//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - The Aftermath // Story: The Lost Mercenary - A TES/FiM Story // by DemonRykuKyuubi //------------------------------// The sun shined brightly through a nearby window and beckoned for the tired Khajiit to awaken. His eyes opened and he yawned and stretched slightly. "Ouch! I should probably be more careful..." He said aloud to no one in particular. He had bandages wrapping most of his body, and the doctor had dressed the 'X'-shaped burn that Golam had inflicted towards the end of their fight. Ra'zaan glanced around the room. He was back in the Canterlot Castle Emergency Clinic, but wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten there. He assumed Twilight or some other pony probably carried him here. He noticed he was wearing a hospital gown - or the equivalent of one, anyway - and the clothes Rarity had given him were laying on a stand next to him, cleaned and sewn up. He didn't think about that very long, though, because his eyes caught something much more important. In a bed on the other side of the room, a peaceful-looking Dark Elf lay asleep. "Nadene... You are okay after all... It looks like everything went as well as it could have..." Ra'zaan thought to himself as the clinic door creaked open. In walked the six ponies he'd met when he first found himself in this world. The Khajiit smiled. "Good morning, girls." "Morning? That's funny, Ra'zaan. It's already two-thirty in the afternoon." Twilight smiled. "Yeah, sleepyhead!" Pinkie giggled. Rainbow gave a quick glance as if to say 'I'm glad you're okay', before speaking. "About time you got up! You slept longer than I normally do!" Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack looked more sympathetic. "Ya doin' alright, there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Ra'zaan grinned. "Aside from hurting all over, not wanting to move, and feeling like I'm starving, I'd say I'm doing just fine. Thanks, AJ." "While you were out, the doctor needed to get you out of your clothes to get a better look at your wounds. He gave them to me, and I washed and fixed them up for you, Darling. They're right on the stand next to you." Rarity said, giving a proud smile at her work. Ra'zaan nodded in appreciation. "I noticed. Thank you very much." Fluttershy was at the bedside, listening to everypony speak. "I hope you'll be okay later. The Princess wanted to speak with the captured mages, and wanted you there to help... um... that is... if that's alright..." "Yep. No problem. I'm hurting a little, but I'll be able to walk around as long as I don't have to do much work." Ra'zaan said with another playful grin. He glanced back over to Nadene and stared at her for a few minutes. "She'll be alright, you know. The doctor said she'll make a full recovery. Whatever was in that red potion we gave her really worked!" Twilight said happily. Ra'zaan nodded, but kept his focus on Nadene. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about her getting hurt. After all, he'd just sat there while her battle went south. But what could he do? She told him to stay out of it. Rarity seemed to read the Khajiit's mind. "It's not your fault, Darling. She'll be okay, so try not to worry so much." The alabaster unicorn said, trying to comfort Ra'zaan. "I know... I'm just worried about her, that's all. Well, it's already late enough, so shall we go see what the Princess wants?" Ra'zaan just wanted to change the subject. He hated being comforted. It made him feel weak, even if it did also make him feel a little better. "Sure. She's in the throne room. When you're ready, we'll head down with you." Twilight said. Ra'zaan sighed. "Well, another day of dealing with mages, I guess. At least I don't have to fight anymore..." The Khajiit looked back at the group of ponies in front of him. "Let me get dressed and I'll be ready. Okay?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "So... we're just going to be released if we go back to our world and never come back?" Halius asked Celestia. His and Ysura's hands were bound with magic, and Kynan was encased in a magic bubble again to keep him from escaping using his wolf ability. "If you cooperate, then you will be free to go. This is effectively a banishment, but I'm being fairly lenient considering the only one of you that has killed anypony has been taken care of." Celestia said. She wasn't very happy about what the mage's had done, but they still deserved some bit of mercy. A banishment was harsh enough under these conditions. Ysura wasn't even looking at the princess. She was ashamed that she'd been captured by creatures she saw as inferior to her. "Pfft. Leaders from our world would have 'traitors' like us hung for our crimes. You're soft. You're not used to dealing with fights and crime in this world, are you?" The Nord said with contempt apparent in her voice. "You're talking to our Princess, the benevolent ruler of Equestria! Watch your tongue!" Iron, who had been watching cautiously from nearby, blurted out. Kynan laughed a bit from inside his bubble and received a glare from Iron. "What's so funny, boy?!" Iron yelled more than asked. The Breton smiled back at the Captain. "Oh, nothing. It's just that you said the exact same thing to me about the princess when I was here the first time. You got that rehearsed or something?" Iron blushed a bit. He would never admit it, but he did have that particular line rehearsed and memorized... "Back to the problem at hand. Can any of you open a portal back to your own world?" The Princess changed the subject, attempting to end any conflicts before they began. "I do. Golam set up the spell so werewolf's blood was needed for the return teleport spell. He figured no one would ever suspect that we'd have a werewolf with us if we kept it quiet. Unfortunately, that didn't quite go as planned..." Kynan was cut off rather abruptly by Ysura. "Yeah, because someone couldn't fight without using the werewolf!" The Nord growled, glaring at Kynan. "Geez, even without Golam being here, you two still bicker like you're married. Enough. What's done is done. Focus, you two." Halius was shaking his head and standing as far away from the other two mage's as possible. Celestia had face-hoofed already and was waiting for the Breton and the Nord to calm down. "Thank you,Halius. So, only your blood can open the portal? Isn't that a little barbaric?" Halius laughed a little. "In our world, barbaric is considered normal, Your Highness." The sudden noise of the throne room's door swinging open silenced them all as Ra'zaan, the element bearers, Spike, Derpy and Big Mac came into the room. Ra'zaan adorned his gemstone-embossed clothing he'd received from Rarity a second time. "Well, it looks like the gangs all here! Hello, there, Princess. Hello, Iron. Good afternoon, mages." Ra'zaan said cheerfully as he walked into the room. "Good to see you too, Ra'zaan." The princess smiled. Iron and Halius nodded; Kynan and Ysura looked away out of spite. The Khajiit ignored the two mages with attitudes. "So, what happened after I blacked out?" The guards had almost all of the mind-washed ponies taken care of. Apparently, when Twilight, Captain Iron and Rarity defeated Ysura, the spell broke. Everything is getting back to normal now in Ponyville." Celestia walked over to a window overlooking the castle garden. "My personal sculptures decided they'd make a statue to commemorate Golam's defeat at your hands. They finished a few hours ago and placed it in the castle garden. Take a look." Ra'zaan walked over and stood at the Princess's side, looking out over the garden. Out on its own platform, just a little ways down from a statue of a creature that looked like it was made of several other creatures, stood a statue of The Khajiit and Golam. It depicted the scene where Ra'zaan had just run Golam through and ended the battle. It looked almost as if the artists themselves had been there. Every detail was perfect, right down to the looks on the Dark Elf and Ra'zaan's faces. Celestia looked at Ra'zaan, who was in awe at the fact that the ponies respected him so much. "The artists asked Twilight and her friends what happened. As you can see, they described it all very clearly." "I... I don't know what to say... I've never had anyone - or anypony - that thought I was worth more than just the septims to hire my services before..." Ra'zaan thought back to his world. He was more of a tool than anything else to the higher-ups of Cyrodill, and the people shunned him for being a killer. Even in his younger years he hadn't had anyone to call a friend or family. He was always a loner. This world was different. He could see that now. He kind of liked it. Ra'zaan was shaken back into reality when someone yelled at him. "Hey, CAT! You dreamin' over there?" Kynan yelled. "Do you want to get out of this place? I sure do. I have a way out for all of us, you interested? "...You do, eh? Well... that's... that's great..." "Looks like I have a decision to make... and soon..." "Isn't it great, Ra'zaan? You'll be able to go back to your own world after all!" Pinkie was bouncing happily as she said this. The Khajiit was a little reluctant to reply. "Yeah... That would be... nice..." The princess could tell Ra'zaan was distraught about something, but wasn't sure what exactly. "Well, let's get that portal open. I'm sure after all this, you mage's will be happy to get back to your own world. You too, Ra'zaan." "We'll miss you when you go. It was nice to meet you." Twilight said, a small frown on her face. All the ponies in the room had a sad or disappointed look to them. Even Iron, who until recently had disliked the Khajiit. He looked around at them all, and his heart sank a bit. He'd grown used to the warm smiles and happy attitudes of this world. Going back to his world of war and emotionless faces was not going to be a fun transition. Ra'zaan turned to the princess and sighed. "...If I'm heading out, can you tell me where my armor is?" "Yes, it's back in the clinic in the storage room. I had some of the guards repair it for you. Go ahead and get it, and have the doctor there bring Nadene. She'll be going with you, too." "Yes, Princess..." Ra'zaan sighed again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Khajiit was walking down the hall towards the clinic. His pace was slow and he had a depressed look on his face. He stumbled into the clinic and walked towards the storage room. "Just as Celestia said; it's all right here..." Ra'zaan slipped on his armor and thought back to the time he'd spent in this world. "This world... it's so filled with peace that they didn't even know how to handle an attack... It would be nice to have such a peace in Tamriel..." The warrior looked at Nadene, who was still out cold on her bed. He walked over and sat on the cushion next to her. "What do you think, Nadene? How would you describe this world?" This was the first time Ra'zaan had really thought about it. "The ponies don't have to worry about being attacked every time they turn a corner... The land isn't owned by a selfish and evil ruler... The people make all of their decisions for themselves... It's nothing like Cyrodill, is it? It's like they're polar opposites... Look at me, talking to a girl that's fast a sleep... you probably can't even here me..." "Oh, I can hear you alright." Nadene said with a smile. Ra'zaan jumped a little in surprise, but then laughed. "Well, at least my words were heard by someone." "You don't want to go, do you?" Ra'zaan just shook his head. "Me neither... but I doubt the Princess wants any of us to stay after causing such a problem. I wouldn't really blame her of she just told us to get out." The Dark Elf said, sitting up. She nearly fell over in pain. "ARGHH! He really did a number on me, didn't he? Heh." "You gonna be alright on your own?" Ra'zaan said, accidentally showing his worry. "Need a hand?" Nadene went to give a witty comment, but decided against it as she felt her legs buckle a little. "Sure, that would be nice, actually..." She said, swallowing her pride. "Alright, let's go..." Ra'zaan had Nadene lean against him as they walked out of the clinic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Celestia looked at the circle that Halius was drawing on the floor in the center of the throne room. She'd undone his binds against Iron's protests, and the mage started drawing calmly with an enchanted piece of charcoal he'd gotten from Ysura, whistling as he went along. He was starting draw a symbol in the center. "So, what does drawing a circle on the floor of the castle have to do with your exit?" Twilight asked. Halius looked up for a brief moment before going back to what he was doing. "I guess you could call this the 'closed' version of our gate. To get here, a catalyst was needed to open the gate, and each catalyst had a different portal to open. Apparently, to get from our world to your world, Golam's Dark Elf blood was needed. For the portal home, we need a werewolf's blood. It's hard to just explain it, so sit tight and you'll see for yourself." The High Elf said confidently. Halius had finished the design now. It had a star drawn in the center, and an intricate, wavy pattern was detailed along the outside of the star. Ra'zaan walked in with Nadene on his shoulder just then. "So, you've got the circle ready, then?" Nadene said as cheerfully as she could to cover up her disappointment. fourteen heads simultaneously turned towards the Dark Elf with astonished looks on their faces. Halius was the first to speak. "Nadene?! The doctor pony told us you wouldn't wake up for several more hours if not days!" "I guess I just threw out what she knew about medicine, then, didn't I?" Nadene laughed. Several giggles could be heard throughout the room. "Well then! Let's get this show on the road!" Kynan said eagerly. He couldn't wait to get out of this world. The Breton glanced at the princess cautiously. I-if you'll let me out of here, I'll add the other ingredient." Halius rolled his eyes. "The catalyst, Kynan." "Yeah, what he said." Kynan gave a playful smile to Halius. Celestia was cautious at first. The werewolf seemed very dangerous. Reluctantly, she dispelled the bubble Kynan was in. The Breton began his transformation as soon as he landed. His fur grew in seconds, his snout extended to full length again, his eyes narrowed, and his claws and teeth reappeared. The only thing different about him is the fact that he stayed calm. "I'm ready, Halius." Kynan said in a scruffy, raw voice. Halius looked at the wolf. "Alright then. Hold your hand over the center of the circle." The wolf reached his paw-like hand over the circle and held it there. Halius produced a small knife and sliced Kynan's wrist, allowing a small amount of blood to fall onto the circle. In an instant, a flash of light occurred and a spherical portal opened above the circle. It showed the area on the other side of the portal as a picture. "If that is all that did, why did the house we were in explode when we opened the portal to get here?" Ra'zaan asked, puzzled. Nadene poked Ra'zaan in the ribs before answering. "Because, someone spilled too much Dark Elf blood on the circle so the portal became too big and was unstable!" Ra'zaan looked away, a little embarrassed. "Oops... Sorry about that..." "It looks like this is goodbye, Ra'zaan. Thank you for all of your help over these past few days." Celestia said, unbinding Ysura's hands. Ysura smiled. "About time! Let's get out of here, you two!" Halius, Kynan, and Ysura got ready to leave. Ra'zaan and Nadene didn't move... Several minutes went by... ... "...Ra'zaan? Something wrong?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, sugarcube... Ya ready to go?" Applejack asked. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity just stared, not sure what to say. I few more awkward minutes passed before anypony spoke. Finally, Rainbow Dash broke the silence. "Well, are you leavin' or aren't you!?" She said, trying to hold back her emotions. Ra'zaan looked at the princess pleadingly. She sighed. "You want to stay, don't you?" Celestia asked with a welcoming smile. The Khajiit nodded. "Don't you have any family back in your world... Tamriel, I believe it was?" The Princess asked. Ra'zaan looked down at Nadene on his shoulder. "...No, Princess. I was basically a tool for hire... I was orphaned at a young age, so I have no family." "My uncle was my only family left. Without him, I don't have much left." Nadene said sadly. Celestia called all the ponies in the room over to her for a minute, and whispered with them. "What do you think, everypony? Should we let them stay?" Celestia whispered he question. "It's your decision Princess. Whatever you think we should do. I think Ra'zaan just wants a home, and Nadene is with him because she doesn't want to be in the place where she has bad memories." Twilight said. Iron looked around at all the faces, and saw that they were all nodding agreement. "I think it's unanimous, Your Highness." He smiled. "Very well... They can stay... But they must go to Ponyville so you all can keep an eye on them. Fair enough?" The Princess smiled. The other ponies in the group cheered agreement. Celestia backed away from the group and walked over to Ra'zaan. "You two may stay, if you promise to stay in Ponyville." Nadene squealed with excitement. Ra'zaan's entire face lit up. "Thank you, Princess Celestia!" They both said happily. Halius frowned. "Is that what you want, Nadene?" He was happy for her, but at the same time he didn't want to lose a close friend. The Dark Elf looked at her old friend. "I'm sure. Sorry, Halius." The High Elf smiled weakly. "That's.. fine... I hope I'll get to see you again is all." "Hey... Nadene... Ra'zaan..." Kynan's voice surprised everyone - and everypony. "... Do you have an empty vial?" "Yeah, here." The Khajiit tossed the werewolf the vial he'd taken from his pack. "Why you want that?" To the shock of every creature in the room, Kynan reopened his wound and filled the vial with enough werewolf to open the portal again several times. Halius caught on to what he with doing and took a blank scroll out of his pocket and scribbled down the circle they'd used to open the portal. "Take this... if you ever want to come home... Nadene..." Kynan said shyly. Halius smiled. "...And this. Draw this on the ground and drop that blood on it if you ever want to come back." "Wow... thanks you two! This means a lot!" Nadene said happily. "...You'll need a couple of these, too..." Ysura said, handing Ra'zaan three pieces of enchanted charcoal. "...You know, for drawing the circle..." The Nord was shy as well. "I'll miss you three... Goodbye..." Nadene said. "Goodbye Nadene! Goodbye Ra'zaan! Goodbye everypony!" The three mages said in unison awkwardly as they turned back to their portal. They stepped through, and as the portal shut, the three could be seen walking away on the other side. "Now you two are official residents of Ponyville, and I'll send word of this to the Mayor there later." The Princess said as she smiled and walked to her throne. "Ra'zaan, you won't need your weapons or armor anymore, so what will you do with it?" "I was hoping I could store it in Twilight's library... that okay, Twi?" "Yep, and we'll get you two a place to stay soon. I can't believe you actually wanted to stay!" Twilight said happily. Pinkie was bouncing off the walls with joy... literally. "Yay! Ra'zaan is staying! This is so exciting!!!" The Princess smiled. "My little ponies, please take Ra'zaan and Nadene to their new home. I'm sure they're excited to get settled. Iron, you stay here for now, alright?" "Yes, Your Highness." Iron said. The Element Bearers, Spike, Derpy, Big Mac' and the two newest citizens of Equestria bowed happily to the princess and turned to walk to the train station. Ra'zaan and Nadene started to think about what their new lives will be like as the walked towards they're new home. TO BE CONTINUED