//------------------------------// // Chapter 34 // Story: The Elder Scrolls: The Dragonborn of Equestria // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// The Elder Scrolls: the Dragonborn of Equestria Chapter 34 I remember the time I was struck by that lightning bolt spell in the Imperial Arena, that was a tickle compared to what I'm going through right now, I can feel my muscles, bones and organs reshape, bend and burn. I bite down so hard I can feel my teeth sink into the wood. I manage to open my eyes only to see Luna with tear soaked eyes. I didn't even notice I'm screaming so loud that my throat was sore and dry. I feel every little shift and change, it's pure agony, I'm surprised I haven't passed out yet. A sudden snap in my left fore hoof makes my eyes clench shut as I bite through the wooden stick, tears start to flow from my own eyes as the other hoof snaps and hands start to form, I collapse onto my back as my spine realigns to its previous state, but something feels off. The shifting finally stops as Celestia falls to her knees panting hard, I on the other hand, am still sore and very much in a world of hurt. Luna is straight to my side as I spit out what's left of the stick and splinters. I look down to see I still have pony shaped legs, but at least I have my arms and hands back, even if the tips of my fingers are as hard as a hoof, I still have a pony shaped head, a tail and fur all over, my cutie-marks are gone though. Celestia catches her breath and speaks. "That's the best I can do for now, I need to rest for a while, I'll have to continue after we've retaken the Dreamscape," she says. I reply with a strained 'uh-huh' as Luna helps me up. I look around and notice the Guards at the door are cringing, I'm not surprised after what I just went through, I also realise I'll have to go through that again. With a groan I stand up, I manage to balance myself quite well despite my missing feet. Once up, I lean against Luna and shake my head, I feel light headed and sore, but otherwise okay. "Are you alright?" Luna asks with worry in her tone. I nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine, just really sore, how long till the meeting?" I ask. "In an hour, that should be long enough to rest," Celestia replies. I nodded and Luna helps me to a side room, Celestia stumbles along behind me as we enter the room. Luna puts me down on a couch and nuzzles me as I relax. Celestia sits on the other couch and goes limp as she's still panting slightly. An hour passes by with Luna by my side and Tala curled up on my lap, I fell asleep about fifty minutes ago and Luna just woke me up. "Farengar, it's time for the meeting," Luna says giving me a gentle shake. I yawn and nodded at her general direction, I get up, stretch, and take a step forward. I forgot I have hooves for feet still and trip. Fortunately, Luna catches me with her magic, I notice I'm naked and grab a couch cushion to cover myself with, as a pony it was well hidden so I didn't mind, but now it's back to normal and for the whole world to see, so I decide to keep some modesty. Luna leads me to her room so I can get changed. I get used to walking on the way there and ponies started to give me very odd looks, not surprising since I'm now a bipedal pony. Once inside I put on some underwear, trousers, and a shirt but my socks and shoes don't fit anymore. After that I put on my ring, chestplate, gauntlets, and leggings, my helmet and boots don't fit me. I do put the guard helmet on though as it still fits as well as the guard shoes. My wings pop out as I put the amulet on as well. "Hello, Solnara," I say in my head as Luna and I head down the hall. "Good afternoon, are you feeling any better?" she asks. "Been better, but I'm okay, not looking forward to the next time though," I reply. "Still, try not to put too much strain on your body till it's not sore anymore," she tells me. I agree with her. After a few minutes, Luna leads me into a room behind the throne room with a circular table and Celestia sitting at the back, a large map of the world is in the middle of the table. I notice ten ponies in full armour including Hammer Strike, Lightning Strike, Solar Spell, Shining, and Honour sitting around the table, they all stop talking and look at me. They all have a look of surprise and confusion. "Farengar?" Shining asks looking at my armour. "Yes, it's me, I take it Celestia didn't tell you?" I say looking at Celestia. She giggles a little. "I thought it would be amusing if I didn't." I roll my eyes with a smile and take a seat next to Luna who sits next to Celestia. "Alright, thank you all for volunteering. As I've told you before hoof our goal is simple, to place a barrier within the Dreamscape and repel a Daedric Prince from Farengar's world, he also has a dragon named Odahviing held prisoner who we shall help free," Celestia informs everyone. An earth pony raises his hoof. "Why are we helping a dragon? They've been nothing but cold to all other races," he asks. "Because he has helped us escape from the Dreamscape when we first encountered the Daedric Prince, he also helped us again after that as well," she replies which satisfies him. "Now here is what we shall do, Solar Spell will levitate a Seer Stone through so we can see what's on the other side before we enter. Farengar, Hammer Strike, Lightning Strike, and Solar Spell will go first and secure a base of operations. Once safe, the rest of us shall follow and begin casting the barrier spell." Celestia looks around for any objections but receives none. "Shining Armour will place a shield around me and Luna while we focus on the spell, the rest of you will form a perimeter around us and fend off any hostiles that might attack. While Farengar was resting, I had a look in his spell book, there are a few daedric creatures it told about." She hands out a few sheets of paper each with illustrations of said creatures, scamps, clanfears, and atronachs. "Scamps are small imp like creatures similar to the ones in Tartarus, but can throw fire bolts. Clanfears are a reptile like creature with sharp claws and teeth and are surprisingly quick. Then there's the atronachs; fire, ice, and storm elemental constructs that can attack with the element they are composed of," Celestia continues. "Unicorns will take them on with opposing elements, the pegasi and earth ponies will take on the non elemental hostiles. Should you encounter the Daedric Prince, do not engage, Inform Farengar and he shall deal with him, you are to provide support should he need it... Any questions?" she asks as she finishes her explanation. Everyone shakes their heads but I have second thoughts... How am I supposed to deal with Sheogorath? I may be the Dragonborn, but he's a Daedric Prince, I got a bad feeling about this. Celestia, Luna, and the others all stand and start heading down beneath the castle. On the way, Solnara speaks up. "Let's just hope the Princesses can put up the barrier before you have to confront him." "You're not the only one, what can I do if I do confront him? I doubt I'll be able to do anything to him," I reply. I'm not sure, I guess we can only hope for a miracle." Oh that's comforting. We all arrive to a chamber in an underground room filled with large mirrors, my eyes widen as I spot one that looks like an Oblivion Gate. "Celestia... Why do you have an Oblivion Gate..." I ask her, pointing to said gate. She turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "Oblivion Gate? That's the gateway to Tartarus, what is an Oblivion Gate?" she asks in return. "A portal to a realm of a Daedric Prince." Her other eyebrow raises as well now. "And this gate looks exactly like the ones you know?" she asks. "Exactly, two-hundred years ago the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon tried to invade Tamriel through these Gates, he was foiled by the last emperor with the aid of an unknown hero, paintings were made of the gates and into history books." I've read about the oblivion crisis from a book when I was a child. Celestia frowns slightly. "We'll discuss this later, right now we have a job to do," she says. Both Luna's and Celestia's horns then start glowing. What happens shocks me. Celestia is now outfitted in full daedric style armour. Even the others are shocked or even afraid. "Celestia, where did you get that armour?" I ask her, it looks exactly like the deadra I fought in that village... Only pony shaped. "Hmmm? Oh, it was in the conjuration section of your book, bound armour I believe it was called, I found it while looking at the daedra creatures that could be summoned while you were resting, very strong I must admit," she replies looking herself over. Luna on the other hand is wearing a silver suit of armour. I just shrug as Luna levitates my Moonsteel Greatsword and bow to me, I take them as I, Hammer, Lightning, and Solar Spell get ready to enter through a silver mirror with a crescent moon on the top. "You all remember the plan?" Celestia asks. We all say yes in reply, Celestia then orders us through and we do so. Solar Spell sends an orb through while looking into another one, after a minute, she confirms it's clear. Stepping through, I'm now standing in front of the building I first met Sheogorath at. It looks in a state of disrepair, weeds and vines cling to the walls while bones litter the ground. We all look around and see nothing of interest, Solar spell sends the orb back through and Celestia, Luna and the others come through. The others set up a tent in a matter of seconds as Luna and Celestia begin casting the spell inside, Shining casts his shield spell over the tent as me and the others hold position around the tent, Honour has his greatsword floating next to him. Hammer is wearing heavy plate armour and has a large warhammer draped over his shoulder, Lightning has light looking chainmail armour and has a pair of blades attached to his wings, Solar Spell is wearing her robe with a staff floating beside her, the others have; warhammers, spears, wing blades, or staffs. Nothing happens for about a minute and a half until a screech echoes around us, I look to the door of the building to see four scamps come out and rush at a pegasus and a unicorn. The unicorn casts a spell which holds a scamp down as the pegasus flies up and comes back down impaling the scamp through its skull with his spear, the pegasus was about to get pounced by another scamp but an earth pony tackles the scamp with a sickening crunch and it's sent tumbling lifelessly across the floor. The other two scamps stay back and fire off bolts of fire at the unicorn, I react quickly and cast a Rune Focus spell at her location {80%}. The fire bolts hit her shoulder, but only a small black scorch mark is left on her robe. I draw my bow and take a shot at the scamp, but I only graze its ear. It was enough of a distraction though for the earth pony to crush the scamp’s skull with his hammer. The last scamp was about to run for it but a fire ball soars towards it from Solar Spell, the ball hits the scamp in the back and it explodes into two chunks of mangled flesh. I notice another shield encase the first one around the tent, a light shines in the tent as the Princesses continue the spell. "Well well well, look who's back! Oh and he's brought some friends along for the ride!" I look up and spot Sheogorath sitting on a couch floating in mid air. "And by the way," he says in a cheery tone but then his expression turns grim. "I haven't forgotten what you did the last time we met, I can still feel a slight tingle in my cheekbones." I put my bow away and draw my moonsteel greatsword, I get in a battle ready position as Sheogorath snaps his fingers and twenty creatures appear under him. I see five scamps, five clanfears, three daedroths, two flame atronachs, two frost atronachs and two storm atronachs, but what makes the ponies cringe is a massive flesh atronach standing in the front of the others. "Alrighty then... Kill them all," Sheogorath says darkly. The daedra charge at us all but the flesh atronach goes for me. I'm too busy defending myself to see who's fighting what at the moment. The atronach swings at me with his massive mace like arm but I dodge it easily enough, it's big, but slow. I raise my sword and swing down at its arm but it only cuts an inch deep. As I withdraw my sword, the atronach swings his other arm and slams me away {80%}. I go flying into the shield around the tent and drop to the floor {75%}. "So what do we have in here then?" Sheogorath says with a puzzled tone. "Now that I think about it, what happened to you? I can feel my magic in you," he says to me. I need to delay him so I tell him. "A being named Discord apparently did this to me while I was asleep." His eyes widen. "Discord? Well what do ya know! Is he still causing chaos and disharmony? They grow up so fast!" he says wiping away a tear. Wait... What?... Sheogorath created Discord? "So he's like your son?" I ask as I notice the atronach stomp its way over to me. {90%} I stand back up and point my left palm at the Atronach and cast a Sun Fire spell {70%}, it hits it in the chest and it's set alight, it lets off a horrible wail as it charges at me. Its flesh starts to melt and a large piece of its abdomen drops off with a nasty squelch. Sheogorath replies to me. "You could say that, I created him out of boredom, but he showed his chaotic nature when he got loose onto a small village on the shivering isles." He laughs as I swing my sword horizontally at the Atronach and slice it in two, the fire must have weakened the flesh and muscle enough for me to cut through. "So how did he get into Equestria then?" I ask him while looking around at the others. Honour is fighting a scamp and a clanfear, I see him decapitate the Scamp but get rammed by the clanfear, he recovers and rams it back sending it a good three metres back. Solar Spell is fighting a flame and frost atronach, she absorbs the flame atronachs attacks while sending fireballs at the frost atronach causing it to melt. {79%} {72%} Hammer Strike is fighting a daedroth with his large warhammer, and is keeping it at bay. Lighting Strike is aiding the others along with the other pegasi by doing some hit and run attacks from the air. I see one of the earth ponies get his left foreleg bitten off by another daedroth, he's teleported back to the tent by one of the unicorns. "He did that himself, even I don't know how he did it, but he never returned." He gets off his couch and floats down to me with his cane. "But tell me, how's he doing?" he asks. The light from the tent is getting brighter and brighter, Sheogorath just notices and raises an eyebrow. "And what's going on it there I wonder," he says in a gloomy tone. I move in between him and the tent with my sword raised. He frowns at my action. "You really don't wanna be doing that lad... Oh that reminds me! I still owe you for that bolt to the face you gave me." He points his staff at me and fires off a white mist like orb at me. I manage to dodge it, but it hits a unicorn instead, I watch as she's turned into a small rabbit. Turning back to the Daerdic Prince, I spread my wings and take to the air {100%} {75%}, I keep my eyes on him as he just floats into the air after me. I dodge multiple orbs as I fly over the battle, suddenly he appears in front of me and slams his cane into the gem on my chest, it shatters and my wings dissolve away, I start to fall but Sheogorath grabs me by the neck and chuckles. "Did you honestly believe you could win? No my boy, you had no hope of victory here, by the time I'm done, you will be stuffed and mounted to my wall while all your little horsey friends will be nothing but the main course of my next banquet, starting with whoever is down there," he says with malice while looking at the tent. My eyes widen at the threat, not at me, but that of the others... Luna... My anger spikes. "Mul... Qah... Diiv" I manage to choke out. {100%} {100%} {100%} {100%} I feel even stronger than last time I used this, perhaps those dragon souls I took are increasing its effectiveness. I thrust my left hand out and grip his throat, to my surprise I make him choke as he loosens his grip from the unexpected grab. I don't waste any time and prepare a thu'um. "Yol Toor SHUL!" {50%} A large plume of fire blasts him in the face at point blank and he hisses in pain. Raising my sword I swing down at him but he blocks it with his cane as he lets go of my neck, the force though sends him plummeting to the ground. Since he's no longer holding me, I also fall but a pegasus catches me. He drops me off on the ground and flies off back into the battle with the daedra. Sheogorath stands back up with a really pissed off expression, I'm guessing no one's hit him like that before, he points his cane at me and lets off a barrage of white orbs. I manage to dodge a few but one hits my left pauldron which strangely enough turns into cheese. I dodge a few more and he stops, I took the chance to pull off the cheesed pauldron and raise my sword, I'm so glad I decided not to parry them, who knows what would happen to my sword if it was hit. Taking a risk, I use the greaves enchantment along with my heightened speed to burst forward {70%} and with my sword, impale the Daedric Prince. The blade bursts into a white flame as Sheogorth and the sword seems to be turning into stone around the wound. He grunts from the blow. "Nngah! Impossible! Well then, if I'm going down, I'm taking something with me!" Sheogorath roars out in anger as he creates a daedric style dagger and impales my chest through my armour {25%}, I gasp and cough up some blood. He thrusts his other hand and grabs my head, instantly I feel something being taken from my mind. He only managed to do it for three seconds as the light from the tent expanded out and into the Dreamscape. The daedra vanish in a black mist. The Daedric Prince himself remains but the dagger and whatever Sheogorath is doing is dispelled. I drop to the floor with a severe headache and extreme pain as the rush of power wears off, my sword slides out of his chest and shatters as it hits the floor, nothing but shards of stone remain. Celestia and Luna step out and see me on the floor bleeding out, they gasp and Luna look furious, her coat turns black and her eyes turn cat like, her mane and tail start whipping around as she roars in rage and fires an extremely powerful lightning bolt at Sheogorath. It hits him in the chest and he's sent hurtling over me and into the building wall, Celestia's wings spread as she lowers her head and points her horn at him. After a second, a beam of bright gold fire roars down at him and explodes on impact, Luna's by my side and starts casting the healing spell I showed her. My wound starts to close but a black aura prevents it from fully closing, Luna starts to tear up as I'm struggling for breath. Celestia looks from me to Sheogorath. "What did you do to him?" she demands, although I'm in great pain, I have to admit Celestia in that armour is quite intimidating. Sheogorath just chuckles as he struggles to stand up. "Oh just a bit of chaotic magic, *cough* he'll be dead within the hour, hehehe." He manages to stand up straight and glares at Celestia. "How do we stop it, tell me and I'll let you leave." The Daedric Prince just laughs as he's slowly encased in stone. Just before he was encased I pass out, his laughter echoing throughout my mind.