the garrison gates, bodies were strewn here and there, some burnt beyond recognition, others still smoldering. And still the roar of battle echoed through the air. The yelling and screaming, the clang of steel on steel, the surge of spells lashing out at their targets, the whistle of bolts and arrows flashing through the air. Stepping over the corpses lying at his gate, Kyle rushed through the entrance and into the battle.

Almost instantly, a Felguard was towering over him. He hopped lightly to the side as its mighty axe came crashing down into the ground where he had just stood. The second swing sailed over his head as he ducked low and rolled underneath the demon. The Felguard spun to meet him, but Kyle was already on the move. He leaped into the air and planted one foot on the Felguard’s hip, using that as additional leverage to get even higher. He flipped over his opponent and wrapped his arms around the Felguard’s neck, using the momentum from his fall back to the ground to drag the Felguard down as well.The demon’s head slammed into the earth with a resounding thud, and it snarled in fury as Kyle Kicked the back of its armored head. An instant later, Kyle had pried its massive axe from its hands, and the sharp blade came whistling down, ending the life of its former wielder.

With his first opponent out of the way, Kyle took a second to glance around the garrison. Demons. Demons everywhere, of every shape and size. Felguards and Wrathguards, Imps and Voidwalkers, Succubi and Felhunter, clashing against the defenders of Ironwall. The barracks were nothing more than a pile of ash, and the two research stations were now towering infernos, spewing the column of black smoke high into the air.

A Felhunter was the next to catch Kyle’s eye, pinning an exhausted mage to the ground.Kyle took a deep breath and summoned Chi into his feet, rocketing forward in a Flying Serpent Kick. His boot connected squarely with the Felhunter, sending it soaring backwards into a Wrathguard. The two demons collapsed in a heap, allowing the warrior who had been fighting the Wrathguard to finish them both off with two quick strokes of his blade.

And so the battle raged on. Kyle was here, then there, at first supporting the beleaguered defenders against their opponents. A punch here, a kick there, all that was needed to draw the demons’ attention away from the sword aimed at their neck, the fireball approaching their chest. Eventually, he was forced to deal with his own opponents as they began to target him. But that meant that some of his allies were able to catch their breath for a moment and recover. Soon, a couple of the mages had gathered the strength to summon a mana table, and rushed the energizing liquid to the combatants.

The demons had been advancing steadily further into the garrison, but as Kyle’s presence began relieving some of the defenders for a short time, their advance slowed. Then it stopped entirely, with a battle line being drawn just outside the central plaza. And then, the demons found that they could not hold the line as the effects of the mana water rejuvenated the defenders. Soon, they were being forced steadily back, past the research stations, past the barracks, past the gates, out into the open fields.

Kyle was drenched in sweat. His shirt was torn here and there, and his sleeves were singed and burned from the proximity to all of the fel fire. His suit’s jacket was completely gone, lost in the battle somewhere - he couldn’t remember where or when he had discarded it. His breathing was heavy, and he instinctively reached for his belt. But he found that his brews were not there. All that there was was the belt that he had worn to the gala the night before.

“Hold the gate!” he managed to shout between breaths. “We have the chokepoint and the high ground! Recover what strength you can!” He stepped to the side as another mage rushed past towards the front line with his arms full of flasks. With another glance back at the battle that still raged just outside the gates, he turned and rushed back into the garrison, past the spellcasters and archers that rained magic and arrows down upon the demons, and up towards the down hall.

He threw the door open and sprinted into his room. His shirt, belt, pants, and shoes were off almost immediately, and he sighed as the cool air rushed over his overheated body. There was no time to enjoy it, though. Just as quickly, he had pulled on a new set of clothes, more free and relaxing than his other ones, allowing him a wider range of movement. His armor soon followed, including his belt. He reached down and found the pouch he was looking for tied around his belt. He opened it and drank deeply of the liquid inside. His energizing brew’s effect was almost instantaneous, and he sighed in relief again as the burning in his arms and legs faded away.

The last item to grab was his weapon. For a split second, Kyle considered grabbing the staff that his master had given him during his last visit. He shook his head, however, and instead picked up the twin hammers that had been presented to him just before the Battle of the Crystal Empire. Gifts from Chief Longhorn of the Redtail Minotaur Tribe, the weapons were reinforced with the princess’s own spells, allowing him to grip them better, swing them faster, and strike harder. He felt a grim smile cross his lips as he felt the weight of the hammers in his hands. Yes. These would do nicely. With that, he turned and retraced his steps back out towards the battle.

Already, the situation in the garrison seemed far more controlled. A team of engineers had already brought the infernos rising from the research stations under control, and the smoke column was now greatly reduced. An armored Pony near the back was pointing this way and that, shouting orders into the fray and trying to keep some sense of order. Kyle ran up and stopped next to him. “Status report?”

“We’re holding the gates, commander,” The Pony replied, his eyes never leaving the battle. “I think we have the advantage now. We’ve got our most exhausted fighters back here being restored to full strength, and we’ve pushed them outside the walls.”

“Excellent,” Kyle nodded in approval. “Now, fill me in. What happened?”

“I don’t know sir. I was asleep,” The Pony admitted. “But those who were awake say that the demons started pouring out of the forest just as the sun was rising. We tried to stop them outside the gates, but they caught us off-guard. They were inside before we could muster our full forces. It was chaos… though I think you saw that. Nopony knew what to do. We couldn’t get a foothold until you showed up”

“What about Filwin?” Kyle demanded. “I left her in charge? What was she doing?”

“I don’t think anyone expected anything like this. Least of all her. She’s a great organizer sir, but she’s no military commander. I ended up taking over for her after it became clear she didn’t know what she was doing.”

“In over her head,” Kyle sighed. “Damn. We’ll talk again about you usurping her command after we’re done pushing them back. But it’s not over yet. We push out in fifteen minutes. Make sure everyone knows. We’re sending these monsters screaming back into the Twisting Nether.”

“Aye, sir.”

The Pony trotted away towards a pack of soldiers drinking deeply from flasks and began to talk to them. Kyle scanned the crowd, but saw no trace of his Gnomish assistant. Not that he was surprised. Such a short figure would easily be lost among the crowd. Even the Ponies stood taller than her. Kyle moved towards the largest pack and began to examine more closely, looking for his assistant.

For several minutes, the process repeated. He’d walk up to a group, look through them to see if Filwin was among them, and move on to the next pack when his search came up empty. And come up empty he did, time and time again. Not even a trace of pink pigtails could be found. Surely it had to be approaching the fifteen minute mark. He wanted to find Filwin before they pushed out of Ironwall again, but at the same time he was not planning on delaying his push. He was about to give up his search when a familiar tuft of hair finally caught his eyes.

But this wasn’t Filwin’s bubble-gum pink hair that he had spotted. No, instead it was a dual-shade white-and-pale-green tail, connected to a mint-green mare. A very familiar mint-green mare, currently sitting with her back to Kyle amongst a group of recovering soldiers. Though the soldiers were conversing in hushed, tense tones, Lyra did not appear to be participating. Kyle pushed his way through the crowds and made his way over to her. 

“Lyra!” he called out as he reached her.

No response.

He placed one hand on her shoulder. Instantly, she tensed up, and her head whipped towards him. Her eyes narrowed, and it was all Kyle could do  to stop from flinching backwards from her glare.

“We need to talk.”

There was a brief pause. “Uh oh…”

“Uh… now’s not exactly the best time,” Kyle replied quietly, acutely aware that the conversation nearby had softened considerably. “Though I’m sure you can see that… What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. We need to talk.”

“Alright, alright. We’ll talk after we’re done fighting for our lives.” Kyle could feel Lyra’s glare boring into him. “Have you seen Filwin?”

“Town Hall.”

The entire time, Lyra’s eyes had never left Kyle’s. The tension was tangible in the air between them. Kyle felt lost as to how to end the conversation, and found himself slowly backing away. Once he had placed a considerable distance between them, he turned and ran towards the Town Hall, still feeling Lyra’s gaze upon him until the moment he slammed the door behind himself.

Kyle could hear the faint murmur of voices coming from his office. He turned and ran down the hallway towards the door, which was slightly ajar. He threw it open and made his way inside. Sure enough, seated there in front of his desk, was the familiar goggle-covered face of his assistant. But she wasn’t alone. A small, orange Pegasus was sitting next to her. They had clearly been conversing a moment before, but Kyle’s sudden entrance had drawn their attention.

Kyle grinned as he caught sight of the room’s other occupants. “Filwin! Scootaloo!” he exclaimed as the Pegasus darted forward, stopping right in front of him. “Now, what are you doing here?”

“I saw the smoke,” Scootaloo explained. “And I knew you were out of town. So I came to see what was going on. When I saw Ironwall was under attack, I tried to help fight them back, but there were too many -”

“We’ve got it under control,” Kyle cut her off. “For now. We’re making a push out of Ironwall here in just a moment.” He turned his attention away from his apprentice and over towards Filwin. “Where have you been?” he asked. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Um… I’ve been… in here…” Filwin replied. Her eyes darted this way and that, refusing to meet his. “I’m so sorry! I tried to hold things together, but then they got through the gates and they’re burning down Ironwall and -”

“And we’re fine for now,” Kyle cut her off. “As I said, we’re about to push out, and we need all the support we can get. Can you fight?”

“... No, not really. I mean… I hit a Goblin with a wrench once, but -”

“Then stay in here,” Kyle interrupted once more. “Squirt, you’re with me. Time for a pop quiz on how well you’ve really been learning.” With that, Kyle stepped out of the room again and ran back down the hallway. Just behind him, the flap of wings told him that Scootaloo had left as well.

As the pair approached the front of the garrison again, Kyle glanced through the crowds to take stock of the situation. Most of the soldiers were on their feet again and moving towards the gate. A solid sheet of ice had been raised up in front of the gates, sealing them shut and keeping the Demons on the other side at bay. Swords were drawn, bows were notched, and spells were already ready to be unleashed.

All heads turned as Kyle and Scootaloo made their way to the front of the garrison. Near the gates, a single mage was stood next to the ice wall. Every couple of seconds, her hands would pulse with blue light, and the air would chill ever so slightly. Her head snapped up as Kyle stopped in front of her. “Commander,” she replied calmly.

“We’re ready to push out,” Kyle announced. “On my command, lower the barrier.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Alright soldiers, listen up!” Kyle spun around to address the crowd gathering around him. “You’ve fought hard to keep the Legion at bay. You’ve had a brief moment to rest. But now, we push out. Now, we reclaim our land. Now, we send these monsters kicking and screaming back to the Twisting Nether! Leave not one standing!”

There was silence as he turned back to the mage. “Lower the barrier,” he ordered calmly. “And prepare to fight for your life.”

The mage’s hands flashed blue one last time. Seconds passed. And then, a great cracking sound echoed throughout the garrison. A pale-blue fracture raced down the face of the ice barrier, cleaving it from top to bottom. It reached the ground, and the noise ceased.

And then, the wall exploded outwards.

On the other side, the Demons of the Burning Legion had gathered around the ice wall, waiting for the moment it would drop. The force of the wall exploding knocked those closest to the gates backwards, lifting them from their feet and hurling them away. The shattered fragments of the wall became deadly shrapnel, and many of those demons close to the wall who avoided being blown backwards fell to the ground, covered from head to foot in thousands of holes.

The soldiers of Ironwall wasted no time in pushing the advantage. With Kyle at the head of the army, they charged through the gate, taking advantage of the chaos caused the shattering ice wall to slaughter the remaining demons near the gates. With the area just outsie the gates captured, the defenders of Ironwall charged forward, colliding with the waiting mob of Demons once again.

Kyle was one of the first ones into the fray, snatching an Imp from the front lines and hurling it at an Observer hovering a ways away. H didn’t bother to watch the aftermath - even a small distraction would likely be enough for his men to cut the Observer down. Instead, he rolled underneath a blow from one of the Wrathguards. He landed on his feet behind the large demon and swung around, lashing out at the back of its leg with one of his hammers. The blow fell hard, and the Wrathguard fell to one knee. Kyle hopped back over the demon and slammed both hammers into its head as he fell back down to earth, smashing it to the ground.

The next one to catch his eye was a Voidlord, already towering over a Human. Tendrils of blue energy raced from its shackles into the Human, drawing cries of agony from the fallen warrior. Kyle was on top of the Voidlord in an instant, his mace carving right through the center of the large Demon. Though the blow was mostly ineffectual against its gaseous body, it was enough to draw the Voidlord’s attention away from the warrior. Kyle’s hammer parried a magic-infused swing, and his second hammer came up at the Voidlord’s extended arm. he mace slammed into the wrist bindings that bound the Voidlord’s shape, shattering it. A second swing shattered the binding on its other wrist. With nothing keeping it bound, the Voidlord’s body faded away into the Twisting Nether. Kyle made sure to shatter the bindings into multiple pieces before leaping back into the fray.

It was clear that the advantage had turned against the Legion. Already, a wall of soldiers from Ironwall had extended outwards and partially encircled the Demons, keeping them from fleeing towards Ponyville. The Demonic horde was being slowly driven backwards towards the forest. Scores of smoldering Demon corpses littered the ground, trampled into the earth by the clashing forces.

As Kyle extracted his hammer from the skull of a recently-slain Shivara, a flash of brilliant green light flashed in the corner of his eye. His head whipped to the side just in time to see a massive, dragon-headed bolt slam into one of the warriors that had drawn closest to the forest. The warrior gave no sound of pain. No indication that he had felt anything. Instead, his body simply crumpled to the ground, dead before he landed.

Kyle’s eyes flashed over towards the forest, where the bolt had originated. Sure enough, he caught a flicker of movement. A flicker that became more prominent as a shadowy cloaked figure emerged. The hood was lowered, allowing his facial features to be freely seen. Bright green, braided hair. Large tusks, one of which was pierced with a golden ring. Glowing, Blood-red eyes.

Kyle hissed. “Zinju.”

The Warlock had finally made his appearance on the battlefield. But it seemed that he did not intend to involve himself in the main fray. Instead, he was skulking around the shadows, hiding amongst the trees. He clearly was not looking to draw any unwanted attention.

Kyle began to move towards the Warlock, intend on engaging his foe and ending this attack. But he found his path blocked as a Felguard struggling against a warrior stumbled in front of him. A strike from Kyle’s mace quickly ended its life, but he mass of struggling combatants continued to impede his progress. meanwhile, Zinju was not attacking. Not even seemingly looking at the battle. Instead, he was looking beyond the battlefield, though at what Kyle could not tell.

Suddenly, Zinju’s posture straightened, and even from this distance Kyle could see his face contorted in a wicked grin. He stretched out one arm across the battlefield and drew it backwards. Almost instantly, the fighting ceased as the few surviving Demons pulled away from their opponents and began retreating back into the forests. Zinju himself drew his cloak over his head and turned to follow.

Around Kyle, many of the soldiers began to cheer at their victory. Kyle was tempted to join in their celebration. After all, they had just pushed the Burning Legion back, beaten them even when the Demons had has an advantage at the start. But he found himself frowning rather than smiling. Zinju’s expression… That hadn’t been a look of defeat. Something was wrong here...

“KYLE! HELP!”

A shrill voice cut through the cheering, silencing it almost instantly. The Demons were still retreating back into the forests, with a group of Felguards bringing up the rear. But the Felguards were not alone. Multiple humanoids bearing the armor of Ironwall were slung over their shoulders. Many were struggling against their captors, though some hung limply. All were bound by fel-green chains of energy. And one figure in particular stood out. Small though she was, Kyle would recognize her bubble-gum pink hair from any distance.

“FILWIN!”



> Chapter 27
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time seemed to slow to a standstill. There was no doubt that that was Filwin. Even amongst the jostling crowd of demons and the dozen or so other captives, the bright pink pigtails were a dead giveaway, matted by blood though they were. Her goggles hung limply around her neck, with the right lense shattered. As she was hauled towards the treeline, her eyes locked with Kyle’s. And in them, Kyle saw only one thing. Something he had never seen there before. Unmitigated terror.

And then she was gone.

He didn’t remember roaring. He had no memory of jumping over a smoldering doomguard in one leap, nor shoving his soldiers out of the way. He didn’t remember the shouts behind him, the sheer panic and confusion he left in his wake. All he remembered was plunging headlong into the Everfree Forest in pursuit of the Legion that had taken Filwin and his men.

Never before in his life had Kyle wished so badly that he had dedicated himself to becoming a hunter. Though the trail was only minutes old, Kyle was no tracker. The prints from the Demons were easily concealed beneath the dense foliage that covered the forest floor, their path twisting and turning seemingly at random through the forest. Only the red splotches of blood from the prisoners kept him on the tail of his quarry. And even that was increasingly difficult to follow as the canopy became thicker and thicker, plunging him into darkness. Soon, it was only instinct and the occasional glimpse of blood that kept him on track.

Eventually, the trail of blood began to fade away. Search as he might, Kyle could find no trace of which direction the Demons had gone. He ran in increasingly larger circles looking for a sign - any sign - of where the Demons had gone. But the blood trail had ended, and their tracks were completely erased by the thick undergrowth. 

As he sprinted around a particularly large tree trunk, a flash of movement caught his eye, just on the very edge of his vision. The movement flashed again a split second later, quicker this time and more pronounced. On instinct, Kyle threw himself to the ground. The rushing whistle of an axe slicing through the air overhead confirmed his instincts, and he rolled to his right as the massive axe-head slammed into the ground right where his spine had been a fraction of a second earlier. Laying on his back, Kyle caught a glimpse of his attacker - a large Felguard that had been lying in ambush

With a quick backwards roll, Kyle was on his feet again, both hammers at the ready to meet this new foe. But not fast enough. With surprising speed, the Felguard was on top of him again, forcing Kyle to parry a blow from its oversized axe. A second, vertical strike was sidestepped, but Kyle was forced to leap to the side over the blade as the Felguard brought it sweeping to the side low to the ground.

For several tense moments, Kyle and the demon squared off, trading blows back and forth. Though large and heavily armored, this Felguard was surprisingly agile, able to stay on top of Kyle with little difficulty. Kyle attempted to strike back as he could, but the demon’s extreme aggressiveness kept him off-balance and his blows continuously glanced off of its heavy armor. Every time he thought he had a second to catch his breath, he was forced back on the defensive as the Felguard continued its onslaught.

One particularly vicious horizontal strike sailed over Kyle’s head as he rolled backwards. The axe cleaved straight through the trunk of a nearby tree and lodged itself in the trunk of another. The felguard turned to yank the axe from the tree, and Kyle wasted no time in taking advantage of the distraction. He leapt behind the demon and slammed both hammers into the unarmored back of its knees, sending it crashing to kneel on one knee. Using the Felguard’s hip as leverage, Kyle flipped himself high into the air above his larger foe and brought both hammers down upon its skull, shattering it and ending the Demon’s life.

Kyle’s breath was ragged as he dragged his hammers from the Felguard’s broken skull. He flicked both of them to the side, shaking loose bits of bone and brain matter. He took a few steps to the side before he let his hammers fall to the ground. His own knees soon hit the ground as well, and he fell to a sitting position, gasping to regain his breath. That had been too close.

A loud crunching sound behind him forced Kyle to throw himself to the ground once more. An instant later, he was on his back, searching for his latest attacker. Instead, All he saw was a large tree shuddering, then falling towards him. The metallic clang of the Felguard’s axe falling from the trunk was drowned out by the groaning of the toppling tree

Kyle rolled to the side seconds before the trunk of the tree crashed to the ground beside him. The earth trembled from the impact of the blow, and a massive cloud of dirt and dust was thrown into the air. Kyle threw his arms over his heads as the branches slammed into his legs and his back. A grunt of pain was drawn from him as a large branch slammed into his hands, thankfully shielding his head from the worst of the blow.

Though only a minute or two passed, to Kyle it felt like hours before the violent rustling died down and the cloud of dirt and dust began to settle. Carefully, he removed his hands from the back of his head and began to feel around. His hands bumped the heads of his two hammers and he pulled them out from beneath one of the large branches. He slowly dragged himself out from beneath the twisted mass of broken branches and leaves. 

Kyle rose to his feet, clipped his hammers to his belt, and began to brush the dirt and dust from his armor. “Too close. Again,” he murmured. He gave his pants one final sweep and took a step away from the fallen tree. He quickly retracted his foot, however, and threw himself back behind a nearby still-standing tree. A flicker of movement had pierced through the dust cloud that still surrounded him. Something was out there. Likely attracted by the commotion of the battle and the falling tree. And it was getting closer. The steady sound of hard footsteps stepping through the underbrush echoed loudly through the silence of the forest. And they were getting steadily louder. Slower, more cautious, but louder. 

Kyle took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The anger, the sorrow, the pain, he took it all and accepted it. Just as he had been practicing for the past few months, ever since his realization while fighting the Sha of Hatred, he didn’t shove his emotions to the side. Instead he accepted them and moved past them. Instantly, the world around him lit up as his mind became more open to the Chi around him. Hundreds of thousands of Chi signatures shined brightly beneath him, each one the life force of some creature - an insect, a worm, a spider...

One signature, however, was stronger than any other present, by a long way. A much larger creature than any other in the area, slowly approaching Kyle’s position. It was fifty yards away. Then thirty. Then twenty. Soon, it was just on the other side of the tree. Kyle let out his breath and unclipped his maces. He crouched…

And let out a mighty bellow as he leaped around the corner

“AHHHHHHH!”

“AHHHHHHH!”

“Wait… Lyra?!”

“...Kyle?”

Sure enough, cowering before him was the familiar mint-green unicorn. She had dropped to the ground, and her front legs were covering her face. Only one eye was visible, peeking out from beneath her hooves.

Kyle gave the area another quick sweep. Sure enough, he couldn’t see any other movement, no signs of anything or anyone else besides himself and Lyra. He lowered his hammers and clipped them to his belt once more. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“Looking for you,” Lyra explained as she rose back to her hooves. “You just ran off into the forest after those Demons without telling anypony what to do. Somepony had to go in and find you.”

There it was again. Her demeanor… it was so unnerving. Her brow was furrowed, her tone sharp and cold. It was all he could do to maintain eye contact against her glare. For a few tense moments, they simply stared at each other, Lyra’s glare never faltering.

“Lyra, what’s going on?” he finally demanded. “What’s got you so upset?”

“I saw you last night.”

Kyle felt his blood run cold. It must have shown on his face as well, for Lyra’s glare only intensified. Still, he did his best to keep his composure. “What do you mean?”

“At the Gala.” There was a brief pause. “Do you remember who was performing the music for the Gala?”

“Um…”

“The Ponyville Symphonic Orchestra. From Ponyville. The one which I just so happen to play the harp for.”

“Shit.”

“And I just so happened to see a certain Human there. A certain Human who, ten days prior, had adamantly professed to not have an interest in mares. A certain Human who just so happened to be on the floor dancing with a certain Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

By this point, Kyle was fervently glancing around, looking this way, that way, any way but at Lyra. She took a step towards him. He needed a distraction. Something, anything. “Look, Lyra -”

“Explain.”

“Lyra, now’s not exactly the best time…” Kyle began. “Though I’m sure you can see that. You know, forest, demons, missing people…”

At that moment, Kyle felt something sharp poking into his back. Without realising it, he had been backing up away from the angry unicorn before him. Now, his back was to the tree that had mere moments before nearly crushed him.

And then he sensed it. Just out of the corner of his mind. Open as he was to the Chi around him, he could sense the life signatures of every living creature nearby. The forest was practically aflame with the glow of Chi, with millions of creatures swarming through the earth, through the air, up and around the trees. But there, on the very edge of his senses, there was something else. Amidst all the light of life, there was a patch of darkness. 

Death.

And as he pressed himself deeper into the branches of the tree, the patch became ever so slightly larger. It was as though all sources of Chi, all forms of life had been extinguished from this place. It was a hostile place, far more hostile than even the rest of the Everfree Forest.

“WELL?!” 

Lyra’s voice snapped Kyle back to reality, dragging his sight from the Chi around him back to her. She was only a half dozen feet away now, staring at him intently. Waiting for an answer of some kind. “Lyra. I will explain,” Kyle began calmly. 

“But not now.”

And with that, Kyle leaped backwards into the branches of the tree. The wood tore at his already maimed dress shirt, poked at the skin and flesh underneath, but Kyle paid it little attention. Within seconds, he was on the other side of the fallen tree and rushing towards the dead zone. His eyes saw nothing but trees and undergrowth ahead, but his sense continued to reveal more and more dead land.

Behind him, he could hear the sound of hooves racing through the forest. Of course Lyra wasn’t going to let him go that easily. But right now, this was more important. There was only one thing that could possibly inflict such damage to the forest, cause such a large and absolute swath of death. It was near. He was getting closer and closer. He shoved his way past a dense bush…

And came to a standstill.

There before him was the desecrated land. There was no other way to describe it. The rest of the forest, though eerie and dark, was distinctly green. Plant life flourished within the forest, providing a host of homes for its many inhabitants. Here, where the dead zone began, the earth was black. The grass, the undergrowth, the leaves, all had withered and died, fading into little more than blackened husks. Even the tree trunks were dry and brittle. There was no life here. Nothing could live here.

“Got you!”

Kyle let out a yelp as Lyra leaped through the bush and slammed into his back. Together, the pair tumbled to the ground, coming to a rest right on the edge of the dead zone. In an instant, Lyra was on her hooves again on top of him, fury burning in her eyes. “No more running!” She yelled. “Answer me! What… what the…”

Kyle glanced up at Lyra as her voice trailed off. Sure enough, her gaze was no longer on him, but instead looked out over the blackened landscape before her. She gave no resistance as Kyle nudged her to the side and rose to his own feet once more. “What happened here?” she finally whispered.

“Fel magic,” Kyle replied. “And strong fel magic, at that. It must’ve been present here for a while to affect the land so absolutely.”

“What caused it?”

“If it wasn’t Zinju, I’ll eat my own boots.” Kyle bent over and peered at the dead zone. He reached back behind him and grabbed a branch, tearing it from a nearby tree. He tossed it into the dead zone and watched as the branch landed in the blackened undergrowth.

Nothing happened.

“Well… it looks like whatever foul magic did this, it’s not instantaneous…” he murmured. Tentatively, he took a step forward, his boots touching down amongst the dead plant life. Nothing happened. He took yet another step.

“What are you doing?”

Kyle glanced back over at Lyra. “I’m going to find the source of this corruption,” he announced. “It might lead to his hidden lair. And… and maybe to the prisoners. YOU, on the other hand, are going to go back to Ironwall and get help.”

“No,” Lyra shook her head. “You’re not going in there alone. And you’re NOT getting away without answering me for a third time,” she added defiantly.

“I’m not talking about it until we get back to Ironwall. Where it’s safe.”

“And I’m not letting you out of my sight until you answer me.”

“Damnit Lyra…” Kyle swore. Still, he knew there would be no reasoning with her. Not while she was like this. “Fine. But stay quiet, and if things get bad, get out.” Without waiting for a response, Kyle began creeping forward, farther into the dead zone.

It wasn’t long before all signs of life faded out of sight. And a mere moment later, the last Chi signature faded from his senses. It had been years since Kyle had felt so vulnerable. Unable to sense even the slightest amount of Chi besides that radiating from himself and Lyra… it was as if he had suddenly gone blind. His muscles were tense, his steps measured and precise, ready to react to any threat that might emerge. Judging by the short, shallow breathing he could hear behind him, Lyra was hardly faring any better.

Past a set of twisted, desecrated tree trunks, a large cliff face rose from the ground. And nestled at the bottom of the cliff, Kyle could see a cave. A cave that looked uninhabited… or would have, save for the small flicker of light from around a corner that indicated a torch.

“In there?” Lyra asked, her words barely more than a breath.

Kyle nodded. “He has to be in there,” he replied, equally quiet. “The taint of fel magic is strongest here. This is their base of operations. We’re going to finally end this threat.” Lyra was silent, and when Kyle looked down at her, he could see her front legs trembling. “Last chance to back out,” he hissed.

Lyra gulped, but shook her head. “No way.”

And so the two quickly covered the distance between the dead trees and the entrance of the cave. Kyle gripped his hammers tightly as he proceeded down the tunnel. Surely there would be some kind of resistance awaiting them.

But there was nothing. Nothing as they crept through the darkness, nothing as they turned the first corner, nothing as they passed the torch embedded into the stone wall. There was no sound, no movement save for the shadows that flickered against the tunnel. There wasn’t even a Chi signature around that would indicate another creature in the area.

It was only a few moments before the tunnel opened up into a small chamber. Numerous torches were embedded into the walls, illuminating the shelves that occupied the vast majority of the outer edges of the room. Many of the shelves were empty, their contents either gone or strewn hastily about the floor. A few crates were still present, but emptied of all their contents and shoved haphazardly back onto the shelves. Three passages branched out on the back wall of the cave, leading deeper into the hideout

“Well, something’s been here…” Lyra murmured as she poked an empty glass vial with her hoof. It rolled away underneath one of the shelves, where it rested against the back wall with a clink.

“Aye. But they’re long gone now,” Kyle replied. “Looks like they were in a hurry to get out of here.”

“Maybe they’re coming back?” Lyra suggested.

But Kyle shook his head. “Doubtful. The desecration outside was going to lead anyone who went looking for them straight to their hideout. And now that we’ve repulsed their attack, they know we’ll be looking for them. They’ll be fools to return here.” He paused for a moment as he glanced about the room. “But they were in a hurry. Maybe… just maybe, they’ve left something that could tell us where they’re headed.”

“So… spread out and look?”

“No,” Kyle replied. “Stick together. I don’t sense anything or anyone lurking around, but there could be any number of traps in here. Stay in this room for now. Look for anything that might tell us where they’ve gone. Or where they’ve taken the prisoners.”

And so the two took to opposite corners of the cave. Kyle bent down and scooped up a handful of papers, glancing over them and discarding them just as quickly. Instructions for extracting the life essence from a creature, a recipe for a poison that would inflict agonizing pain before killing… plenty of instructions for dark spells and vile concoctions, but nothing that might indicate where Zinju was headed.

It had only been a few minutes, yet Kyle could already feel frustration welling up inside himself. Every second they had to spend trying to find where Zinju had fled to was another second that Filwin and the other prisoners were in danger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly in an attempt to calm himself. He finished scouring the last of the papers before dropping them back to the ground and wandering back over to Lyra. “Anything?’ he asked.

Lyra shook her head. “Nothing but dark magic and the like,” she murmured. “Honestly, some of these spells… who’d be twisted enough to even come up with this stuff?”

“The Legion.” Kyle nudged Lyra to get her attention, and he pointed towards one of the passages leading further into the cave. “Let’s head that way. There might be something deeper in.”

The passage that they started down started off level, but soon curved to the right and bent sharply downwards. Kyle took the lead as they descended down the spiraling tunnel. Here too, the foul energy of the fel magic had left its effects. The dirt beneath his boots was dry and cracked, kicking up dust with every step. Even the torches had been touched by the fel energy, their flames burning with a tinge of green.

The spiraling tunnel soon leveled and straightened out again. A long stretch of darkness lay before them, illuminated only by the glow of a torch from around the next bend. Kyle’s eyes strained against the darkness, searching for any signs of a trap that might have been hiding in the shadows. But no triggers or pressure plates or tripwires presented themselves, so he slowly crept down the hallway. Every step, he expected some unseen trap to spring - a rockfall, poisoned darts, two logs swinging down to crush him in the middle. But none of that happened. Instead, he quickly found himself at the corner. He poked his head around, peering into the room beyond. He froze. Lyra tapped her hoof impatiently. Still he didn’t move. She poked her head past his hip and peered into the room. She froze as well.

“Light help us…”

“Celestia…”

Unlike the rest of the cave system, which had felt cramped and narrow, the cave before them was massive. A circle of 8 pillars held up the ceiling of the room. Torches lined the inside of the pillars, illuminating the inner circle but casting deep shadows in the corners of the room. In the center of the room lay a black onyx altar, with the ground around it covered in dried blood.

But that was not had drawn Kyle and Lyra’s horrified gazes. On the far side of the cavern was a large, mangled mass. Though partially obscured by the pillars and shadows, there was no mistaking what the mass was composed of. Bodies. Dozens of them, some Ponies, some Humans, some of other various races of the Alliance, all flung against the far wall and left to rot.

Kyle barely remembered walking into the room. It was as if stumbling into his darkest nightmare as he approached the pile of bodies. They were carelessly flung on top of each other, some fresh, some clearly not. A good number of them were obscured by the newer corpses that had been piled on top. Each one, he dimly noted, had had their throat slashed open, the blood allowed to flow freely. Many of the bodies had been mutilated beyond recognition, or had chunks torn out of them. One particular corpse’s throat was still trickling blood, the red liquid swirling towards a low point in the ground near the altar where the blood was pooling.

And there, in the pool of blood, Kyle spotted something. Without thinking, he walked over and knelt down to pick up the object. It was a small head, severed from its body at the neck. Its once-pink pigtails were now stained with blood. A pair of goggles with green lenses covered its eyes, and Kyle slowly pulled them off. One of the lenses was smashed out, and the blood had already stained the leather strap that had been snapped, and the face of its wearer had been mutilated beyond all recognition, but there was no mistaking whose goggles Kyle had just discovered. After all, he saw them every day.

“Filwin…” he murmured. His fist clenched around the goggles as tears threatened to overtake him. One slipped down his cheek as he clenched his eyes shut. “I was too late. I should have been faster…”

Kyle felt something land gently on his shoulder. As his eyes opened, another pair of tears fell to the floor. Past his watery eyes, he could see that Lyra had draped one hoof over his shoulder. The frustration, the anger that she had shown before out in the forest - it was all gone, replaced with sympathy. Without thinking, he reached over and pulled Lyra into a hug, wetting the fur on her shoulders with more tears. He felt her pat him on the back as he pulled away.

“I know she was a good friend of yours…” Lyra began, somewhat awkwardly. “I… I’m sorry. She didn’t deserve such a fate. None of them did.”

“Zinju will pay for this,” Kyle managed to growl out. His next few words were cut out as he choked up, and it was a few moments before he could speak again. “Celestials as my witness, I will hunt him down and make him pay for every life he has taken. I’ll -”

“BEHIND YOU!”

That was the only warning Kyle had before Lyra barrelled into his side. A yelp was torn from his throat as he fell to the ground, but his yell was drowned out by the screech of energy from behind him and. An instant later, that too was drowned out by Lyra’s bloody scream as a bolt of green fire slammed into her side, sending her flying backwards. She slammed into the onyx altar with a resounding THUD! and fell motionless to the floor below.

Kyle rolled to his left as a second bolt of fire slammed into the ground here he had just laid, shattering the stone below. He barely managed to scramble to his feet as a third blast exploded right before his feet. With a couple of quick bounds, he took cover behind one of the pillars as yet another bolt blasted into the pillar.

For what felt like an eternity, silence reigned. Kyle could hear his own heart pounding furiously in his chest, his breath coming short and quick. And then, the slow, plodding trod of hooves on stone. Kyle shrank back into the shadows cast by the pillars as the sound drew closer.

And then, it stopped.

“I know you are there, Slater,” came the thick accent of a female Draenei. “Come, reveal yourself, before your friend pays the price for your cowardice.”

“Damn… Lyra,” Kyle muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, drawing himself up to his full height, and stepped out from behind the pillar and towards the altar.

On the other side of the altar, with Lyra’s still-motionless form at her hooves, was indeed a Draenei - “No, Eredar,” Kyle reminded himself. They might look like Draenei in form, but their red skin and the twisted energy rolling off of them easily separated them from their non-demonic counterparts. This one was as tall as Kyle, with twin horns rising further still from the top of her head. She was coated from neck to hoof in fel-green steel, with a wicked-looking axe strapped to her back and a dagger to her belt

“Just as Zinju predicted,” the Eredar sneered. “You cannot leave a friend behind, even to save yourself. I already know your name, Slater, so it is fitting I share mine. I am Mihalun, Eredar captain of the Burning Legion.”

“Not for long,” Kyle hissed. “Soon, your name shall exist only as a memory.”

“Kill…” 

Kyle jerked back, and his head whipped back and forth. He could have sworn he just heard something… something dark… 

“You talk tough.” Mihalun laughed. “But you cannot back your words up. You have no power that can stop me.”

“We’ll see about that,” Kyle thought. He closed his eyes and stretched out one hand, reaching out to unleash a blast of Jade Lightning at the demon. It was a technique he had utilized many times before. It was a familiar motion, almost routine.

What wasn’t familiar was the lack of anything happening.

“Confused?” Mihalun cackled as Kyle’s eyes snapped open. “Zinju has done a very good job of corrupting this land. Not a trace of life remains, save for you and I and your friend here. Without life, there is no Chi. And with no Chi, you have no power.”

Kyle’s eyes widened for a split second before he snapped them shut. Just has he had done many times before, he reached out with his senses, searching desperately for any Chi that he could find. And yet, just as Mihalun had said, there was none. Not a single trace of Chi was to be found anywhere around save for the three masses of Chi within the room.

“Fool… Finish her…”

There it was again. Louder this time. More forceful

“The perfect trap. And you walked right into it.”

Kyle’s eyes snapped back open. As he had been searching for any traces of Chi to draw upon, Mihalun had moved. Now, she had Lyra placed on top of the Onyx altar. From this angle, Kyle could see where Mihalun’s attack had struck. The fur had been burned away, and the flesh below seared black and red. With one hand, Mihalun held Lyra to the table. With the other, she reached to her belt and unclipped the crooked dagger from her belt.

Time slowed to a crawl. Kyle’s vision flashed red. Suddenly his head erupted in agony. Unable to even scream, he fell to his knees and clutched vainly at his head, trying to end the pain.

“Hate…”

“And now, we bleed another soul.”

Kyle managed to look up as Mihalun drew her knife. It rose over Lyra, and then slowly down. It came to rest right on top of her throat. Slowly, Mihalun looked up at Kyle. She flashed him a wicked grin before returning her gaze to Lyra.

“Weakling… I will do… what you cannot…”

Kyles’ vision went dark.

His vision, his sense of smell, almost all of the feeling in his body, nearly every sense in his body abandoned him. Even the splitting pain in his head vanished But his ears remained as functional as always. He heard boots against stone, moving faster than he believed any Human capable of. A startled gasp cut short. The sound of a dagger clattering against the stone floor. The muffled clang of padded steel armor slamming hard against a wall. Gagging, strained breathing, struggling…

“How… impossible…”

“You underestimate me.” There was Kyle’s voice. But he hadn’t tried to say anything. “Your final mistake.”

Then the rushing sound of energy swept over Kyle. He vaguely felt its power swirling around his right arm, and then leaving through his fingertips, but even this slightest sensation sent shivers down his spine. An instant later, his ears were assaulted by an agonized scream. A scream which continued for what felt like a lifetime, and left his ears ringing when it finally ended.

“Merely a taste of my hate…”

Another scream, this one shorter than the last but just as loud and powerful. Then, a brief moment of silence, broken only by Mihalun’s ragged breath

“What a shame. It seems my time draws short. Perhaps my host will be merciful and end your miserable existence. I hope not…”

And just like that, Kyle could see again.

The first thing Kyle noticed was that his head was no longer in agonizing pain. He was on all fours, pinning the Eredar to the ground right below one of the pillars. His right hand was clenched firmly around her throat, and he could see black marks on the flesh around his fingers where she had been burned. But what drew his attention most were her eyes. Though he couldn’t see her pupils, her glowing eyes were wide with horror, fixed purely on him.

“W-w-what are you?!” she managed to squeak out. It lacked any of the smug arrogance that it had once held, now holding only absolute terror. She wasn’t even trying to struggle against Kyle’s grasp.

Slowly, Kyle began to realize the situation he was in. He glanced over his shoulder. Lyra was still lying motionless on top of the onyx altar, the knife lying unused near its base. As he returned his gaze back to the Eredar below him, his brow furrowed. He unclipped one of his maces from his belt and gripped it firmly in his left hand.

“Your end.”

Kyle removed his right hand from Mihalun’s neck as his mace came crashing down. The first blow split her skull open, and the second shattered it completely, destroying the brain matter inside and ending her life. The third, fourth, and fifth blows were simply to make sure.

Kyle slowly clambered back to his feet and shook the bits of bone and brain that clung to his hammer. He clipped it back to his belt and looked down at the dead Eredar. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he was looking at. Not Mihalun herself, no, that’s not what he was paying attention to. Instead, he was looking at the ground below her. What had once been grey stone was now burnt pitch-black. looking outwards, Kyle could see that a small ring of ground around him and the Eredar had likewise been scorched. The outer edge of the burnt circle was a horribly familiar ring of white energy. And then, the familiar burning from his chest, right over his old wound.

Kyle felt his hands trembling as he stumbled backwards. “No…” he gasped.

“Yes…”

“NO!”

“Hatred lives… Inside you…”

> Chapter 28
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What?! Impossible!”

“It is true, master. The Eredar has failed. The Monk yet lives.”

A savage growl was torn from Zinju’s throat as the stainless crooked dagger was deposited on the table before him. His glowing-red eyes lingered upon the weapon for a moment before returning to the messenger - his trusted servant, Sarnak the Voidwalker. Sarnak seemed to realize Zinju’s murderous thoughts, and wisely floated backwards away from the table, out of reach of the Troll’s hands.

With Sarnak out of range of his fury, Zinju’s head whipped towards the next closest creature to him - the miniscule cloaked figure, its face still concealed beneath its hood. “Dis be your fault!” Zinju snarled. “Ya told us dat Slater would be powerless! Dat de corruption of de land would stop him from using his Chi!”

“And stop him, it did,” the unnaturally deep voice echoed from beneath the hood. The figure seemed unfazed by Zinju’s fury, even as the Troll towered over it. “Mihalun was not slain by Chi. This is quite obviously the work of a darker power. One I doubt even Slater was aware of until it was unleashed.”

“And ya didn’t tink dat was worth tellin’ us about?!”

“As I said, I doubt even Slater was aware that this would happen.” The cloaked figure turned its head towards Sarnak, who had wisely kept his distance from his enraged master. “Tell us exactly what you saw.”

“Mistress Mihalun had the Unicorn on the altar,” the Voidwalker began. “And was about to slit her throat, as with the other prisoners. Slater fell to the ground, clawing at his head. Just before she could draw the blade across the Unicorn’s throat, Slater moved. He was fast. Faster than I’ve seen any Human move before. The Mistress was caught off-guard and pinned against one of the pillars. And then…”

“And then…”

“The room became cold. Very cold.” At this, Zinju raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with the hooded figure, his fury apparently forgotten for the moment. Voidwalkers were known to be highly resistant to both heat and cold, barely feeling even large swings in temperature. If Sarnak had been able to feel the room chill that much…

“Continue,” Zinju ordered.

“Black and white energy seemed to race down Slater’s arms and into his hands. And black fire erupted from his fingers. Mistress Mihalun screamed. It must have lasted… two minutes? Perhaps longer. And then it stopped for a brief moment, as he moved her from the pillar and pinned her to the floor, and then resumed for another 35 seconds. During this time, Slater taunted Mistress Mihalun endlessly. He seemed to draw great pleasure from her pain. Very much unlike how he was described, if I may add.”

“What happened then, mon?”

“Slater froze for a moment, and then spoke again. ‘What a shame.It seems my time grows short. Perhaps my host will be merciful and end your miserable existence. I hope not.’ He slumped over, paused for a moment, then drew one of his hammers and split her skull open.”

“Very interesting…” The cloaked figure mused. “Tell me, aside from the damage caused by the hammer, what did Slater’s attack do to Mihalun?”

“Where the fire had left his fingers on her neck, the flesh was scorched black and badly blistered,” Sarnak began. “The room was affected as well. When he laid her on the ground and began attacking again, the ground beneath them began to char black. The boundary between the scorched and unaffected areas was well-defined by a glowing white ring.”

That seemed to catch the cloaked figure by surprise. It leaned forwards towards the Voidwalker, whipped its head up towards Zinju, and the back to Sarnak. “A white ring?” it demanded. “You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

“Very peculiar…” The figure reached one gloved hand underneath the hood to rub its chin. “It would seem our dear friend Mr. Slater is the host for a Sha.”

“A Sha? Dem Old God spirits?” Zinju asked. “I t’ought dat he killed dem all.”

“Not him. He could barely lift a finger against those things. His little Pony friends were the ones to destroy them. It seems, though, that they missed one.”

“And why it gonna help him like dat, huh? I t’ought dey only cared ‘bout demselves”

The figure shrugged. “Perhaps Slater’s situation was opportune for the Sha to strike.

“And dat’s anotha ting. How did Slater let dat ting loose?”

Another shrug. “Perhaps his mental distress at Filwin’s death and the impending loss of another dear friend unleashed the monster. Or maybe he knew more about it’s presence than we believe and he intentionally loosed it upon Mihalun.I can’t say for sure.”

“Well you better find out, mon,” Zinju hissed. “I already lost me base t’ one o’ ya failed schemes. Dat was de perfect base too. Perfect place t’ keep an eye on tings, hidden outta sight... It was even startin’ t’ feel like home and everytin…” Zinju glanced around him, taking in the cramped quarters, dirt walls, muddy floor with small pools here and there… “... and now it be gone, and we be hiding in anotha stinkin’ hole in de middle o’ nowhere, and we be no betta off for dat sacrifice!” Zinju snarled and poked one finger towards the cloaked figure. “If ya tink I’m gonna go along wit’ ya damned plans again before we figure out everyting about Slater and dat Sha -”

“Enough,” A ragged voice echoed through the chamber. Though hardly more than a whisper, the sound cut off the rest of Zinju’s sentance as he and the cloaked figure turned their heads towards the entrance of the small room. Another cloaked figure emerged from the shadows of the doorway, though the hood did not remain raised for long. Two scrawny arms emerged from under the cloak, revealing the figure underneath.

“Lord Tirek,” The small cloaked figure bowed, a motion which Zinju quickly followed.

“We are merely set back, Zinju,” Tirek wheezed. “Not wiped out. This is not the time to point fingers and assign blame. Slater was a secondary objective. Nothing more.” Tirek’s head swiveled towards the cloaked figure. “The rune,” he demanded. “Is it ready?”

The figure drew one hand into its cloak and drew it back out a moment later. In its gloved hand was the polished stone it had been given earlier that morning. The symbol carved into its side was now no longer dull, but instead pulsed a faint, white light regularly every couple of seconds. “Yes, Lord Tirek,” the figure replied. “Their blood has activated it.”

“Excellent.” Tirk’s face was stretched taut in a bony grin. “Mana of the planet, naturally absorbed. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken.  These we now possess.”

“But de next two ain’t gonna be dat easy,” Zinju warned. “Liquid fire, from de heart of Dragon territory. And raw essence of de Titans. I’m hopin’ ya got a plan to get dese, mon?”

“Leave that to me,” the cloaked figure replied. Zinju rolled his eyes, but neither Tirek nor the cloaked figure seemed to notice. “From what I’ve gathered, the Horde have set up a base near the Dragon’s territory. Perhaps they will keep the Dragon occupied. We’ll monitor the situation to determine the opportune moment to strike. And the Horde will certainly keep the Alliance at bay while we make our move.”

“And essence of de Titans?”

“It will take time, but we will have it.”

“All we need to do for now is lay low,” Tirek added. “Surely Equestria and the Alliance will be hunting for us. We will leave the Everfree for now and make for the mountains. If your report is correct, they will not dare encroach on Minotaur territory.”

“And then, when all the pieces have come together, we will strike. And all will know the might of the Legion.”


---


Never before had Scootaloo seen her mentor like this.

She’d seen Kyle stare into the face of death and bare his teeth. She’d watched as he charged straight at the end of the world and nearly single-hoofedly prevent the unleashing of an Old God. Half-frozen and barely able to stand, he’d not backed down from the ferocious Summit Prowlers in Kun-Lai. Even impaled on the Sha of Hatred’s leg, bloodied and dying, he wouldn’t surrender. Every time he got knocked down, no matter how hard, he’d leap back up fighting even harder For as long as she’d known him, ever since that fateful day in the Apple family barn, he had been a stalwart pillar of strength. Unwavering, unshakable, unbreakable. He’d taught her stability, both physical and emotional, and in her eyes he’d always been a shining example of how strong-willed somepony could be. He had the heart of a fighter. She’d always believed nothing could ever keep him down.

So to see him so broken was terrifying..

He was just sitting there in a tiny wooden chair, a chair that was clearly too small for him. He didn’t seem to care. He might not have even noticed. His bandaged hands lay limply in his lap, and he sat slumped over in his chair. He hadn’t even attempted to wash up - bits of leaf still clung to his hair, a sizeable amount of dirt caked his face, his forearms were splattered here and there with blood… he hadn’t even changed out of his ruined dress shirt, revealing the bruised and scratched flesh beneath. But worst of all were his eyes. They were distant and empty. Hollow. As if the lively fire that had once burned within them had been forever extinguished.

A movement out of the corner of her eye made Scootaloo whip her head back towards Kyle. He’d moved, ever so slightly.Now his hands were extended in front of him so that he was staring at them.. They were both covered in thick white bandages, but even still he managed to flex his fingers back and forth. He continued this repetitive motion for a full minute before suddenly moving them to his chest. He held them there for a brief moment before returning them back to his lap and returning his attention to the opposite end of the room.

He’d been there since before Scootaloo had run in looking for him almost an hour ago, and in that time he’d barely moved. Aside from occasionally looking at his hands, his gaze was eternally locked on the bed in front of him. Or rather, the creature within it. Various tubes and wires were hooked up to the mint-green Unicorn, and an oxygen mask was strapped across her muzzle. Lyra, that was her name. Scootaloo had seen her and Kyle talking several times before. She’d even helped out during training once. How had she gotten so badly hurt?

The sound of a door opening cause Scootaloo to jerk her head towards the entrance to the room. She watched as a Unicorn in a nurse’s uniform stepped into the room and over to Lyra’s bed, where she began to write on her clipboard. Kyle seemed unmoved by the nurse’s entrance. Or maybe he hadn’t even realized she was there. His eyes remained fixed on Lyra.

A purple wing was draped gently over Scootaloo’s shoulders, making her jump slightly. She looked up to see Princess Twilight looking down at her. Scootaloo couldn’t read the expression on her face, but there was certainly no happiness in it. Twilight nudged her head towards the door and gently pushed Scootaloo with her wing, leading the young pegasus out of the room. Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder one last time at her mentor before the door was shut, cutting him from her view.

“Princess… What’s going on?” Scootaloo managed to ask. “What happened? I thought we pushed them back.”

“We did,” Twilight began slowly. “But their leader got away. And he took a bunch of Ponies and Humans with him. We were too late to save them.”

“And what’s going on with Kyle? Why is he… like that?”

Twilight didn’t answer for a moment. The two pushed their way through a pair of double doors into an empty waiting room, where the settled down against one of the walls. Twilight closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “Nopony does. He hasn’t said a word since he brought Lyra here. He didn’t tell us where they’d been, or why she was with him, or how she got so badly hurt, or how he burnt his hands…”

Twilight fell silent as she glanced out across the room towards the clock that hung over the door. 9:07 PM. It had been easily six hours since Kyle had wandered out of the forest with Lyra’s limp form cradled in his arms. Six hours, and he’d not said a word to anypony. He just kept staring at Lyra, looking down at his hands, back up at Lyra. He’d refused all food, barely drank any water… He’d only let the doctors tend to his hands, and the entire time they were being wrapped up, he looked as though he were afraid they were going to explode.

“I’ve never seen him like this,” Scootaloo finally broke the silence.

Twilight shook her head. “Neither have I,” she said quietly. “He was always so strong… I can’t even begin to think of what must have happened out there in the forest to do this to him.”

Twilight closed her eyes, exhaustion from the strain of the day finally catching up to her. Still, her mind was abuzz with activity. She’d have to send a letter to Princess Celestia about today, of course. She needed to be warned, in case something like this happened in Canterlot. That’d have to wait until tomorrow, though. She’d have no time to return home tonight. Twilight grimaced at the thought of leaving Spike and Owlawiscious alone for yet another night, but it couldn’t be helped. 

Another night…

In all the chaos of today, Twilight had almost forgotten about the night before. Despite the fear and sadness that filled her, Twilight found herself smiling as memories from the Gala flowed through her mind. The stories, the laughter, the dances, the walk through the park. How she had nuzzled his hand, how he had scratched her cheek in return…And then the train ride home. 

“I’m not saying yes. I’m not saying no. I just… need time to think Alright?” That had been just before he’d run off to Ironwall. The last time she’d seen him before… whatever happened in the Everfree Forest. So where did this leave them? Her smile was gone by now, replaced by a look of confusion She was fond of Kyle, very fond. She’d admitted this to herself a while ago. But what about him? Maybe she should go talk to Cadence… 

Twilight frowned and shook her head. “No,” She mentally berated herself. “Now is not the time. Be logical, Sparkle. He said he wanted to remain friends. So friends we shall remain. Later down the road, once this mess is dealt with… perhaps. But not until after he gets better… if he gets better.”

“I’m scared,” Scootaloo’s soft voice cut through the silence into Twilight’s thoughts.

A brief pause. “I’m scared too.”

“Do you think he’ll get better?”

Twilight found herself wrapping another wing over Scootaloo, drawing her closer. “I hope so,” she murmured. “I hope so… For all of our sakes.”


---


It had been hours since he had last moved. The last nurse had left the room ten minutes ago. She hadn’t even tried to make him leave, instead turning the lights off and closing the door behind her. The only light in the room came from the light of the nearly-full moon through the windows and the faint glow of the various beeping machines hooked up to the Pony in the bed across from him. Aside from her, he was alone in the room.

But not in his mind.

It was there. He could feel it there, in the back of his mind, like a tumor that he’d never noticed before, just waiting to spread and overwhelm him. The Sha. How hadn’t he noticed it before? How hadn’t he felt it growing inside him? His hands moved once again to his chest. The old injury where the Sha of Hatred had impaled him had healed months ago, leaving little more than a scar, but the echo of the wound now burned like a flame that refused to die.

And speaking of burning…

He extended his hands so that the moonlight fell across his bandaged fingers. He’d not even realized they were burnt until he’d gotten to the hospital. The salve they’d applied underneath the bandages was supposed to restore the charred skin within a week, but that was based on the assumption that he’d been burned by fire. Who knew whether the salve would work that well, or even at all, on flesh seared by the Sha energy that had been channeled through them.

The memory of the Eredar’s final moments flew unbidden through his mind. Her already-red skin around her throat had been burnt black, blacker than the char on a grilled steak. His hands had done that. He’d felt the Sha’s energy surging up his arms and out of his fingers. But that hadn’t been him. It had been that… thing, that monster inside him. Without thinking, he began to flex his fingers, as if to make sure they were really his.

And there it was again. The burning in his chest. It wasn’t sharp enough to draw a sound from him, but his hands moved to his chest in response to the discomfort. Was that how the Sha had gotten into him? When he’d been impaled upon its foot… Is that why it hurt?

Slowly, the pain died away. Just as it had all afternoon and all evening, cyclical, almost like clockwork. And just like clockwork, his hands fell idly to his lap once more. With nothing to draw his attention now, his gaze flicked back to the motionless form in the bed across from him. 

Lyra.

This was all his fault. He’d been too stubborn to stop for a few minutes and talk. Too careless to force her to leave. Too stupid to anticipate an ambush. Too senseless to not feel Mihalun’s Chi signature appear. And now Lyra was paying the price. Her entire right side was bandaged up, with thick padding forming a lump under the bandages where the blast had hit. Underneath the padding and gauze, her fur was burned away, her flesh burned to a shiny red, almost ruby-like. She’d yet to regain consciousness in the time she’d been in the hospital, but Kyle knew that when she finally awoke, her first sense would be that of pain. If she woke up at all.

All because he’d been stubborn, and careless, and senseless, and stupid.

And she wasn’t the only one who’d paid dearly for his mistakes. Filwin was dead. Along with dozens more of his men, and innocent Ponies, all slaughtered by Zinju because he, Kyle Slater, Commander of the largest Alliance outpost on the planet, had not taken the time to hunt dwn a lone Troll. And how many more would suffer because of him?

Especially now that he knew what lay within him.

The Sha. It was inside him. It had unleashed itself. It had saved Lyra, true, but not on purpose. Its sole objective had been to torture that Eredar until she begged for mercy. It had faded away and given control back to Kyle before that had happened, but what about next time? Would Kyle be able to wrest control back before the Sha did any real damage? Would he be able to retake control at all? And when would the Sha strike next? What set it loose in the first place? So many questions, each more dangerous than the last, with no answers. He’d sworn to protect the people of the Alliance, and that included the citizens of Equestria and the men under his command. How could he possibly do that when one of the biggest threats to their safety lay dormant inside him, waiting to be unleashed by some unknown trigger. Or perhaps no trigger at all.

A new pain in Kyle’s abdomen pierced through his thoughts, dragging his focus outwards once more. For a brief moment, his hands moved towards his chest to cover his old wound. It was only a moment later that he realized that the discomfort had come from slightly lower in his abdomen. And then he heard it. A distinct groaning sound, one which nearly made his entire body shake. His stomach was growling. Loudly.

For the first time since he had entered the hospital, Kyle began searching for a clock. He found one hanging just above the door. 11:48 PM. He’d been there for almost nine hours. No food. No water. Nothing. Instantly, he sensed the dryness in his mouth, the overwhelming need for something to drink. He rose from his chair, wincing as his knees popped in their stiffness, and moved over towards the bathroom door in the corner of the room.

Kyle flipped the switch, and instantly the lights above the sink flicked on. A low hum filled the air as the electricity coursed through the four dingy bulbs, illuminating the tiny room - little more than a cramped toilet, a sink, and a mirror. A small dispenser on the wall above the sink held tiny paper cups, clearly meant to rinse a mouth out after brushing one's teeth rather than for drinking. Kyle pulled one out and filled it with water from the tap, downing it a second later. He filled it and had a second cup. And a third. And a fourth.

As Kyle bent over to fill the cup for the fifth time, he paused. Had he closed the door behind him? He didn’t remember. But it was certainly closed now. Slowly, he reached behind himself and rattled the knob. It moved without resistance, and the door cracked open as he applied pressure. He shrugged and closed it again before leaning back in.

Three more tiny cups of water he drank before his thirst was sated. He smacked his lips and let out a refreshed sigh as he deposited the cup into the wastebin beside the toilet. As he stood back up, he finally got a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Dirt and leaves matted his hair, his shirt was badly torn, the skin below was covered in small scrapes and cuts, and his face was matted with dirt. And his eyes… They seemed almost sunken in, with dark lines under them. Like he hadn’t slept in a week.

“Man… you’ve seen better days…” He commented to the mirror, his voice cracking slightly from lack of use.

“You’re one to talk.”

Instantly, his eyes were wide open. He leaned in slowly towards the mirror, eyes slowly narrowing. The Kyle in the mirror followed suit. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn that his reflection had just…

Kyle froze. But his reflection kept moving. It stood straight up, cracking its neck with an audible snap! A dark grin formed across its lips as Kyle crept backwards, pressing his back against the door.

“Boo.”

Kyle spun around and flung the bathroom door open, jamming his back against the wall opposite the bathroom window. By now he was wide-eyed and panicked, his heart beating a million miles an hour and his breath coming quick. His reflection seemed rather amused, for it began to chuckle. Its laughter grew in volume and deepened as it stretched one arm out towards the mirror.

And it reached through.

Kyle could only watch in terror as the reflection drew itself out of the mirror, slowly but surely. First, it was only its hand. Then the entire arm. Its head. Its torso. The other arm now grasped at the opposite side of the mirror, pushing, straining. And finally, it was free, standing upon the sink, crouched down. Like a summit prowler, ready to pounce.

Kyle blinked. In that one instant, that one brief fraction of a second that his eyes were closed, his reflection changed. Now, it was no longer his reflection. It was a silhouette. His form, his body, shaded completely black. As if an ink blob had risen and taken his shape. The only feature that stood out from the inky blackness of this creature were two yellow orbs for eyes.

The creature hopped down from the sink The instant its feet touched down, a circle of ground around it turned pitch black, with a pure-white ring surrounding it. The creature glanced down at the circle and smirked before looking back up

“W-w-what are you?!” Kyle finally managed to splutter.

The creature grinned, showing off two rows of razor sharp teeth. “I am you, Slater,” it replied. “And you are me.”

It lunged.


---


“Gah!”

Kyle let out a startled yelp as his right cheek hit smooth polished tile. He was instantly on his back with his eyes snapped shut, arms raised above his head to fight off his attacker. But no attack came. Slowly, he opened one eye. There was no black monster, no silhouette of himself waiting to strike. Just the ceiling.

His arms slowly came down from his face, and he raised his head slightly. The chair he had been sitting in was lying overturned at his feet, knocked over by his flailing. The bathroom door at the far end of the room was shut tight. No monster presented itself as he slowly rose to his feet and righted the chair.

Kyle’s head turned towards the clock over the doorway. 2:45 AM. Instantly, the fatigue of the day crashed into him like a wave. He was half-tempted to just sit back in the chair and fall back asleep. But no. Surely someone at Ironwall was searching for him by now. And he’d have to be up early to take care of the mess waiting for him. Someone had to tell the men what to do.

“But can you tell them what to do when your very presence endangers them?”

That thought echoed through his mind as he opened Lyra’s door and stepped into the hall, shutting it behind him. It stayed with him as he passed the night-shift nurses and custodial staff, not noticing their looks of confusion as he wandered past them. The thought refused to leave him as he exited the hospital and wandered down the deserted streets of Ponyville, out of the town, down the winding road towards Ironwall. He barely registered the night guard saluting him as he entered, nor the confused look that the guard gave him as he walked past.

And it continued to haunt him as he collapsed across his bed and fell asleep.