The day passed on as though nothing was within discomfort for the poor blood elf. Even though he was in a land completely different from his own and, indeed, anything he had ever encountered before, he still took some joy in living in the splendid world that he had no choice but to take refuge in. However, despite the good tidings that seemed to just envelope him at every moment, he still felt the longing to be back in the field of battle that was on Azeroth. He had come to live in the moment of war as though it was just another normal part of his daily life. He did seem to miss the gold he received for his efforts the most, though.
Gai'vahros had found himself sat upon the small desk in the middle of the room, strong enough to hold his rather short yet muscular frame and also half of his armour. The top half of his raiment sat in a neat golden pile that glistened in the sunlight as he sat bare-chested, while Twilight used her magic to start cleaning the ink from the blood knight's amazingly groomed hairstyle and face. Gai'vahros was still in disdain that someone would spoil his good looks, not even caring about the wound on his head. Unless, of course, he started bleeding, then that would only stain his hair more.
"I'm sorry for earlier, by the way," Twilight had a very apologetic look on her face and she gave a small yet sweet smile, using her horn to channel magic that poured a sort of conditioner from a dark blue bottle while also holding out lengths of his hair to apply it on, acting like shampoo, "but this conditioner should get out all of the ink from your hair. At least, I hope it does. By the way, what is your name? You've not introduced yourself yet."
"Yeah well, I hope you aren't going to charge me so much gold for this," Gai'vahros gave a small huff as he muttered his words while a scowl of contempt and shifted emerald eyes fixated upon the young equine. "A simple haircut and those goblins think they can charge me through the nose for it." The blood elf was ranting at this point, but at least he knew he could get his hair fixed. Hopefully at a small price. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Gai'vahros Dawnbreaker."
"You... have goblins who fix your hair, Gai'vahros?" Twilight was rather astounded that the rather elegant creature would let monsters of such hideousness take a pair of clippers and a comb to his hair. "I don't think I would trust them to open a cupboard door."
"No. No, neither would I, my Lady Twilight. They would probably find a way to blow it up."
"So, uh, mister," the young Apple Bloom spoke as she trotted over to where Twilight and Gai'vahros were still grooming, looking up to the elf with wondering eyes as though she had taken a certain liking to the man, "what are ya? I don't think I've ever seen ya around in the Everfree forest before. Are ya from around these parts?"
"I see you haven't had much run in with humanoids," Gai'vahros started. His eyes shifted from Twilight to Apple Bloom though he dared not turn his head, not while Twilight still took a firm grip of it with her magic. "I'm a blood elf. I come from a different land, or even a different world, than here, called Azeroth."
"A... "blood" elf?" both Twilight and Apple Bloom stuttered at the same time. Twilight gave the impression that she was concerned, while Apple Bloom had the tone of fear, thinking that anything with the term "blood" in it wasn't good news.
"Yes. We were once part of the quel'dorei, the high elves. After being exiled from the rest of elven society for dabbling in the arts of arcane magic we managed to live in peace within Silvermoon, our new home. That was, until the Scourge..." The elf tightened his hands that were laid upon his thighs into fists, grasping as the red cloth that lay under his leg plates. "We were nearly all killed... driven to the brink of extinction. Us survivors renamed ourselves sin'dorei, blood elves, in honour of those who died in the battle during the Scourge Invasion... " Gai'vahros looked down, lowering his head a little. His mind began to wonder for a moment while Twilight and Apple Bloom looked on with sympathy upon their faces as they looked at the silent knight. The tension in the air was thick, so much so that none of them knew how to respond. "My Lady Twilight, are you nearly finished with my hair?" Gai'vahros looked back up, his eyes more uplifted and with a small smile upon his lips.
"... Oh! Oh yes, we're done now," Twilight was lost in thought, lost in the despair, that she seemed to enter at the look of the elf's face. Suddenly, for a few second that felt like minutes, she found herself imagining the fate of his people, cut down and destroyed. And then she put herself in that position. Then she put Ponyville in the quel'dorei's positions. Finally, she played it through her mind one moment after another. It was heartbreaking for the young equine, and yet she looked back at the creature who lived through it all, who could still look back at her with a smile. She had great respect for this elf. "So what of the land you live in? Is it all war and fighting?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so." despite all that he has said, Gai'vahros still kept a look of enjoyment upon his face as though he was about to tell stories of glory, though it was far from that, at least in the minds of present company. "Azeroth has always been about fighting. Since the foundation of the Horde and Alliance, the two factions have been warring over the four continents of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend and Pandaria. It is, in essence, a world of warcraft."
"But... that sounds horrible!" Apple Bloom was starting to get more fired up from listening that it began to become physically hurtful for her. "Why must two groups fight over a whole world! Surely there was a time when there was all smiles an' laughter, right? ... Right?"
"A few times. After the Legion invaded Azeroth in the Third War the Horde and Alliance stood on common ground against a common foe, and stayed at peace with each other for a few years. I'm not sure how but the peace treaty was broken after that. Then it seemed that, for a number of years, we aided one-another in the enemies to come; Illidan, Kil'Jaeden, Arthas, Deathwing, all fell before the might of Azeroth's greatest warriors... me included. And now, we're back to fighting each other again, bringing our ridiculous war to a beautiful land that hadn't seen conflict in ten thousand years."
"They all sound like such powerful creatures. And in the span of time you faced each one, you must have been quite the war veteran." Twilight looked upon the elf with admiration that reminded her of her brother Shining Armor. "I think the royal guards could do with some-pony like you."
"Don'tchya ever get tired of fighting, Gai?" Apple Bloom had a sad look on her face, not wanting to hear so much about fighting.
"..." Gai'vahros stayed silent for a moment. He looked to the young filly and seemed to catch on that she didn't want to hear so much about his war efforts and violence. "No, young Apple Bloom. I do not," but before she could feel any sort of heartache from his words, he placed his soft, bare hand upon her head, petting her mane gently. Apple Bloom was bewildered as to how someone who only ever fought for a living could be so gentle in his approach, "but that's because we all fight for what we think is right. We fight for our ideals, to protect our home, our family, our friends, our people. That is why I fight. That is why I live."
"Oh, Gai'vahros, I've finished cleaning your armour now." Twilight used her magic to display the elf's armour as though it was hanging on a mannequin, displaying the pure perfection in the shine and craftsmanship in the plates, the softness of the embroidered silk and the tanning work in the leather straps. "It seems like this conditioner works really well on clothes and metal, too. Maybe I should try giving this to Rarity?"
"Oh I don't think you should make your conditioner too rare, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros suggested in good faith to the young pony, starting to adorn his armour once again, slipping on the underlay first before strapping the shoulder plates back on. "I think it would be great if more people could experience the perfection of that concoction. And it smells strangely like raspberries, too."
"Hehe, no, not that kind of "rarity"." Twilight gave a small giggle as she placed a small cork back onto the bottle before slipping it into a satchel. She began to proceed to a small stairwell that lead to an upper floor. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to find some more of this stuff." Happily, she proceeded up the steps with soft sounds of trotting, leaving Apple Bloom and Gai'vahros on their own. "Oh, if Spike comes back, tell him I need a new ink well!"
"Yeah, I don't need reminding of what happened to the last one." Gai'vahros gave a small sigh as he straightened out his spaulders after slipping his gauntlets on. "uh, exactly what is a "Spike" anyway? Is that the name of her pet?"
"Oh, no. Spike is our friend," Apple Bloom said with a smile on her face. "He's a lil' baby dragon that Twilight was given while he was just an egg. He helps her around the place from time to time."
"A dragon? Pray tell, what colour? Blue? Black? Red?"
"Noooo, he's purple. Why d'ya ask?"
"Nothing, just curious." Gai'vahros began to think for a moment, though he'd never come across a purple dragon... Then it clicked. Yes he has come across a purple dragon before. "... No... surely not the Twilight... anar'alah, it all makes sense!" Gai'vahros muttered to himself but he couldn't help but raise his voice at the end, with Apple Bloom in earshot.
"Uh... Gai, what makes sense?"
"I don't see why I didn't notice it before! Lady Twilight is purple -- the same colour as the Twilight Dragonflight -- and now Spike is a friend or hers and a purple dragon, too, signifying him being of the Twilight Dragonflight! Twilight Sparkle is an agent of the Twilight's Hammer and is raising Spike to be the new harbinger of death!" However, as soon as the blood elf finished his synopses, the door flung open at the shove of a small dragon foot, revealing the same little dragon that Gai'vahros had spoken about not moments ago. "... Now that's not what a twilight dragon looks like at all."
"Oh hey, Spike," Apple Bloom exclaimed as she saw the little reptile carrying a handful of books and sheets of paper, "Twilight said ya need to go get a new ink well for her. The last one got... uh... knocked over." She gave a wide, cheesy grin as she strung the last few of her words together.
"Heya, Apple Bloom," Spike greeted her in kind, which amazed Gai'vahros greatly; he never knew dragons so young could learn common so quick. "Well, I'll get a new ink well later. I need to eat something badly." Spike couldn't see over the books and sheets so well so his notice of the tall elf didn't click until he rested the books down, noticing a large body to one side. Looking up, he was greeted with glistening emerald eyes and a wild mane. "Gah! A-Apple Bloom, what is that!?"
"Oh Spike, this here is an elf! Spike, meet Gai. Gai, meet Spike." Apple Bloom looked from one party to another when she addressed them both by name, still keeping a small smile on her face.
"Oh... uh, hey. You're not here to hurt us or anything?" Spike still wasn't comfortable for being in the same building as Gai'vahros, let alone talking to him.
"No no, of course not," Gai'vahros said cheerfully as he sat up, causing the young dragon to flinch for a moment, backing behind Apple Bloom. "I came here seeking assistance from your master, Lady Twilight."
"Hey, I ain't anyone's master," Spike snapped back in retaliation to what was an offensive notion for him. "I just do things for her because... well, she's my friend. One of my best friends."
"Heh, that's great." Gai'vahros gave a little chuckle as he knelt down to Spike's level, which still made the elf several inches taller than him. Spike seemed a bit nervous at first but he still stood his ground. "Doing things for your friends, sharing that special bond, is a great thing to have, my friend." The blood knight placed his silk hand upon the head of the young dragon, who found that it felt like being bathed in warmth, reassuring him of his intentions. "It's a very admirable trait. Don't lose sight of it. Never leave it behind." As sudden as he did, the elf lifted his hand from Spike and stood up straight again.
"Yeah... perhaps I am admirable. I mean-- sure I am! I'll do anything for my friends! At least as long as I get some ice cream as a reward, or a ruby! No, a sapphire! Or an emerald! Ohhhhh I'd love a diamond!"
"Oh, Spike, you're back!" Twilight made her way back down to the ground floor, carrying a couple more bottles in her pack. "Did you have time to talk to our new visitor?"
"Uhuh, he said I was admirable!" Spike was very proud of himself now, but all children, in Gai'vahros' opinion, just need praise in their lives to grow to be great people. "So, Twi, how else can I admirably help you?"
"Hehe, oh, Spike." Twilight gave a giggle and smile at her friend's newfound inspiration in helping her. "Well, I need a new ink well, three quill pens, raspberries, saffron, aloe vera, five small corked glass bottles, red silk, purple silk, and a couple of buckles. Think you could get all that for me?"
"And I thought the things I had to get were atrocious..." Gai'vahros gave a small sigh, feeling sorry for the poor dragon.
"Uh... okay, Twilight..." It seemed that newfound inspiration took a turn for the worse as he became a bit overwhelmed with the amount of things he had to get.
"Don't worry, Spike. I'll ask Rarity if she'll give you a new big diamond for being such a great and admirable friend." And like that, Spike's inspiration was, well, newfound. Again. "Apple Bloom, I think you should go home now. Applejack is probably worried about you."
"Awwwwww but, Twi, I wanna hang out with you and Gai!"
"You can later, Apple Bloom. I don't think Gai'vahros is going anywhere anytime soon. Oh, by the way, Gai'vahros, do you want to accompany me to Rarity's place? She's a good friend of mine and I think she would love to see your clothes. Maybe you can inspire her?"
"Oh, she's a tailor? Can she make magic carpets?"
"Haha, oh, Gai'vahros, you never cease to amaze me with your quips." Twilight let out a small chuckle as she headed out of the door.
"... But... I was being serious..."