//------------------------------// // Ch3: Visit from a princess // Story: Arvak's new home // by mild hotsauce //------------------------------// Ch3: Visit from a princess Arvak lifted his head from its current laying position, taking in his surroundings. It was difficult; his vision flickered and slightly faded repeatedly, leaving him slightly unfocused. He then recognized the room as Twilight’s bedroom from yesterday, and then he became aware of what he was laying on, or rather whom he was laying on. He was lying on top of Twilight, in a very intimate position. Twilight opened her eyes and screamed, throwing Arvak off her and shattering him on a nearby bookcase. The books fell on top of his bones, restricting his ability to reconstruct himself. He heard twilight gasp and then start digging him out of the books with her magic, an as the last book was removed and put back on the shelf, Arvak reassembled himself. “oh my gosh Arvak are you okay?” Twilight asked frantically. “I think I am, hold up one moment.” He then proceeded to check to see if all his body parts were there, “other than flesh and blood, I think I’m all here!” he joked. She gave a nervous laugh, and then there came a knock on the door downstairs. Arvak followed her down, curious as to who it could be, and heard Twilight gasp when a tall white horse with a horn and wings, ethereal mane and tale, and a sun on her flank. Arvak glanced back, ‘does everypony have a mark like that on their ass?’ he glanced at Twilights flank, sure enough; she had some stars on it. “Greetings Twilight, and friend.” The newcomer said, glancing at Arvak. He tried to smile, but remembered that he had no skin to do that with, so he just chirped in a cheery and ghostly tone, “hi there, my name is Arvak, it’s nice to meet you.” He extended a skeletal hoof and the princess did the same. He then felt magic push him in a bowing position. “I’m sorry princess Celestia; he’s not from around here and doesn’t know how to act around royalty.” Twilight piped up, completely unaware that she just dislodged Arvak’s head with how much force she put into her magic. Celestia giggled and Twilight looked up to see what was so funny, she then looked down and her gaze met Arvak’s. Three seconds into the stare and, “BOO!” he chirped, making Twilight yelp and jump in the air. Arvak and Celestia did not even bother to hold in their laughter when this happened. Celestia walked into the library, closed the door, and put Arvak’s head back onto his body. “Oh come on Twilight, you couldn’t have been that scared.” He said to a hyperventilating unicorn. Twilight responded with a glare, but then shook her head and turned her attention back to the princess, “hello Celestia, not that I don’t enjoy a visit from you, but why are you here?” She turned back to Arvak, “I’m here to meet the pony that caused that little show last night.” “Show, what show, I didn’t see a show. What was it about and where did it take place?” he asked. “So you don’t remember that little song you sang last night before the party?” Twilight asked. “There was a party?” Twilight stared at him un-amused. “I’m just kidding, of course I remember, I may be brainless but I aint stupid.” He joked. “Your song could be heard all the way in Canterlot.” The princess added. “It was that loud huh. Well, sorry if I woke you up.” “Don’t worry about it, but I must say that I am most curious about you.” She said while looking at Arvak up and down. “Well, I’m sure he’ll tell you everything you want to know. Why don’t you get comfortable while I go prepare some tea.” Twilight then dashed into the kitchen. “Spike!” she called, “now where did that dragon get off to?” They both walked over to the table in the center of the room and sat down. “So princess, what do you want to know?” “Well one, how did you end up here?” she asked. “Well, it started yesterday morning, well, maybe before that. I was galloping down the road between Riften and Windhelm…”he glanced at Celestia’s confused gaze. “I’m not exactly from here, wait, where are we exactly?” “Equestria.” Celestia answered. Arvak giggled, “Just what is so funny?” “Your name rhymes with the name of this place, not even wood elves do that.” “And just where are you from exactly?” “Tamriel!” she stared at him again. “It’s a different country obviously, actually, maybe a different dimension. Anyway, I was galloping down that before mentioned road, when me and my rider were-” “Wait, rider, what are you talking about?” Celestia interrupted. “Well, the horses of Nirn aren’t as sentient as they are here. The inhabitants use them as a means of transportation or to help plow the fields.” He explained. Celestia just looked like she wanted to buck something, “moving on. Continuing from where I was so rudely interrupted, I was galloping down the road with my rider, running from some guys in studded armor, I think there was a civil war going on. Anyway, one of them called my friend a traitor and tried to kill him, I intervened and we escaped, for about a mile anyway. My friend was killed, and I was sent back to the Soul Cairn.” “Two more questions, how can somepony who only uses you be a friend, and what is this… Soul Cairn.” They heard a whistling from the kitchen, and Twilight entered with three cups and a pot of tea. She set it down on a nearby table, “Twilight dear, don’t you think it’s a bit insensitive to offer Arvak tea when he can’t drink it…” Celestia was shut up when Arvak took the cup, sipped it, and didn’t spill any on the floor, but what did happen, was that a light started glowing from within his ribcage. “I guess I stand corrected.” She then started sipping from her own cup as well. Twilight got comfortable, “so, what did I miss?” “The death of one of my friends.” Arvak said. Twilights ears dropped, “oh I’m so sorry.” “Why, you didn’t kill him, it was those guys in studded armor that shot him in the back. Anyway, to answer your question princess, those two can be answered at the same time. The Soul Cairn is a realm of Oblivion where these deadra called the ‘Ideal Masters’ reside. They take offerings from mortals and give false promises of power in some cases. Initially, one can get sent there if they were trapped in a soul gem and that were used, me, I’m not sure how I got there, I remember my first rider telling me to run before he got torn apart by monsters, I assume the same happened to me.” “How can you tell?” Twilight asked, Celestia face-hoofed. “Well, I used to be alive once upon a time, um… more alive than this.” He gestured to his own skeletal body. Twilight gave a sheepish grin and a nervous laugh. “Well, when I first got to the Soul Cairn, I was just running, not really paying attention until my second rider freed me. He did me a huge favor and became my best friend, I helped him maneuver through that waste of oblivion, and in turn, he allowed me to go on adventures with him in Tamriel. The Soul Cairn can be described as a wasteland with dead trees, crumbling black structures, strange rock formations, and has a purple haze that tints everything that color. Oh and there are the souls trapped there from when they were trapped in soul gems. Does that answer your questions princess?” “Yes, it does. Now, how were you able to get your song to be heard all across Equestria?” Celestia questioned. “well, I guess that the standing stones might have caused it, when I went there and they started glowing, that’s when I saw my friend and took part in a song sang before battle for some of his friends when he was alive.” “Then it was the stones, I might have somepony research that in the future. Anyway, it was great to meet you Arvak, have a wonderful time in Equestria, and Twilight, next time make sure that when you drink, don’t drink too much.” The Princess said before setting down her cup and leaving. “What? How did she… drinking… what happened last night?” she muttered to herself. She turned to Arvak for answers, but he just shrugged. “Maybe we should visit pinkie.” “Sounds like a plan.”