Another Human in Equestria
Author's Note
This is mostly for fans like me who've read The Lost Element and know about this specific fic and this game's lore. If not, then it'll be okay, it'll be explained on the way. Humanity said he wouldn't stop me from creating this, but my goal is to make this an interesting and vivid official AU that sticks to the spirit of the original story while still being its own plot.
Hopefully, you can read this and be satisfied with more of that sweet, sweet content.
Now on with the show!
Another Human in Equestria
I can’t exactly say how much this entire affair has influenced me in the past few days. At the end of it all, I can only express empathy and a detached sadness for one of my last adversaries. I never expected it would happen, to have him fall into my life. But now he is gone, and at the end of it, I feel like what I had to do was necessary and sobering.
It all started one morning several weeks after little Gladesong’s birth. As I gradually awoke in bed, the glare of the sun outside the nearby window made my sleepy eyes blink. A soft chirping from my pet bird, Angela, made a beautiful melody, making me wonder if I was still in my dreamlike state.
Then I felt my lovely wife’s arms tighten around me from behind, and it was then that I knew: my dreams were gone, but my reality was even better.
“Hmm… Good morning, honey,” came her adorable sleepy voice. I turned in bed and saw her: Fluttershy, the love of my life, and the mother of my precious child. As soon as I was facing her, though, her lips were on mine, caressing them softly and sensually. Fully awake now, I reciprocated the best I could, wrapping a hand around and squeezing her voluptuous rear as I did.
When she pulled away, I adjusted myself to sit up and ran my fingers through her mane. No matter how much I did it, her head was still as soft and warm as ever, and it could always make her shiver like a contented animal. Before I knew it, I was smiling like mad.
“Ahhh… You’d better keep on doing that, James.”
“I can only give the best I can,” I replied. “Especially after all you did to me last night.”
She giggled. “I’m an animal, aren’t I?”
“I… wouldn’t argue with that,” I dryly responded. Even though she was a pony, she was as passionate and emotional as a human was, and, in my opinion, somewhat even more so. To me, she was my equal and then some.
Eventually, I pulled away. “I’ll go and make breakfast, okay?”
“We’re all having a group breakfast at Sugarcube Corner, remember?”
I felt stupid. “Uh, how about for Scoots, then?”
“Go ahead,” Fluttershy agreed. “I’ll wake up Gladesong and Scootaloo when you’re done.”
I stood up, put on my clothes, and tromped downstairs. Something I always admired about Fluttershy’s cottage was it was rustic and fairy tale-esque. Animals peeked their heads out of their homes as I came. There was a lovely aroma in the air. And it seemed to be both spacious and small, content to be as it was. And it was perfect for me, even though, being the only human in Equestria, I was much taller than normal pony architecture would allow.
As I entered the kitchen, however, I heard three hard knocks at the front door. Altering my course to go to the living room, I wondered who it could be. Maybe Pinkie Pie, asking me to help out in the bakery? Or Rainbow Dash, wondering if we could hang out… It was a weekend, after all. It could even be Rarity, my beautiful other lover, seeking some… attention. My mind sizzled at the thought.
As I opened the door, I began to speak. “Hi, the-”
I froze in place. A lightning bolt seemed to travel all the way down my spine and into the soles of my feet, and I cut off abruptly. Shock, and to a lesser extent, fear, had taken ahold of me.
At the door, staring down on me, was a tall, black-armored, menacing warrior. His helmet was six-horned and protruded forward like a raptor’s beak, showing nothing but black abysses for eyes. His armor was spiked all over and curved upward at the shoulders, and it overlapped in thin layers over a menacing red underbelly. His gauntlets were jointed and sharp on the fingers, and his wrists were covered with forward-facing spikes. A black loincloth swung beneath his groin. His boots were sharpened at the toe and held that same devilish quality to them that matched the rest of his outfit. On his back was a horned shield, black and barbed like the underworld. Finally, at his side was a long, twin-edged, curved sword with hooks and barbs in the design.
The warrior inclined his head at my failure to speak. “Hail, James.” He was guttural and deep through the filter of his helmet.
This was a problem. A very big, very bad problem.
“James?” called Fluttershy at the top of the stairs. “Who’s at the door?”
“... Honey?!” I called behind me, not taking my eyes off the menacing sight before me. “Stay in the cottage!”
“I-is something wrong?” she replied, starting to come down the stairs.
I feared, not for myself, but for Fluttershy. If this was who I thought it was, and he had bad intentions, then she was in deathly danger.
It must have shown on my face, for the figure in Daedric armor folded his arms. “I have no quarrel with her,” he said. Then he flicked his gauntlet dismissively. “She is safe.”
I wheeled around. Fluttershy had appeared at the bottom of the stairs by now, Gladesong in her arms as she hovered in place. Fresh fear was showing on her expression as well. Gladesong saw the figure and squirmed in her mother’s arms, making whimpers of fright.
“Perhaps… we should talk outside, sir James,” the Daedric figure suggested.
“What do you want from me?” I whispered, my mouth dry, positioning myself to be more in front of the two ponies I treasured the most. “Why are you here--how did you get here?”
“I will answer those questions outside.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Fluttershy told me, unsure of where to move, and cradling Gladesong so she wasn’t looking at him. “James, don’t do this!”
The Daedric figure conjured a spiraling ball of green Magicka in his left hand. “Stand aside, James. This will not harm her.”
I knew the spell wouldn’t hurt her, but I severely distrusted his intentions anyway. “Y-you don’t have to cast a calm spell, okay? If you want me, I… I’ll come with you. Just don’t do anything to Fluttershy.”
“Don’t go with him!”
“Fluttershy,” I said, trying to steady myself in his presence, “it’s going to be okay. All right? I’ll be safe.”
“I will not hurt Sir James,” the Daedric figure confirmed.
“...I… I… J-James, promise me you’ll come back?”
“I promise, Fluttershy. I’ll be back.”
After a tough, agonizing moment of indecision for Fluttershy, she gulped and nodded.
The Daedric warrior shut off his Magicka, stood aside, and gestured with a jerk of his head. Knowing what he was implying, I stepped over the doorway, and the Daedric warrior gently closed it.
He struck a brisk pace into Fluttershy’s front garden and motioned for me to follow him. I obeyed.
As we came to a white table with chairs overlooking the stream cutting across her front pathway, he stopped and stood at parade rest--arms behind his back, feet at shoulder width, back stiff as an iron sword, shoulders wide and square. I paused in my movements, unsure of what to do next.
“Do you know who I am?” the Daedric warrior asked.
I found my voice at last. “You’re the Last Dragonborn,” I said, and I was shaking in place with genuine anxiety. “The savior of Tamriel, slayer of Alduin the World-Eater.”
The warrior gave a brisk chuckle as I finished. “Close. But I am even bigger than that.” He took his hands and gripped the back of his helmet. “I am the man who slew the Last Dragonborn.”
His helmet came away after those earthshaking words, and as he held it under his arm like a basketball player, I saw the truth of his words. The man underneath the armor was a dark-skinned, short-haired Redguard with fierce white eyes and a prominent nose over his pursed lips.
He was…
“You’re the Ebony Warrior,” I murmured, feeling weak in the knees. I stumbled back and stabilized myself on the back of a seat around the table. Then I frowned. “Well, not anymore, technically…”
“It seems you know of me.”
“I do,” I retorted, collapsing into the chair. This was a surreal event; even more so than when I got sucked into that Power Ponies comic book like a Black Book...
He sighed. “You’re not the only one cursed with knowledge.” He tromped over to the other seat facing me and gently settled himself down, being careful not to break the delicate chair. “Lord Hermaeus Mora showed you to me in my studies.”
“You’re going to have to tell me about this before we can discuss what you really want,” I replied, doing my best to contain my shock. I think I knew exactly what he wanted out of me. And I didn’t know if I was ready for that.
The Daedric Warrior sighed and played with his hands as he thought. “I met him in Whiterun. The Last Dragonborn seemed as confused as you are now, but he accepted my challenge and met me at my Last Vigil. Our battle was colossal. Earthshaking, catastrophic, damn near apocalyptic. Our Thu’ums made the skies tremble. The beasts of the forests went wild, and men across Skyrim wondered about that powerful force colliding with an unmovable object. But it ended with his severed head at my feet, and anguish in my soul. Out of all the men in Tamriel who could have bested me, not even the Dragonborn could do it. I took his armor, weapons, riches, and possessions, but the reward was empty and flat compared to my final wish. Perhaps the Nevarine could have done a better job instead...”
“Are you still mourning about your loss?” I asked, as delicately as I could.
“No,” he replied. He straightened in his seat and continued. “I came across an object of interest to me in the Dragonborn’s inventory: the Oghma Infinium of Hermaeus Mora himself, and all of the Black Books he had acquired. A wild idea hit my mind; who else but the Lord of all knowledge could direct me to an opponent worthy of my skills? I dedicated myself to Lord Mora’s service for two years, learning in magic and in the Way of the Voice before he was willing to divulge my wish. He opened a gate in his plane of Oblivion, and directed me to… you.”
“Me.”
“You may not be a demigod, but neither was the Hero of Kvatch, and look what he accomplished. Lord Mora told me of your exploits. Stopping the world from being shrouded in darkness. Halting Discord, an imitation of Sheogorath. Capturing all those villains of the city of… Maretropolis?”
“Yeah, that’s how you say it.”
“The pony names in this world confuse me,” he admitted. “And it’s much tamer than I imagined. The reason why Lord Mora hasn’t taken over this realm is that there is nothing to be learned here he does not already know.”
“You’d be surprised,” I swiftly countered. “These ponies have taught me more than I could ever glean from an eldritch abomination like Hermaeus Mora.”
“Like what, Sir James?”
“That…” I paused before saying it. “...Friendship is magic.”
The Daedric Warrior gave me a bewildered stare before banging his fist on the table and letting out a chuckle.
Growing hot behind the ears, I followed up with, “What reason are you here for, then?” I knew what he wanted. But I needed to hear him say it.
He stopped his laughter and let out a deep exhale. “Sir James.” He gave me a sideways, sympathetic look. “The time has come.”
I felt a churn in my chest. If he could beat the Last Dragonborn…
“You and I are the same. We have done all that can be done. There is nothing left. No quests to be undertaken. No villains to be slain. No challenges to face. Except for you.” He leaned forward intently. “You are my last challenge. Only you can send me to Sovngarde with honor.”
Sweating under my shirt, I retorted: “What if I refuse to fight you?”
The Daedric Warrior shrugged as if the answer was absurdly simple. “Then I will destroy everything you love, starting with your wife and daughter. You’ll be sure to fight me then.”
My throat closed. My heart was pounding harder than I could ever remember. Losing Fluttershy and Gladesong… My soul was divided amongst them both, over everyone else I had encountered. I would be utterly devastated by them alone. And he wouldn’t stop there. He would move to kill Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Twilight… And Rainbow Dash, the strongest, most reliable, loyal friend I ever had. And Rarity. Royal Rarity, sweet and generous, ladylike and divine. Losing her would be the complete obliteration of my world. And he still wouldn’t stop there. The citizens in Ponyville would be at risk: The Apple family, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Trixie, Lyra and Bon Bon, Derpy, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the Spa ponies, Doctor Whooves, Octavia Melody. He would then move to all four other princesses, then the ones in Canterlot like Fancy Pants, Blueblood, Shining Armor, and Estoc, and burn Canterlot and the rest of Equestria as well. I didn’t disregard his abilities; I had no doubt he was capable of everything he claimed.
“Make your preparations. Tomorrow, at this same time, meet me at the foot of the nearby mountain.” He gestured over my head to the mountain where, long ago, Fluttershy had convinced a snoring dragon to leave his cave. “I do not wish to cause harm to such innocent creatures, James. You have my word on this. But I will do what I must to enter the realm of true warriors, and cast off these mortal shackles at last. If you cannot provide me with a satisfactory end, then you shall suffer as many other souls have suffered.”
I couldn’t back down. Not when faced with an offer like this, at least.
“I accept,” I blurted out.
He rose, with his hands on his knees. “Then we are in agreement. You are not my enemy, but a challenge, and I await your coming with excitement.”
I reached my hand to shake it with his, and felt my hand get crushed beneath the devilish gauntlet. I winced and quickly withdrew it as I stood up as well.
“I will go and wait,” he put to words. “Perhaps I will become enlightened.” He turned and stalked away towards the mountain in the distance.
As I watched him go, I heard the door slam open, and before I had fully turned around, Fluttershy was already clutching me about my waist, and my breath was knocked away.
“I saw everything through the window,” she breathlessly whimpered. “This is terrible! Is he going to kill you? What is he going to do?”
I held my love behind the head and tilted her head up to look into mine. There was genuine fear in those beautiful green eyes, and at the same time an unyielding devotion.
“I’ve… been challenged,” I slowly managed to get out. “To a fight.”
“T-to the death?”
I nodded.
“B-but James, do you remember what happened the last time you got in a duel? You almost got killed by Discord! A-and I don’t know what I would do if I… if I lost you again…”
I understood completely. When I had fallen into a coma after my battle with the Lord of Chaos, Fluttershy had almost drowned herself in extreme grief. Who knows what would happen to her if things didn’t turn out well for a second time?
“We have to tell the girls,” I decided. “They’ll be in Sugarcube Corner for that group breakfast. And we should deliver a letter to Celestia to get me my armor and weapons, too.”
“I’ll get Gladesong,” Fluttershy quickly agreed, unloosing herself from my waist. “I can’t leave her here all alone. Scootaloo can stay, though.”
As she re-entered the cottage, I let out a moan and sat down heavily in the lawn chair.
The Ebony Warrior. Now the Daedric Warrior. The hardest foe to beat in Skyrim, and now he was here. I felt like I was going to be sick. I had beat the Ebony Warrior before, but beating him in the game... it was nothing compared to real life. Not only that, but he was even tougher than in Skyrim. He had beaten the Dragonborn, taken all of his stuff, was in new armor wielding new weapons, and was tutored under Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of knowledge, and had new spells and dragon shouts. Beating him was likely going to be one of the greatest challenges I would ever undertake.
What was I going to do? If I messed up now, all of my reality would become destroyed. I was confident in my skills as a knight and the Element of Humanity, but this was a one-time thing. No quicksaves. No reruns.
Fluttershy came out holding Gladesong in a sling. She shut the door, gave me a nod, and, together, we made our way into Ponyville.
As we entered the small town and passed through the center, my eyes drifted over to each of the buildings. I found myself memorizing their layout, and how they each looked unique. A quiet new resolute thought entered my brain. There was no way I would die and allow the Daedric Warrior the victory he hated. It would likely mean he would take his anger out on these inhabitants.
On my way to Sugarcube Corner, a few ponies paused and waved to me, smiling broadly. I was so familiar with these ponies that I was simply a normal occurrence, and it was like I wasn’t even a human anymore to them. I could only give a weak returning nod, however. There was too much on my mind.
As I came to the familiar building of Sugarcube Corner and entered the pastry-themed cafe, a chorus of “Hi!”s and “Hello!”s greeted me. My friends were all in a corner, enjoying a shared plate of donuts.
When I seated myself down, Applejack clapped me heartily on the back. The red and white bandanna I got her for Hearth’s Warming was still around her neck, which managed to raise my spirits every time I saw it. “Good t’ see ya again, James. Ah trus’ the Missus is fine?”
“I’m okay,” Fluttershy meeped, settling delicately in her seat and adjusting Gladesong as needed. “But, um, actually, we have this really, really pressing issue at the moment--”
“Why, what is it?” Rarity wondered, levitating a tiny bite of her donut into her dainty mouth. “Is Gladesong keeping you up late at night? As her godmother, I am obliged to assist in any way I can.”
“Yeah!” agreed Rainbow Dash. “Maybe that’s the reason you’re so late!”
“No, Rainbow,” I quickly clarified. “It’s nothing about Gladesong.”
“Well, maybe you were late ‘cause you two lost track of the time!” Rainbow followed up with a knowing smirk. “You know, banging early in the morning can make you lose track of time.”
“No, we weren’t banging,” Fluttershy refuted. “It’s actually, um, quite a bit more serious than that. This has nothing to do with our sex life.”
“Wow,” came Spike’s blunt input. “It must be serious, then.” He chowed down on a donut nonchalantly.
“Whatever it is, surely we can fix it,” Twilight proposed.
“I… think this is something only I can handle,” I explained.
“Oh!” Twilight exclaimed. “A personal problem. Well, in that case, we’re still here for help if you ever need it.”
“That’s why I came here, as a matter of fact,” I explained. “You see… Well, um…”
Here I paused. How could I properly explain to my friends what happened to me?
“I know! As you woke up, you found a dark, mysterious, magical warrior waiting on your doorstep that happened to come from one of your favorite games because he managed to come here through some convoluted physics, and because he’s disappointed with his previous challenger he wants to challenge you to a duel now to determine the greatest warrior in Equestria, riiiight?”
I blinked. Pinkie Pie had been smack on the nose. As usual. “How’d you know that?”
“Uh, duh! I read the first bit of the chapter! But I didn’t go beyond that, I promise!”
“What cha--never mind.”
Pinkie’s proclamation had sent everypony at the crowded table quiet. The basics were on the table. Now it was time for me to elaborate.
“Girls,” I began, “How much do you know about a game called Skyrim?”
“I’m not going through all two million words looking for what I do know, so I’m going to say… not much.”
I ignored Pinkie and began. “It’s a very popular game in my world. I personally think there are better games, but that’s just my preference. Basically, you play as a mythical hero named the Dragonborn, who can be any race, color, or species.”
“Any race? Like a dragon?” came Spike’s suddenly interested voice. “A Dragonborn has got to be a dragon, right?”
“...No,” I said. “See, the Dragonborn is a divinely-appointed hero who speaks the language of dragons… uses the ancient magic of dragons… and even has the soul of a dragon!”
Spike’s face was ablaze with wonder.
“But he spends most of his time killing dragons.”
Spike’s astounded face was defused like a candle in an instant. “Not cool, dude.”
After a brief laugh from us all, I continued. “Now, this game, however vast and exciting, is still limited. There comes a point where no matter how much you’ve done, leveling up gets boring and tedious. You eventually slay every villain, plunder every dungeon, and complete every quest. What do you do then?”
Rainbow raised her hoof. “Kill all the other characters?”
I shrugged while holding in a laugh. “Some do that,” I admitted, “but it’s an unrealistic scenario. Eventually, you run out of stuff to do. The challenges aren’t fun anymore. There’s not much else to do except stagnate.”
The girls were all nodding, following along. I heard a “Makes sense,” from Twilight.
“Enter the Ebony Warrior,” I explained. “One of the game’s final bosses, and arguably one of the most difficult. You only reach him after you attain a high enough level, at which point he voices those frustrations and challenges you to a fight, all for the purpose of delivering him into the afterlife.”
“That’s a pretty clever metaphor to put in a game,” Applejack voiced. “Any kind o’ adrenaline-pumpin’ thing will always get boring at some point or another.”
“But, you see, the problem is… the Ebony Warrior is supposed to be defeated. However… in this case, in the reality where he does exist… he beat the Dragonborn.”
Pinkie blinked with her mouth open. “He WHAT?”
“And he found a way to come to Equestria,” I explained, and all of the girls’ faces turned to one of great concern. “He’s searching for an adequately strong champion to rival him, and according to him, I am that warrior.”
Rarity coughed. “Well, ordinarily, that would be utterly amazing to hear. You are a knight in shining armor, after all. Under the present circumstances, however…”
“I assume meeting him is why you were late this morning?” Twilight hypothesized.
I gave a nod.
“When do you have to duel him?”
“Tomorrow morning,” I replied curtly. “At the foot of the mountain where that dragon was that was casting off all that smoke.”
“Spike, take a note,” Twilight ordered.
Spike abruptly finished his donut, pulled out a quill and a roll of paper from nowhere (I still have no idea where he keeps it) and made a summary of the entire conversation. Once he was done, he scooted off the bench to get some room and sent the letter in a spiral of emerald flame.
Okay. Listen to this. Literally two seconds after he sent the letter, the door to Sugarcube Corner was blasted open, making everyone in the cafe cringe from the outburst. (Spike fell on his behind.)
“WHERE IS JAMES?” came the very, very loud, booming voice of Princess Luna, standing in the door frame.
“That was fast,” Applejack whispered.
Gladesong, the poor thing, began to cry from the sudden outburst, and Fluttershy began to swaddle her and coo reassuring words to her.
“Oops… My mistake,” came Luna, sounding rather embarrassed. “Um, have any of you seen him?”
“Right here,” I whispered, standing up and moving towards her. The other girls left their seats and followed suit. As I came closer to the entryway, I could also see Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon, regally standing behind her.
“We came as soon as we could,” Celestia informed me. “Spike’s tone said you were in grave danger! We brought your armor and weapons as well.”
“You having something today, princesses?” called Mr. Cake from his glass counter.
“Uh, heh heh, no thank you!” Celestia quickly refused in an urgent, sing-songy voice, ushering us all out of the cafe with a hilariously fake grin. “We’re, um, pressed for time here, so not right now!”
As the last of us left, Celestia shut the door and gave me a suddenly-serious look. “This Ebony Warrior is truly here?”
“More of a Daedric Warrior now, but you’ve got it,” I said.
“When you showed me Skyrim, I thought that it was a grand and enchanting place,” Luna observed. “You did not tell me that such a powerful being existed in it.”
“I didn’t have to then!” I replied defensively. “He didn’t matter back then.”
“Is there anything we can do?” asked Nightmare Moon.
I turned my attention to her. “For the next day, we can do anything to prepare. But at dawn tomorrow, it’ll be me and him. Alone.”
“And are you certain you can defeat him?” Nightmare asked, worry evident in her tone.
I decided to tell the truth. “No. Not really.”
Nightmare now looked distressed as well. “James, I am telling you now: you cannot fall to him. You cannot! What kind of life would be in my life without your lasting presence?” She gave me a small nuzzle, as if for good measure.
“I know,” I murmured. “I know.” The full extent of my impact on the ponies in Equestria was most likely immeasurable, but I could feel a grand portion of it in the reformed Nightmare Moon. And the same with the other princesses: Luna’s first true, real friend since she came back was me, and Celestia and I… love each other beyond what words can properly express.
“In that case, we need to make sure you don’t die,” Rainbow asserted. She shivered. “I still remember the whole Discord deal.”
“Avoiding a repetition of that is definitely the highest priority,” Twilight agreed.
“What did beating him require before?” asked Luna.
“Everything I could bring to the table.” I ran over what I needed the times before in my head. “I needed plenty of spells, potions, and upgraded armor and weapons.”
“How long has it been since you trained with that armor on?” Celestia asked me.
“I…” Here I wasn’t sure. I’d had my armor on plenty of times before, and my training and battles with video game enemies with the princesses in my sleep were rigorous and regular, but physically?... “A couple of weeks.”
“That’s far too long,” Luna told me. “I have no doubt that you’ll make full use of all the techniques we’ve taught you, but I can safely say you won’t be able to beat him in your sleep this time.”
“Was that…” I grinned in spite of myself. “Was that a pun?”
Luna, after pondering for a moment, shrugged and grinned. “If you want it to be.”
“I should start training, then,” I concluded. “Let’s go to the park and set up an area.”
“We can help too!” Applejack asserted. “Ah can go to Zecora’s and see what she can whip up fer ya.”
“I’ll look up techniques on combat and magic in the library!” Twilight told me.
"I'll bake you some snacks for when you get tired!" Pinkie promised.
"I can be your sparring partner," Rarity volunteered. "Working on swordplay is something I can help you with the most."
That, I knew. Though from every outward appearance Rarity was delicate and ladylike, she knew how to handle a blade like anypony's business.
"I'll start setting up the training ground!" Rainbow urgently added.
"And I'll be cheering you on every step of the way," Fluttershy finished, nuzzling my side. Gladesong made a happy sound and reached for me as well. I smiled and ruffled the small mane on her head with a finger, and she giggled.
"I suppose all that's settled, James," Celestia told me when they all finished. With her horn glowing, she lifted up a goblet full of a swirling metallic liquid. "Now then, shall we begin?"
For three long, sweaty hours in the Ponyville park, I practiced swordplay with Rarity, who had conjured up two long, thin, blue sabres and flurried them around me like a graceful expert. I knew that I likely wasn't going to be facing two swords from opposite ends, but I wanted to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
Being in my armor was at once refreshing and a reality check. The armor was more than comfortable enough for me, of course. But what concerned me was that I had to wear it in the first place. My era of peace was over. I had a challenger now whose sole intent was to be slain at my hand.
After my swordplay, I took a break to eat some cookies and cupcakes and pies that Pinkie had provided. Applejack returned from Zecora’s shortly after with half a dozen bottles of potions that would instantly restore my stamina. It wasn’t much compared to the Daedric Warrior, but I was nonetheless grateful to have them.
When it was over, I took to the skies with Rainbow Dash and practiced my flight maneuvers. A huge advantage I would have over the Daedric Warrior would have to be my flight, and I wanted to make sure that my skills were as sharp as they were when I practiced in my sleep. They were, thankfully, and I took delight in soaring through the skies high above Ponyville. After what seemed like hours swooping and swinging my weapons in the air to get a good feel of it, I took another break and noticed that I had been flying and practicing for so long that it was almost four in the afternoon.
I quickly went to my final part of the lesson, magic. Twilight Sparkle had erected a magical force field around a portion of the park so no astray spells would harm any innocent ponies, and I practiced utilizing the fullest capabilities of the gauntlets with Luna, Celestia, and Nightmare Moon. Thankfully the magic here was about the same as in Skyrim: focus on one hand and shoot fire or ice or lightning out of it. The Solar gauntlet could shoot fire and solar energies, while the Lunar focused on lightning and ice. There’s a lot more to it than that, but I am simply unsure how to put it into words.
"Your present armor and weapons should suffice," Celestia concluded by the time I was too tired to continue. "And your present spells should be equal to his. Although if you get injured in battle, you need a way to heal yourself."
That was the part I was the most concerned about. The Daedric weapons in Skyrim were some of the most deadly in the entire game. Even though my armor was highly resistant to all but the strongest magical and physical attacks, I didn't want to take the chance that the weapons of darkness might penetrate my armor. Especially the unique artifacts he must have retrieved from the Dragonborn's body, like the Ebony Blade, Mehrunes' Razor, the Mace of Molag Bal, or Volendrung.
"And I'm assuming we don't have that ability yet?" Twilight spoke up.
"Even if there was some kind of healing spell I could use, real physics are much different from video game physics," I added. "Even potions… I'm sure Zecora’s potions are really something, but the Daedric Warrior likely has the upper hand in quantity and quality."
“I’ll just ask him for some more!” piped up Pinkie.
“What?” Nightmare Moon wheeled to face her. “Asking the enemy for help? That seems to be a very backward-kind of thinking, Pinkie Pie.”
“Hold on,” I said, holding up a finger as if to pause the action. “He actually denied that I was his enemy. He referred to me as a challenge.”
"He doesn't even see you as a person?" Nightmare incredulously exclaimed. "What a white-livered weakling!"
"Even if he doesn't, I'm sure James won't mind," Rarity defended. "Won't you, darling? It means he's less able to harm you."
I gave her a nod and a pointing finger. "What she said. The more of an abstract concept I am to him, the more he'll be willing to make the challenge even."
"Why not try to befriend him?" Twilight suggested. "If he can be turned, he can be a powerful ally."
"Two humans are better than one," Rainbow agreed, flapping lazily in the air on her back.
“I’ll do what I can,” I uncertainly promised. “But he exists only as a challenge to the main player. He already has a goal in mind. I don’t know what I can do to turn him aside from his path. Besides, he said that if I refuse to fight him, he’ll kill you all!”
Celestia furrowed her brow. “He will try.”
“He’ll start with Fluttershy and Gladesong,” I continued, looking the stunning Goddess in the eyes. “And he’ll move to the rest of my friends, and then you all. I can’t allow that to be on my conscious. I have to stop him.”
"What do you think, Pinkie?"
Pinkie didn’t respond. I rotated in place, but she was nowhere to be seen. And given the most recent thing she had said, there was only one place she could have gone.
“Oh, snap,” Twilight whispered.
Oh snap indeed.
But before any of us could do anything more than look around wildly for where she left, the sound of an opening portal reached my ears. I looked to the left of a tree and saw a shimmering violet, swirling abyss materialize. Pinkie Pie bounced through, and she was closely followed by the fully-armored Daedric Warrior.
“...and then I said, ‘Oh, you don’t like that, huh?’ and I aimed the pie right at his face, and--oh, hi, James! Daedric Warrior, meet my friends!”
The Daedric Warrior froze in place upon meeting the collection of ponies. My friends were all looking at him with a strong mix of disapproval and fear. Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon’s horns were all glowing, ready to release the magic building up.
He looked at me and examined me from head to toe, lingering on my wings and the twisting, multicolored mane coming from my helmet. I couldn’t see the expression on his face, but I could only imagine it was the same as mine when I first saw him. Eventually he folded his arms behind his back and simply said, “Impressive armor, Sir James.”
“So,” Celestia managed to say, as level as she could manage. “This is the fabled Ebony Warrior turned Daedric. This moment was fabled to come for years now. This has been the first time in thousands of years that two humans have been in Equestria… but only one of you seeks ill intent.”
The Daedric Warrior inclined his horned helmet at her. “I am. This pink one spoke highly of you, Princess Celestia.”
“Don’t forget everyone else! There’s Luna, and Nightmare Moon, who were technically one and the same at one point, but it’s complicated. And there’s Applejack and Rarity and Rainbow Dash and Twilight-”
“Pinkie,” I cut off. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure!” she announced.
“This pink one tells me that you are in need of healing potions for our duel,” the dark warrior spoke to me, folding his arms in front of him now.
“Forgive her,” I quickly told him. “She can be… impulsive at times. We were just discussing the possibility, however.”
“You’re speaking as if I had refused her offer,” he said, tilting his head.
I blinked. “... You…”
He produced a large pouch tied at his waist and extended it to me. “Ten bottles of Extreme Healing.”
I took the bag. The glass inside clinked and rattled as I jostled it, so I made sure to be careful in handling it. After a breathless moment, I managed to express my gratitude. “Thank you… Warrior.”
He nodded. “It is only fair.” After he took an idle look around, he sighed. “Would you lead me on a walk through this place, Sir James? This town has interested me.”
I set the bag down carefully and turned to face the girls. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Nuh-uh! There is no way we are leaving you alone with this… guy!” Rainbow Dash immediately protested. I could tell that she had omitted the word bad at the last second.
“If James is confident he is safe for the moment, then by all means, let him do this,” Twilight told Rainbow. “He did promise he would befriend him if he got the chance.”
“Besides, he did a favor for me,” I pointed out to her. “It is only fair.” The exact wording of the Daedric Warrior was intentional.
“I swore not to fight him until tomorrow,” the Daedric Warrior finished, and he sounded approving of my choice. “I will keep that promise.”
Most of the girls looked like they were on the verge of protesting my choice. Some of them even opened their mouths as if to protest further. But finally Princess Celestia spoke.
“We will see you back later, then.” The emphasis she put on will seemed to be directed towards the Daedric Warrior.
As I led the Daedric Warrior to the edge of the park, he was eerily quiet. Not even his footsteps made a noise. I inferred he had the Muffle enchantment on him, plus another unknown one. His presence was intimidating, and I felt small next to him. I did, however, manage to speak up.
“What parts of the town do you want to visit?” I asked as we walked.
“Do you have an enchanter’s table, an apothecary, or a blacksmith here?” he asked me.
“No,” I replied.
He sighed. “Then I’ve changed my mind. Let us return.”
Last-minute preparations. I understood completely. We turned and walked back, side by side, slightly disappointed.
I was struck then by the image we must have had to an outsider: two tall humans, one in divine armor and the other in a devil’s, walking as equals among a land of ponies. In my mind, it was almost… poetic.
Before we went too far, he spoke as we walked.
“It’s a quaint village, you know. Like Riverwood.”
“You lived in Riverwood?” I asked, somewhat surprised. No one knew much about this character’s lore. It was anyone’s guess.
“Aye. For some time… before the return of the dragons.”
“What made you move?”
“Tales of adventurers centuries before my time. Prisoners turned heroes, nobodies transformed into legends. Inspiration took hold of me. Why be a merchant or a simple guard when you could be… more? I struck out from that town… and then, two weeks later… Helgen was destroyed.”
As entranced as I was, I couldn’t help but notice a sobered loss in his voice. I knew that tone. I had used it. I had heard others use it.
“Who did you lose?”
He paused just as we reached my personal favorite spot in Ponyville: a pond in the park, with a bench just feet from the edge, that you could throw bread to the fish from. It had an aura of calm and love from it that reminded me of the ponies I had grown to love myself. I paused here as well.
He broke away from my side and came to the bench. Settling himself upon the right side so his sword would have room, he put his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. I watched, interested.
“Elyssa,” he croaked out. He fiddled with the helmet before taking it off and setting it on the grass at his armored feet. With his head exposed, I could see the setting sun glint red off his ebony skin. “A marvel among mortal men. Pale as the moon, and eyes as blue as a grand Soul Gem. Hair the color of a Septim. And a voice sweeter than ale and richer than a king. She… was my everything. She was visiting Helgen to look for our wedding ring, when…”
My heart churned for him. I came to the other side of the bench and sat down beside him, being careful with the way my wing was positioned. Losing the one he loved… it made sense now for him to threaten me by destroying Fluttershy. It was the greatest torment he could comprehend. And I empathized with that notion.
“If Fluttershy had perished and I couldn’t help it, I would have been harrowed up on the inside as well,” I murmured.
He gave me a look that I took to mean he was thinking of his earlier threat. “And when all goes to Oblivion, would you lay down and die, Sir James? Or do you have the will to continue living?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied, and I meant it. “I’ve done many brave things, but there have been times when I didn’t know I had the strength to… to keep going.”
He nodded. “I know that feeling.” He sat up straighter. “I wasn’t sure of my own strength after her death either. But then I heard tell that… there was a way to avenge her.”
“The Dragonborn?”
He nodded again. “Upon hearing he had returned, I trailed the same paths he took to aid in his endeavor to destroy the dragons. I spent most of my time searching for Word Walls and battling the creatures that led me there. Whenever I heard wind that the Dragonborn had used his Thu’um, I sent a message telling him of a new location, to help him grow in strength. The Dragonborn was my good friend, and a good man. I was sure my final honor was to be slain by him.” He exhaled through his nose. “But no.”
“When will it end?” I asked.
“I’m an outsider,” he reflected. “All I am is a man searching for the perfect end to a meaningful life. You seem to have it all, though. You can die a peaceful death, surrounded by those you love.”
“I won’t say I’m unsatisfied,” I replied. “This, here--it’s a paradise compared to my previous life.”
He played with his armored fingers before he looked up and directly into my eyes. “A paradise, hmm? You’ve been hurt,” he murmured. His white eyes dug deep into my soul. “Who did it to you?”
“I’ve been hurt by many people,” I answered, unsettled at my rapidly growing connection with him. “You won’t be the first.”
“Mmm.” He nodded. “I don’t want to hurt you, though. You’re a rare kind of person, James. Strong, but only when you need to be. Vulnerable, but powerful, and modest all over. If all men were like you, humanity wouldn’t be quite so unbearable.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. Hearing it from a pony was one thing, but having another human say it was another. So I blinked hard and smiled. “Thank you, Daedric Warrior.”
He smiled back, but had nothing more to say. He returned his attention to the pond in front of him, and, with not much on my mind either, I followed his gaze and stared into the place I loved the most.
We stayed like this for some time. Just watching the smooth surface of the empty pond be broken by small ripples. We had nothing to be said to each other. All the while the sun was setting in the distance, and we didn’t speak a word.
Eventually, however, I broke the silence. “Did you know that the sunset is something the princesses orchestrate?”
He seemed interested in that. “Oh?”
“Celestia and Luna control the rising and setting of the moon and sun, and Nightmare Moon controls the dreams of the ponies in this land. It’s very much like the Aedra and Daedra in your land.”
“Wow,” he whispered. “I never would have…” He was at a loss for words. He did manage to struggle out a simple, impacting phrase. “This is a beautiful place.”
“I don’t want to see it destroyed.”
“I’ll remember this moment in Sovngarde when I reunite with Elyssa, James.”
“I don’t want to send you there, Warrior,” I somberly told him. “I know why you want me to, but I would not feel like the same person if I did.”
“No man is ever himself after he takes his first life,” he intoned. “Whoever enjoys that sort of thing is either a liar or a madman.”
I was struck with a question when he finished. If he viewed life as precious, then why was I… “Warrior, am I… more than simply a challenge in your eyes?”
“Yes. But to call you anything else would mean I would miss you when I leave.”
I knew the truth of his words, because that was how I felt as well.
The Daedric Warrior rose from his seat and offered his hand to me. “Let us be off. You have more training to do, certainly.”
I took his hand (it was warm and meshed well with my gauntlet, I observed) and stood up as well. “What will you do?”
“Wait for you.” His left gauntlet suddenly held a ball of coiling blue and violet energy, which I moved away from. He pointed it away from me and cast the spell, and it solidified into a tall, stable portal--which wasn’t in the main game, I knew, but I wouldn’t put past to exist in The Elder Scrolls.
“Until tomorrow, James,” came his sober farewell. “To Sovngarde one of us must go.”
And, stepping into it, he vanished, and the conjuration spell faded away.
Undocumented
At the base of the mighty mountain, the warrior in black was sitting patiently on a rock with his hands on his knees. Having just arrived, he paused for a moment to take in the green scenery around him with an invested interest.
After he had his fill of the Equestrian landscape, he drew out the Waking Dreams Black Book and opened to the first page. The swirling words on the page drifted off the paper and coiled around his neck, then solidified into thick green tentacles that pulled him in…
And he was in his master’s realm of Oblivion, at the summit of Apocrypha.
Miraak’s moldy skeleton was in a jumbled pile off to the side of the main pedestal, and all around him in a circle were mystic symbols that represented the Tamrielic Zodiac. The green air was humid and heavy, and faraway places were distorted and rippled in the hot, wet atmosphere.
After adjusting himself, the Daedric Warrior lifted his head. “Master Hermaeus! I need your help!”
In front of him appeared a mass of popping bubbles, which soon became not bubbles, but beady black eyes, and it was all surrounding one giant, slowly-blinking eye. Tentacles drifted out from the center like it was suspended in water. It was all a dark green color, like swamp water or mold.
“Yyeesss… my championnn?” came the yawning, sleep-inducing voice of the Daedric Lord of knowledge.
“I need to learn more about this James,” he said. “I… am reluctant to challenge him, or ask him to end my mortal journey. He is a good man.”
“Oh?” came the abrupt answer from Hermaeus Mora. “Yyyou would… be ssshhocked… at how much… you do not know.”
“And that is why I seek your aid, Master,” he replied. “If I am to die at his hands, I need to learn as much as I can about him. How does he operate? What are his strengths? His weaknesses?”
Mora blinked, slowly, slowly. “You will find… only pain… if you delve into… those mysteries…”
“I need to know, Mora. That’s why I came to you in the first place. I need. To know.”
For his answer, a thick tentacle erupted from the tower floor beneath his feet, clutching a gnawed, old book in its coiled grasp. The Daedric Warrior ripped the book from its grip and opened the book to a random page, flipping to the sections that stood out to him.
“Now, then. His fighting style… mostly defensive, sword and shield technique. Great at the combination. Good at one-handed and two-handed styles, as well. Hmm. The design of the shield is such that he can use a shield and a two-handed weapon. That will put me at a disadvantage if I try to match him.” He flipped to a new page. “What kinds of weapons?... Ah. The Celestial Sword. Remarkably similar to the mighty Dawnbreaker, in both shape and fiery power. No surprise there, given it was forged by the Solar Diarch. Oh, and there’s the Lunar Shield. Can block spells like Peryite’s Spellbreaker. Light but stronger than dragon bone. Powerful, given it was forged by a goddess. I doubt if even Mehrunes’ Razor can pierce it. And those wings on his armor… ah, they do indeed work. He could swoop out of range and down a potion if he needed it. And that full set can block almost any physical or magical attack. Making him bleed won’t be easy, even if I used something like the Mace of Molag Bal.” He turned to the next page. “Magic styles… Mastery of Destruction spells. Fire, ice, and lightning are all at their peak. Even with the magic-resistant armor the Dragonborn had, I’ll have to watch out for those spells. Alteration is also high, but only in telekinesis. Little or no experience with Conjuration, Illusion, or Restoration. He must have grand magical potential in him, but his pool of spells is small. Something I can use to my advantage.” He turned to the next page, and he almost instantly registered bafflement.
“...Lord Mora,” he said after a moment of observation, “What is the Element of Humanity? Is it a soul gem like Azura’s Star?”
“The Elementsss… of Harrrmonyyy…” came Mora’s sleepy, syrupy voice. “Its power… is unnndeniably… strong…”
“What are they?” he pressed him.
“Powerful… artifacts… that have been the downfall… of mmmany a tyrant… Six there once were… but the seventh… is James’ parrrt…”
“Six Elements… Seven including James…” The Daedric Warrior pondered on it. Who could they be? They had to be strong in spirit. Turning his attention back to the book and reading closer, he spotted what they represented. Honesty. Kindness. Laughter. Generosity. Loyalty. And, out of all things, Magic.
At first, Magic seemed out of place, but as the Daedric Warrior reminded himself, James had told him that Friendship was Magic. Perhaps that was a code for this final Element: not just magic, but instead friendship.
Friends… friends… Who were James’ friends? The pink one, Pinkie Pie, had introduced them to him. Applejack, Fluttershy--James’ wife--Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle.
The friends of the Element of Humanity were six. There were six other Elements.
“Aahh!” came the sound of sly realization. “Those are the bearers! And his combined friends give him the power of the seventh!”
He flipped to other pages in the book, eager to find what he was looking for: the friendships of James. Perhaps it might give him strength and confidence.
The Daedric Warrior saw James arrive in Ponyville. He saw his friendships with the Mane Six blossom in a matter of days. He saw him and Fluttershy meet, and five days later, fall in love. Then it escalated very quickly the following day.
The Daedric Warrior furrowed his eyebrows in disdain. Elyssa had been saving herself for him. And it was taken away from him. But James did it almost instantly? He sighed and moved on.
He skimmed past many, many events in the two or three years he had been in Equestria. But some stood out to him. Meeting the princesses and having all three of them fall for him in different levels, which was utter dung. Even worse, he reciprocated that love in the same manner in which it was given! The longer he went, the more disgusted he became. Slowly the scales were lifted from his eyes, and the veil of understanding was rent in twain. An entirely different man than what he professed to be was lurking like a Slaughterfish under the surface.
James could do no wrong. If anyone disagreed with him, he was either a bad guy and was instantly reprimanded, or he was quickly shown the error of his ways and humbled to acknowledge his goodness. The Daedric Warrior saw this most notably in Diamond Tiara, Nightmare Moon, and snobbish nobility like Prince Blueblood and Jet Set and Upper Crust. Every single other pony he met clung to him and proclaimed his or her undying love for James, the almighty human, the one that showed everyone who to not mess with! He changed their lives for the better, and without him, everyone would be worse off! Literally everybody: not just the six mares of his camaraderie and every single princess, but an uncountable horde of others: Cadence, Shining Armor, Fancy Pants, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Rainbow Dash’s parents, Spike, Derpy, Lyra Heartstrings, Smoulder, Maud Pie, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Button Mash, Mitta, Saffron Massala, to name a fraction.
Not to mention the masterful fact that, apart from his skills in battle, towards his friends, he was… nice! He was nice! That was enough, right?!
But the most revolting of all was that most of these mares… were inexplicably sexually attracted to to this milk-drinker! While he was loyal only to Elyssa, he pranced about gathering fawning adoration from just about every mare he came across! It was like some perverted, sick fantasy he could only dream up of. It made him even sicker when he discovered that he had had sex in some way with at least four of them--Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Celestia, and kept on calling every mare that crossed his path the most beautiful pony he had ever seen. ‘I love you! No, actually I love you! No, no, I love her most of all! No, no, it’s her! I just love everyone! Applaud for me! Applaud! But I’m supposed to be modest, so please, do it discreetly.’ Worst of all, he covered it all up with a false pretense--an excuse!--that he just had sooo much love for everyone that he can break every commitment to his future wifey and it was all okay! It was as big of a lie as saying the dragons hadn’t returned. But everyone was okay with it! And he kept straddling the line, too, between what kind of lifestyle he should lead. Should I be a pimp? Or a married man? Why not both? I’m living the best of both worlds, and it works! It just works! Not everyone has the same capacity to love as I do, so it’s understandable that you’re jealous of my prizes and my multiple lovers and my success in everything I touch, but trust me! It all works!
A flame caught the edges of the book as his Magicka traveled into his fingertips and boiled into fire. The whole thing soon was flaming as his unbridled hatred became manifest, and with a roar, he swirled his arms and raised them high above his head before slamming it into the top of Apocrypha.
A flood of flame rushed out and covered the entire surface before coiling over the side. The sigils of the Zodiac were snuffed out of existence as the Firestorm spell took effect. But in only a few seconds, the flame disappeared, and only he was left on top, with scorched earth underneath him.
He was left panting and heaving, the images in the book burned into his mind. His armored fists were curling and uncurling, shaking like they were about to wring someone’s neck.
“I… wwwaaarned yyyooou…” came the interested but tired voice of Mora.
The Daedric Warrior paid no heed. Other thoughts were running through his head. James was not at all the noble person he professed to be! After the connection they seemed to have! He was a cheating, thieving, manipulative snake!
“The plan’s changed,” the Daedric Warrior whispered.
“Oh?” came Mora.
“I don’t deserve to go out at the hands of him!” he hissed. “You didn’t say he was such scum!”
“I… ooonly promised… you would meet a waaarior worthy of your equal,” came his tired drawl.
“He is beneath me!” he declared, a hand on his wicked sword hilt as spit flew from his mouth and into his visor. “He lied and whispered away so many into believing his false graces! And he’ll pay for it by drowning in blood!”
“You cannot… harm him,” Mora sleepily replied.
“It won’t be his blood he’ll be drowning in,” the Daedric Warrior swore darkly.
Mora’s single central eye widened.
