Chapter 2: Whiterun (UPDATED: 12/10/18)
Luna began to stir. She felt the comfort of a pillow beneath her head and the warmth of a heavy blanket over her body. She could hear beautiful music playing somewhere outside her room and she thought it was one of the castle musicians at first. For a moment, she thought that she was back at the castle and had drunk too much hay wine with Celestia during her evening studies. But as she opened her eyes, she was greeted once again by the sight of her new limbs. Her new appendage was curled up into loose fists only laying atop the other. Finding that her strength had returned, she slowly picked herself up from the soft, warm, mattress that she was now laying on. She discovered that she was wearing clothes now, albeit minimal they still contributed to helping her retain her warmth.
She took a cursory look at the room around her. There were no windows, and the decorations were somewhat minimal but still beautiful in a rustic sense. There were numerous display cases and barrels around the room, but she could not see what was contained inside. She ran her hands down her body, trying to make sense of exactly what she was. She found that her coat had not gone at all. Her night blue coat of fur had surprisingly remained with this strange new form she had acquired. It was still the same thickness and color it was before. She reached up to her head, feeling that her face was still the same for the most part as well. Her little muzzle and eyes were both still there too. Same size and length. Obviously, to her, they still worked just fine. She ran her hands through her mane and brought strands of it up to her eyes. She sighed in relief. Her long mane was still the same darker shade of night blue as well. The only thing it lacked was the glowing ethereal essence it carried to make it levitate whenever she was in the presence of her subjects. Several strands of blue hair had run down her face in front of her eyes. She went to inspect her head and to her relief, her horn had remained as well. The only difference being it was a few inches shorter. Luna thought she was going to feel helpless at first, but she was still the same pony just with new features.
With a somewhat scared look, she looked under the sheets, and to her dismay, her back legs weren't gone...entirely. They still had hooves, but they were much larger and her thighs were more pronounced. Her shins were more elongated too, connected by two new knees. The hocks she once had were now higher up. She had knees on her forehooves before which have turned into what her dragon friend referred to as elbows. It was incredibly strange to her feeling each of her back legs move around in two places as if they were broken in half and then reassembled. Her tail appeared to have remained on her body as well. It was tucked in between her legs as she was lying down in this odd position.
Her body structure had changed entirely, save for the face, back hooves, and cosmetic details. While looking down, she also noticed two fairly large mounds that had adorned her chest. She used her new appendages to touch them and to her surprise, they were also another new part of her. She moved them around with a firm grip finding them to be rather squishy and sensitive.
Before she could open up her new clothes to get a better look at them, the door at the other end of the room swung open, and in walked a very terrifying creature. From what she could immediately tell, the creature appeared to be female due to its body structure. Her eyes were a vibrant, almost glowing, red. Her skin was an eerie ash bluish-grey color. She wore a sort of hard armor that appeared to be made out of some kind of leather that was held together with hiding and metal rivets. On her hip was a short sword fastened to her belt, which Luna eyed warily.
“Good. You’re finally awake.” The pale grey-blue creature said in such a harsh tone that Luna couldn’t help but flinch slightly. The being in front of her moved with a calm yet stern stride to the edge of her bed. To the creature’s surprise, Luna had not backed up and cowered away, rather she tensed up in a manner as if she was about to jump into a fight and this gave the creature the urge to make an amused smirk.
“Not afraid of me are you?” She asked letting her hand rest on her sword. “What is your name? If your species is even capable of speech that is. ”
Luna was wary of the creature at first, but when it seemed to be cordial enough, if a bit stern and stand-offish she decided it might be polite to at the very least give her her name. So after thinking it over for a few seconds, she decided to answer. But surprisingly, she found that it was difficult to talk at first. Her throat had become very sore from the intense cold she was exposed to before, but she soon managed to speak as she coughed out.
“W-we are L-Lu-Luna. And you?”
The creature seemed to raise her eyebrow and then have a look of concern for about a split second before the hardened look returned.
“I am Irileth, housecarl to Jarl Balgruf of Whiterun, and to get it out of the way, I am not the savior that saved you from the giant camp.”
Luna loosened her demeanor up a bit and began to relax now that the tension had been somewhat broken down.
“I-It is a pleasure to m-meet thee I-Irileth…Whiterun? Is that thou’s country?” Luna coughed out.
“Country? You poor girl, your head is still quite frozen over too. No, Whiterun is a hold within Skyrim.”
With a face of surprise, Luna came to the stark realization that she was not in Equestria anymore.
“Skyrim?” she asked herself. Irileth kept watching her with an odd look for a few minutes watching her look down at her hands and twiddle her fingers before a solid knock on the door shook Irileth out of her gaze upon Luna.
“Enter,” she said firmly.
The wooden door swung open to reveal an elderly man with a short white beard adorned in armor. His face was one of sternness just like Irileth had. Except this man’s face carried a pearl of mysterious wisdom and strength. Luna gazed at her new visitor with uncertainty as he walked in.
“Honored Kodlak,” Irileth said as she bowed her head slightly in respect.
“Irileth, have you been treating our strange royal guest well?” the man said as he sat down in a chair next to Luna’s bed.
“Yes Kodlak, I have. She just woke up and I was assessing her to see if she was a threat,” Irileth replied.
Luna winced at Irileth’s comment and after Kodlak used the word royal, Luna remembered that she needed to make sure her necklace and crown were still with her. She patted her head and felt around her neck looking for her royal regalia and panicked when she found that they were no longer there. Kodlak’s stern expression turned into one of kindness as he chuckled a little bit when he saw this.
“Do not fret my child, your crown and necklace are over in that chest by the wall” he said kindly as he pointed to a simple wooden chest.
Luna relaxed a little bit as she put her arms back down by her sides.
“Thank you, kind sir, but may we ask who you are and where we are?” Luna said out of instinct while her voice was still raspy.
“We?” Irileth questioned.
The old man smiled at this. In his travels, he had known some members of the nobility to teach their families to speak of themselves in the third person as a habit and custom.
“I am Kodlak Whitemane. The harbinger of the Companions warrior guild. And you are currently inside of our guild hall Jorrvaskr.” Kodlak said.
Luna was taken off-guard by these unusual names at first, but remembering she had met diplomats of other races in the distant past before, so it was expected that different races would have different name structures.
“Now if you will permit me, may I ask who you are, your highness?”
Luna was taken aback by his correct assumption but was wary about revealing her name and identity to this "Kodlak" but she knew that she would need help if she were to get herself home.
“I am Princess Luna of Equestria kind sir.” Luna said as she spoke with a formal tone.
Kodlak smiled in a way as if he had confirmed his suspicions.
“Equestria?” Irileth questioned.
“A princess? This is quite surprising and quite a treat to have a foreign princess grace our guild hall. And I must admit I have never seen a race such as yours your highness, nor have I heard of this Equestria of yours. However, that is a matter that can be answered another time. You have business in Dragonsreach to attend to with her don’t you Irileth?” Kodlak said.
Irileth went over to a second chest by the wall and picked up a pair of clothes out of the chest and flung them at Luna.
“Put these on,” said Irileth. “The Jarl wanted to see you as soon as you were awake.”
Kodlak gave a sharp sigh of effort as he got up out of his chair.
“And I should be getting back to my duties. Farewell, for now, your highness, I have a feeling I will be seeing you and your savior again very soon,” he said cryptically to Luna as he bowed and left the room.
Luna inspected the garment a bit. It was a simple dress with earthy colors. The kind of garment she remembered her female subjects wore before she was banished. It wasn't fancy, but it was beautiful enough.
Luna slowly slipped her new lower appendages over the side of the bed before standing up. She wobbled a little bit but soon found her balance. She looked at Irileth and then back at the dress before slipping it on over her head. At first, she had a bit of trouble with getting it on, Irileth reluctantly had to step in for a moment to assist her with her dressing. She looked over to the chest and Irileth saw where she was looking and went over to the chest to get her regalia. Irileth picked the crown and necklace out of the chest and inspected them.
In a moment, the midnight black regalia was yanked out of Irileth’s grasp by an unseen force. Luna scanned them, making sure the Regalia that had been given to her by her mother was not damaged in any way. She sighed after seeing that her crown and necklace were still in perfect condition. She carefully strung her necklace around her neck and placed her crown back on top of her head finding that it still fit despite her changed head. Just then she heard the sound of sliding metal and looked up to see that Irileth had drawn her sword.
“You are a mage,” Irileth growled. Luna was startled by Irileth's act, not even registering the fact that she still retained her magic abilities which in any other situation would have made her overjoyed. Irileth examined Luna once more before putting away her blade.
“Forgive me. Years of service to the Jarl has made me…vigilant,” she admitted.
Irileth went over to the door and looked over her shoulder at Luna who had relaxed again.
“Follow me”
/--------/
After walking out of that guild hall that looked more like an overturned boat from the outside, she had been greeted to many strange sights. She saw a giant tree that had looked like it had been slowly dying over a long period of time. She looked down the street and was greeted by a familiar image on a sign. She ran down the street before Irileth noticed she was gone. Luna couldn’t stop staring at the sign that hung above the inn. It couldn’t be a coincidence. A rather crude and strange drawing of a pony etched into wood swung in the breeze. On top of the pony was a creature similar to Irileth, though somehow Luna could tell that the creature was a male. On the sign were the words: “The Bannered Mare.”
For a moment, Luna felt a small glimpse of hope. Were there perhaps other ponies here in this world? Maybe somepony could show her the way home. Before Luna could think about it too deeply, she felt a tug on her robes. She flinched as she turned to face an Irritated Irileth.
“Don’t wander off again. Come with me girl. The Jarl’s time is precious”
“My apologies Lady Irileth”, Luna said as she slightly bowed.
Luna followed Irileth obediently after watching Irileth give her an odd look for a moment at the designation she used, before walking back silently. Luna studious eyes wandering and taking in the sights trying to learn as much of the culture as she could. Her presence and appearance got her a fair share of stares from some of the people. By overhearing merchants' converse she was able to determine that the males in this world were called ‘man’ and that females were called ‘women.’ She also noticed that not everyone looked like Irileth. There were men and women of different skin colors and shades of mane. The men had body structures similar to that of minotaurs, while the women were much more slender and had the same mounds on their chests that now adorned Luna’s. She had played around with her chest again still unsure of the purpose the mounds served. It was a strange world she had found herself in.
“TRUST IN ME WHITERUN! TRUST IN HEIMSKR! FOR I AM THE CHOSEN OF TALOS! I ALONE HAVE BEEN ANOINTED BY THE NINTH TO SPREAD HIS HOLY WORD!”
Most strange indeed, she thought.
Far up past a long case of steps looming over a pool of water was a towering wooden structure standing high above the rest of the town. It had reminded her of a castle that belonged to an old Scandineighvian lord that once attempted to court her.
Luna tore her eyes away from the raving man, preaching in front of a large statue, and focused more on climbing the stone stairs in front of her. It surprised her how easy it was to walk on two legs. Sure, she stumbled at first, but after only a couple of steps, she felt like it was the most natural thing in the world.
By the time she reached the top, the words of the yellow-robed preacher had faded to a distant echo and she was faced with several guards and a massive door beyond a wide bridge overhanging a small moat that seemed to only cover the front part of the building. The guards seeing Luna began to murmur at her presence unsure of her. With a wave of the hand from Irileth, the guards opened the door and Luna was treated to the sight of a massive hall that further reminded her of her old acquaintance’s mead hall. This structure however was much more well kept.
Guards lined the walls on either sides of the entryways, and patrolled the balconies up above. There were tables lined with silverware and goblets, sitting around the center part of the room on either side of a fire pit that looked like it was prepared for a banquet. Luna looked past these long tables at the end of the room and saw a man sitting upon a wooden throne covered in intricate carvings. He was a middle-aged man with dirty blonde hair with some strands of grey showing through and a beard to match. His eyes were a piercing blue and he wore a sort of crown on his head with a simple jewel in it symbolizing his authority. His disposition was calm and collected, discussing with another man something that Luna could hear fairly clearly.
“Jarl Balgruf, it might be wise to reconsider sending our troops to Riverwood.”
“I already told you Proventus. I will not stand Idle and let dragons burn my villages and slaughter my people.”
“But Jarl Siddgeir and his Imperial supporters may see it as a sign of aggression, you know as well as I do that our forces cannot stand against his and the empire. And what if Ulfric’s forces attacked us while many of our men were gone?.”
“I am well aware of the state of our forces Proventus, but still…” The Jarl wasn’t able to finish his thought as he noticed Irileth being followed by Luna.
“Ah. Irileth, I see that our foreign guest has finally awakened.” Jarl Balgruf said maintaining his calm and commanding tone.
Luna bowed her head low, knowing full well how to show proper respect to other members of royalty. As she raised her head, out of the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw Irileth smirk. If this Jarl Balgruf was grateful for this sign of respect he did not show it.
“What is your name?” Balgruf asked while keeping his voice neutral.
“I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Lord Balgruf”, Luna said respectfully.
“Equestria? I have never heard of such a place,” said Proventus.
Balgruf looked to Irileth who nodded at him.
“She isn’t lying my Jarl. Besides the obvious fact that she has the regalia of a royal, one doesn’t ignore the assessment of Kodlak Whitemane lightly.”
The Jarl nodded once and turned to Proventus who Luna had figured to be his steward.
“We will continue our previous discussion some other time Proventus.”
“Very well my Jarl. Shall I call for dinner to be served?”
“That would be best Proventus.” Jarl Balgruf then turned back to Luna, taking a moment to study her from head to toe.
“Come, let us sit and eat,” Balgruf said gesturing to the table. Irileth and the others were already seated, an extra chair had been placed at the opposite end of the table from where Balgruf was sitting.
“You are very lucky to be alive Princess. If that childish Nord man had not found you on his way back to the barrow, You would most likely be dead.” Jarl Balgruf paused allowing the gravity of what could have been to sink in. Luna nodded, not breaking eye contact with the Jarl. Jarl Balgruf gave the first genuine smile Luna had seen.
“Where is this Equestria that you are from Princess Luna?" he asked.
“Yes, I would like to know that as well” added Proventus curiously.
Luna thought about telling them at first, but she stopped herself.
I’m not entirely sure I can trust these people entirely yet, she thought. Even if I did, would they even believe that I am from another world? They would think I was mad if I uttered such words. I don’t believe these people would have a way to get me back home if I told them. I cannot let them on to the knowledge of Equestria until I can be sure I can trust them with it. No, I must find a way on my own to find Celestia and find a way to return home.
While having her little inner monologue, everyone was giving a raised eyebrow at Luna for staring at the table for a solid minute after not getting an answer at first.
“Princess? Princess?” Proventus questioned.
“Girl! Please answer the Jarl’s question!” Irileth snapped.
Luna snapped out of her inner monologue and came up with an intelligent lie.
“Forgive me Lord Balgruf. Equestria is a small isolated country in the middle of the ocean. My race is called Alicorn Pony.” Luna stated. "We are a peaceful race, known for our numerous advances in agriculture, yet we are very capable when war rears its unpleasant flank at us. My sister and I have ruled our nation without much incident. However, we are not certain as to how we arrived here in your land. One moment my sister and I were in our castle, the next I had woken up in that…..giant camp Lady Irileth mentioned.”
Balgruf and Irileth quickly smirked at her honorable, but rather an incorrect title usage that she had referred them to, but let it go.
“Your sister is here in Skyrim as well? Without so much as a guard? I certainly hope she is found soon.” Proventus consoled.
“Well, I can’t allow a princess of a newly discovered race to wander Skyrim with no knowledge of how to get home or some lead as to where her sister is. You are welcome to stay in one of Dragonsreach's bedrooms. But do not expect to be living freely. Unfortunately, since your royal status does not yet carry any weight here in Skyrim, you are to earn your keep the same as the other members of my court, understand?” Luna nodded vigorously, feeling grateful for the chance, but scared at her sudden realization at the same time.
If Luna had been caught up in that spell that Sheogorath cast, that means Celestia had to have gotten caught in it as well.
While thinking about this, she had involuntarily begun to grip and play with her large chest again, not noticing the awkward stares she was getting from the people around her.
To get her attention, Irileth faked a cough, which caused her to snap out of her thoughts.
“She is an impressive mage my Jarl” Irileth stated. Looking over Luna once again with an unsure look.
“She levitated her crown and necklace out of my grip without any noticeable strain and strung her necklace around her neck without using her hands. I am certain she would make a fine assistant to Farengar. Where is that pompous, egg-headed court magician of yours anyway my Jarl?”
Luna felt flattered by the praise but kept a neutral face.
Jarl Balgruf stroked his beard while thinking it over. “An excellent idea Irileth, and perhaps when that Nord man returns here, he could fill in details as to how he came to find you, Princess.
Irileth snorted. “If the childish fool hasn’t already been impaled or beheaded by the blades of the Draug’r. Or fallen victim to a booby trap. Or fall on to his own sword….Or stepped on a rock that rebounded back into his face”.
“You underestimate the young man Irileth. He is one of the few survivors from the attack on Helgen, and he volunteered to enter the barrows to retrieve the Dragonstone with nothing more than a beaten-up set of hide armor, a simple bow, and a single blade. Despite the man’s...numerous eccentricities, a man as resourceful and brave as he deserves some credit.” Irileth snorted and turned to sit at the banquet tables. Luna however sat completely still. She had completely forgotten about the giant cat that was about to devour her, and the second presence she felt just as she was about to lose consciousness. It suddenly dawned on her that the sliding of metal she heard was the drawing of a sword. If someone in an unknown world like this...Nord man who had never seen anything like her before had risked their lives to save her, perhaps she could trust them to help her after all.
A large man wearing a white outfit and a large hat that Luna assumed to be the head chef arrived with several servants carrying plates of fruits, vegetables, bread, and...meat.
As the chef and the servants set down the plates onto the tables, Luna’s stomach growled with delight. She had in fact eaten meat in the past, she was forced to be the one to eat it while dealing with the griffon kingdom on diplomatic missions, it had bothered her deeply in the past, even causing her to force down vomit to remain respectful to the Griffins, but she had eventually gotten used to eating it, as long as she didn’t think about where it came from too much. She levitated helpings of everything onto her plate and began eating heartily, not noticing people watching her.
Irileth had a look of surprise on her face. “I’m surprised one that is similar to the horse can stomach meat or even eat in the presence of our numerous trophies” Irileth stated as she pointed up to the wall with her thumb.
As Luna was still chewing, she looked up and her eyes widened in horror as she gazed upon severed deer heads mounted to plates on the walls. She wobbled a bit in her chair, with her eyes still wide, beginning to lose focus, before face-planting and falling unconscious into what was left of her food. For a moment no one in the room said or did anything as Luna's face and hair became smothered in food.
Balgruf then chuckled heartily.
“By the nine. She is going to be an interesting addition to our daily life.”
Meanwhile, in a dark place on the far eastern side of Skyrim, Celestia is about to wake to a much less pleasant predicament...
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The coverart made me think of Meridia and Nocturne and also reminded me of a fic where the Royal Pony Sisters are cousins to the Daedra, especially to Azura.
8824631
I'm not entirely sure about which fic you are referring to, but I actually plan on involving the Daedra at one point. The good ones specifically like Azura, Nocturne, Meridia, and Peryite.
8824654 Why is Peryite a “good” Daedra? His sphere of influence is disease and I’m pretty sure no one wants to get sick. Also, do you think Malacath is a “good” Daedra?
8824675
Oh yeah, that's right. Nevermind on him then. The other actually evil Daedra including Molag Baal I'm going to try to turn into minor villains in certain parts of the story. And Malacath while evil only technically, is like a Klingon from Star Trek or a Krogan from Mass Effect. He craves battle and he seems to respect those with backbone and strength. So I'm going to involve him into Celestia's story arc.
8824730 Alright and I also like your Dragonborn. It’s not everyday I get to read one that IS somewhat of a manchild.
Looks good so far, I'm enjoyinng the parts in skyrim a lot. Here's some more things I found
Not quite sure what you mean here. "Murmur at her presence, unsure of her" perhaps?
Is twilight here now? I think you mean luna.
Like on the last chapter, I reccomend keeping the transition "icon" thing consistent when changing perspectives to somewhere else. I do think that the first transition in this chapter was fine though, since it was doing something different and sticking with the same character.
I really like where this is going. I'll keep pointing out stuff I spot like this when I find the time. Good job so far!
Oh! I'm so visualising the dragonborn [insert playername here] as chris pratt, because you likened the personalities. I wonder how well that will turn out.
8824752
Don't worry, he's going to debut in the next chapter.
8824671
The page break is the little line in the menu bar in fimfiction.
The text code for it is hr in square brackets.
Do try not to explain the time gap directly though, it makes it look like a bandaid or a bit of spackle that filled a hole on a blue painted wall. Unless you do it right, but that's pretty hard to do by directly explaining it. Maybe having sheogorath mess with them some more?
8824776
Thanks, that does make the story look a bit more organized
Is she going to wake up in bleak barrow falls?
Oh Markarath or or!.. Falkreath? Or a Dwarven ruin? Orc village? SKY HAVEN TEMPLE??
Sooo many places to pick from!
i have no life....
8824999
I have something a little more low key, but also threatening in mind for Celestia to wake up in. Don't worry, I have something interesting planned
Aw, don't say you have no life,
It's completely natural to gush over stuff you enjoy like this. 
8824776
I added a little bit of Sheogorath screwing with Celestia and Luna to stretch out the time. Reread the prologue and tell me what you think.
8824675
actually, i see Peryite as one of the truly neutral Daedra. his sphere of influence is disease and disease doesn't care if you are smart, dumb, good, or evil, it simply does what it does.
8828094
Don't worry I'll work out some of the details.
Did she keep her tail?
...We all think to this... really, just one thing is possible... The dragonborn have to take a bucket and put it on the head of the yarl ! It's tradition !
Scandi-mane-ian? What's wrong with Scandi-neigh-vian?
.... OK so mammals, which I would assume includes ponies, include the same bone structure overall as every other mammal. That is, you can point to a femur on a human, and find a bone in the lower limb close to the pelvis and note a very distinct similarity in structure, due to a common ancestor waaaaaay way way way waaaay back. The knee of a horse is the first joint past the pelvis, with a short femur between where you see the flank and cutiemark of a pony. The knee is the first curve where the leg changes direction slightly and you'll see it flexing during walking. Most writers who aren't familiar with anatomy assume horses have backwards knees, but that part of the body is actually their ankle (called the hock). Everything below there would actually correspond to foot bones on a human.
Luna's thigh would be longer, shins too. A long or a short foot could work for an anthro. Knees would not be new. Heck, you can imitate the walking gait of a horse if you bend your knee at a 90 degree angle, do the same for your ankles, and walk on tip toes. Awkward but not impossible. They even have very similar muscle groups.
Again nice chapter
8827101
Honestly in their own ways most of the Daedra are neutral. Assholes, the lot of them, but most dont give a shit. Personally I prefer Hiricine. The only one that actually enjoys you going against his direct orders.
One, the tree, I dont remember the frigging name, is dormant. The priestess stated that trees of such a nature occasionally "sleep" for periods. You need sap from its parent to stir it. Two, I cant wait for Luna to see the moons of Tamriel, though I do wonder if you'll include background lore into the story. After all, Khajiit worship the moons, and they've got a magical connection to them. In a way, their race are similar to Thestrals and I could totally see some of them starting to follow Luna.
Fiiiiiiiiirrrrrreeeeeeee! I hope she goes pyromaniac on those sick fucks......
9568989
I wish I had gotten into the Elder Scrolls series earlier, as it is a lot easier to learn lore as you play. (Youtube channels devoted to lore do help, but I find little things in-game I never see anywhere else.)
I do hope that this story includes little things like that, though.
9691225
This is like the second fic I've seen you in... This and I Burn
9396246
Its been a while, but I changed that. Thanks for the tip.