The atmosphere in the Bucking Bronco was tense. Once Princess Celestia appeared in a flash of light and a shout of anger, all stopped what they were doing. They knew they bucked up and were in for an ear-full. Luckily for them, the current target of Celestia's fiery gaze was the strange newcomer that Shining Armor brought to their little tavern. All stood still and waited for Skarin's explanation.
"Well? " Celstia asked glaring daggers at the stupidly drunk Dragonborn.
"Well what?" he asked stupidly drunk in return, the two stallions he held in a headlock saying their prayers should Celestia decided to incinerate them along with Skarin.
"Your explanation! " she stomped her hoof in frustration, making the other occupants flinch. Shining Armor could swear he can see a vein throbbing on her forehead.
"Oooooh! That! -hic-" Skarin began laughing and squeezed the two stallions just a bit harder "We were just having a friendly drinking match, weren't we gentlemen? "
"Y-yes mister Skarin, sir!" the two replied in unison.
"You call this friendly? " Celestia gestured to the mess of a tavern that lay around her. Broken chairs, tables and noses were not exactly screaming friendly. Skarin simply shrugged and let the two stallions drop to the ground. Finally free from the Dragonborn's grasp they made a hasty retreat behind an overturned table.
"To be -hic- fair, I did warn you about tavern fights. " Skarin said holding up a finger to make a point, his eyes having troubles focusing on it. They did not have trouble focusing on a bottle of ale that was in his peripheral so he quickly snatched it and drank all of it. Now Shining definitely heard a vein popping.
"Where is Shining Armor? " her voice calling him made the Captain curse under his breath.
"Right here your Highness. " Shining slowly appeared behind Skarin who instatly lit up at the sight of his new friend.
"Slouching Armboar!" he slapped the Captain on the back, nearly sending him to the ground "Now this here is a fine -hic- warrior, let me tell you-"
"You will tell me nothing! " Celestia cut him off harshly and Shining flinched at her tone "We're going back to the castle before you two do any more damage! " her horn lit up, ready for teleportation but Shining quickly intervened.
"Um, your Highness? " Celestia shot him a glare "It may not be best for him to teleport right now, given his condition. " Celestia looked at Skarin who was searching for more bottles and decided he was right. No need for him to vomit all over her castle.
"You suggest we walk? " she asked with a raised brow and Shining nodded timidly "Very well. " she looked around the destroyed tavern "Where is the owner? Someone has to pay for all of this. " she then sent a narrowed glare at the Captain "I know how much I'm paying you... " Shining was about to respond when Skarin spoke up.
"Inkeep! " he called out and an old looking stallion peered over the bar counter "Take this -hic- fer' yer' trouble! " he then, to Celestia's shock, shoved about half of his arm into a pouch hanging from his belt. To clarify, the pouch was about the size of his fist "Where is it-AHA!" Skarin victoriously pulled out a diamond. A flawless diamond the size of an apple "I shall return -hic- to this fine establrgh-, esteblishhh, estamblshmnt, THIS fun place once more!"
"T-thank you, Lord Skarin!" the owner said, holding his retirement fund in his hands. Celestia curiously approached the owner and inspected the diamond. Her eyes immediately recognized the quality of the stone and her mouth parted in disbelief.
"Incredible..." she turned to Shining Armor "Please tell me you didn't steal from the Royal Treasury." Celestia knew they weren't dumb enough to do that but she had to ask anyway.
"Could we talk further outside? Our friend is leaving." Shining pointed to the door where Skarin was waveing goodbye and everyone returned it with a big smile, some teeth missing here and there...
"This stallion will be death of me... " Celestia said to herself and with an exhausted sigh followed a stumbling Skarin out into the dark streets. Good thing she already lowered her Sun so less ponies are likely to see this new drunken creature.
"We're merry men of Skyrim, so sturdy and so stout! When the day is done, when it's time for fun we'll drink and sing and shout!" they could still hear him though.
"How much did he drink? " Celestia asked, looking at the drunken Dragonborn, stumbling around in the dimly lit streets. Somehow he got his hands on another bottle of ale.
"He had two- "
"Only two? " Celestia asked in shock.
"Two barrels, your Majesty. " Celestia looked at Shining Armor in disbelief "I am not joking, if that is your next question. " she looked at Skarin who just hit a street light "And for your previous question, it's Skarin's diamond. "
"His diam- " she shot Shining a look, stopping their walk "You broke into the armory. " she stated accusingly but Shining, to his credit, remained calm.
"Skarin wouldn't let me pay for the drinks so he convinced me to grab his money pouch. " said Dragonborn continued his happy singing, completely ignoring the bloody nose the street light gave him.
"And why did you disobey my orders and leave the castle? " Celestia could let the money thing slide but this was another matter.
"With all due respect, Your Highness, I would do it again. " Shining said firmly which caught Celestia by surprise.
"Would you now? And pray tell... " she leaned in closer, her eyes trying to bore a hole through Shining's forhead "Why?"
"Your Highness, how much do you know about him? " Shining asked back and continued his walk, seeing as Skarin had trouble using his legs properly.
"Why does that matter? " she asked, not really getting how this had anything to do with her Captain disobeying a direct order. Shining helped Skarin to his feet and the Dragonborn continued on his merry way.
"We talked a lot before the fight broke out. " he looked at Celestia and the princess got caught off-guard by his sorrowful expression "The things he went through... I can't imagine anypony staying sane after all of that. " he glanced at the drunken Nord who didn't really remember how to get to the castle but continued bravely anyway "I've heard many war stories, many tragic stories and... If what Skarin told me, and I'm sure that wasn't even half of it, is true, then he needed this. " he gestured towards Skarin in his drunken stupor "He needed to forget, even for a moment, that the world isn't a dark place but can be a good place, a place of happiness, a place of joy. " Skarin was using a stick to fight off a rather aggressive cart filled with cabbage "I can't even begin to imagine what his world was like. " Celestia had to chuckle when the cart's door cracked open and Skarin was buried under cabbage "I do know this though. " Skarin was trying to get up but the cabbage was everywhere "He will protect this world until his dying breath. " he approached the fallen Dragonborn and helped him to his feet "He will fail, nopony is perfect, but he will get back up over and over again. That's the kind of stall-,man, Skarin is. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders- " he slung one of Skarin's arms over his shoulder to support him "-but he can't do it alone. Not anymore. " Celestia, not even noticing it, was holding up Skarin from the other side "He clings to the hope of seeing his friends again. But if that fails, he will need new ones. " Skarin had his eyes closed, blindly taking steps and mumbling to himself "All he has ever known is gone. We need to help him adapt to this new world he's in. "
"Hehe... Cheese wheels... " both looked at the mumbling Dragonborn and shared a smile.
"You certainly think highly of him already. " Celestia said softly, her anger now completely gone and replaced with compassion and understanding.
"You wold too, your Highness. Just talk to him once he sobers up. " Celestia did feel ashamed for not talking much to Skarin. The same thing happened when Luna returned and things still weren't the way they used to be.
"I will remember that. " Skarin dropped the bottle he was still holding and it smashed into tiny pieces "How much did you drink anyway? "
"I didn't. " Shining replied with a smirk "I'm on duty, remember? "
Once Skarin was safely tuckered in his bed Celestia decided to indulge herself in one of her vices. She changed into her pyjamas and sneaked into the kitchen. With her horn providing the only light she opened the fridge and sat in front of it, taking a large chocolate cake into her arms and letting the cool refrigerated air refresh her tired features, extinguishing the light of her horn. After taking a bite from the sugary goodness with a fork, she felt herself finally relax after a very, very long day. But it was not to last as loud crashing sounds filled the dimly lit kitchen. Quickly turning her head, she saw Skarin, once again in only his trousers, holding a plate in his hands while dozens of others lay scattered and broken on the marble floor.
"Shhhh! The Princess might hear us! " he was still drunk apparently and Celestia raised an amused brow. Perhaps he didn't recognize her since the spell that made her mane look ethereal was gone as the day ended.
"We wouldn't want that, would we? " she asked with a chuckle. Skarin gingerly placed the one still unbroken plate back on the counter. At least he thought he did but the crashing sound gave it away "Come. Sit. " she patted the floor next to her. Skarin sat down next to the princess and looked at her cake.
"What is that? " he asked, sniffing the air and liking the smell.
"Chocolate cake, the greatest creation of ponykind. " she handed him a fork "Want some? " Skarin took the fork but immediately dropped it as he felt a burning sensation from it.
"Is that silver? " he asked while rubbing his hand. Celestia looked at her own fork in confusion.
"Yes. " she answered in confusion "Are you allergic to silver? " she asked, taking Skarin's injured hand into her own. A light reddish burn was visible on the palm.
"You could say that... " Skarin answered, her soft touch soothing the burn.
"I don't understand. " Celestia said in confusion, looking concerned into his eyes "We had silverware in the dining room this morning. You used it! "
"I guess Luna replaced it before we arrived. " he took his hand back, still feeling her soft fingers on his palm.
"How could she have known- " she stopped mid-sentence "From your dreams, isn't it? " once again Celestia berated herself for not actually talking to him.
"Celestia- " Skarin began and took a chunk of the cake with his fingers. Ignoring the invasion of her favorite cake, Celestia noted this was the first time all day he called her by her name "-if you want to know, just ask. " he ate the piece of cake and found the taste amazing "Greatest creation indeed. " then he took another.
"Skarin? " he looked at her, his mouth smeared with chocolate. Celestia giggled at the scene and wiped the excess chocolate off with a paper towel she prepared for herself "Why are you allergic to silver? "
"I'm a werewolf. " he replied casually, his wolfish grin a little unsettling to Celestia. She stood there, dumbfounded at his confession "See? That wasn't so hard. " he stole another piece of cake from her lap "And this ring- " he showed her his Ring of Hircine "-helps me control it better. So no worries about me going on a killing spree. " Celestia nodded slowly and Skarin was about to steal another piece of her cake she slapped his hand playfully.
"Manners. " she cut off a piece with her fork and handed it to a pouting Dragonborn.
"Anything else? " Skarin shoved the piece of cake into his mouth and Celestia's features scrunched up in thought "I'm an open book now, Celestia. " she looked at him in wonder "All and everyone I knew is gone. I have nothing to hide anymore. " he said somberly and Celestia felt a wave of sadness "I had to be careful what information I shared before, but right now, none of my enemies are still alive. Except Alduin of course. " he stole another slice from Celestia who was listening intensively "And a friend told me it would be good for me to talk about things. "
"Was it perhaps Shining Armor? " she asked with a soft smile which Skarin returned.
"Your Captain is sometimes wiser beyond his years. " Skarin then looked at her with appreciation "Thanks for not teleporting me here. I can't even imagine the mess I would make. " both laughed at that, seeing as he was loaded with ale.
"Well you look fine now. " this did intrigue Celestia as the man drank two barrels of ale. Where did it all even go.
"Part of being a werewolf I guess. " he scratched his cheek in thought, the one with the tattoo "It does get expensive if you want to drink and forget. "
"I imagine it so. " she looked at his tattoo curiously and reached to touch it "Is this your cutie-BY THE STARS! " she instantly retracted her hand as the tattoo felt cold as ice. Skarin winced at the touch and closed his eyes. Fearing she hurt him in some way, Celestia took his hands and squeezed them comfortingly "Did I hurt you? "
"No, it's... It's a curse. " he replied, focusing his attention on her soft hands "One I wish I could forget. " Skarin looked at a worried Celestia and smiled to ease her mind "The one responsible is long gone so no worries. But the mark still remains. " Celestia looked at him with a warm gaze, trying to offer some sort of comfort "You can touch it if you want. It doesn't hurt. " Celestia gingerly placed her hand upon the mark and it was indeed freezing. The curious thing was, the coldness was limited to the mark only, she could feel the borders of the mark stopping the cold like a razor, Skarin's skin both warm and cold at the same time. It was an unusual sensation "Hope I didn't get you into trouble with your guards. " he leaned into the touch, finding it very comforting.
"Why is that? "
"Walking down the streets at night with one Captain and a very drunk legendary warrior for protection. " he chuckled at a memory he just had "Though I can say I've had Elisif in worse scenarios. " now she was getting somewhere. True to Shining's words, Skarin was beginning to open up about his life.
"Was she someone special? " Skarin swiped another piece of cake as Celestia was distracted with his mark and the princess pouted in return.
"She was the High Queen of Skyrim. " he ate the piece of cake and wondered if this sugary goodness was made by the Divines themselves "And you could say she was special to me in some way. We did share... A bond. " he then looked at Celestia with a curious gaze that left the princess a little confused "That crown does look better on you than it did on her though. " Celestia then realized that she took off all of her regalia except for the crown. Wait, what was that about Elisif and the crown.
"I don't understand. You're saying this crown belong to a queen millions of years ago? " Celestia looked at him with an incredulous look "You must be joking. "
"I'm not joking. " Skarin laughed before shocking her further "I should know since I made it. " Celestia gave him a deadpan look.
"Now I am certain you are joking. " Skarin laughed once more and swiped the last piece of cake.
"There is an inscription inside, looks like scratch marks, doesn't it? " Celestia's eyes widened at this. She knew for a fact the inscription couldn't be seen unless she took the crown off. Then again, she did receive the crown from her mother a millenia ago. She took off the crown and examined the strange writing "It means strength, honor, justice. " he took the crown into his hands and examined his handywork "That is the language of the dragons. I made this crown for Elisif once she became queen. " he returned the crown to Celestia who carefully placed it back upon her head. She was a little more self-conscious now that she found out she was wearing the crown of a queen, forged millions of years ago.
"I suppose I shall commend you for such a fine piece you've made. " she bowed her head curtly and Skarin smiled.
"Then it feels only right to tell you how the crown came to be. " Skarin adjusted his position, leaning against the counter that was behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. Celestia floated another cake from the fridge to her lap.
"I am ready, oh great Dragonborn. " she said teasingly, he fork ready to dig into some more cake.
"Then let me tell you about a book I found called The Aetherium Wars. " and so Skarin's story went on for a couple of hours with Celestia carefully soaking in every word he said. It was truly a tale worthy of being written down for generations to read. It wasn't until the early morning hours that Luna stumbled into the kitchen before the staff began their daily routine and found the two asleep. Celestia leaning against Skarin's shoulder, her wing acting like a blanket to warm them in the chilly kitchen, a half-eaten cake on the floor and the fridge closed. Luna smiled at the sight and carefully levitating them to their respective beds, making sure not to wake them. Not before taking a picture though...
Celestia woke up the next morning feeling rather refreshed though a bit curious as to why she was in her bed. Did Skarin carry here here? She saw the Sun was up and berated herself for sleeping in this morning and having Luna carry out her part of the work. Quickly dressing herself she saw the crown resting on it's place by the vanity mirror. A small smile crept onto her muzzle as she remembered the story Skarin told her. Putting the crown on she was ready to take on a brand new day and headed towards the dining room. Once there she saw Luna was just finishing her break-, I mean dinner.
"Good morning, Tia. Sleep well? " Luna asked with a sly smirk which Celestia tried to ignore though a small smile was still present.
"Why yes I did, Lulu. " Celestia took her seat and a cup of tea was immediately brought to her by a maid "I suppose I have you to thank for that. You really are the guardian of dreams. "
"I merely carried you to your bed. " then her smile got wider "The good dreams came from our new friend. " Celestia's cheeks tinted with red and Luna's smile got even wider.
"I suppose he is an interesting individual. " Celestia replied sheepishly and Luna floated a picture over to her sister "Oh my... " her cheeks flushed even more once she saw the picture. It was a cute sight to behold, the two of them leaned against eachother, her wing draped over them like a blanket.
"Speaking of good dreams... " Luna rose from her seat and approached her sister. With a glow from her horn a dream bubble appeared and inside of it was Skarin, playing with a small girl. This revelation hit Celestia with a torrent of emotions.
"Is that... " she assumed the two were playing knights and dragons, with Skarin acting as the big bad dragon.
"His daughter. " Luna said somberly and Celestia now fully understood how much he actually lost "She is adopted but his daughter non the less. " she also wasn't ready for what came next "I witnessed his wife's death in one of his dreams. " Celestia's eyes widened in horror "Twas' the night of their engagement. " now this made it even worse "I talked to Shining Armor this morning. " Celestia was looking at the two playing, not a care in the world "He told me how Skarin finally met his sister and of the shortcomings he shared with him. " Celestia smiled warmly when the girl finally slayed the mighty dragon though the beast was not ready to yield just yet and countered with a fierce tickle attack. It warmed her heart to see Skarin in this light "Tia. " Celestia looked at her sister, her full attention given to the dark blue alicorn "I believe that Shining Armor is correct. Noone would stay sane after everything he went through. " Celestia nodded slowly "I suppose with a life such as his, you accept things go wrong and try to move on as more darkness looms o the horizon. " the Sun princesses features saddened considerably. That is no way for anyone to lead a life.
"That would explain his behavior with Twilight... " Celestia honestly thought Skarin would have a more violent outburst.
"Indeed. " Luna dispersed the bubble just as Skarin and the little girl were in the middle of their tickle fight "He needs friends, Tia. He needs someone to lean on. " then she added grimly "Otherwise I feel his life will come to a quick end after Alduin is dealt with. " and to make things even more dark "He has nothing here. No friends, no family, no place to call his own. " Celestia then looked at her sister with determination in her eyes.
"Then we need to change that. "