Author's Note

Family Guy reference in this chapter...and I'm not ashamed of it.

Chapter 2: Ruling and Learning

(Twilight’s Castle)

The group approached the newly ‘built’ castle and marveled at its construction. The building seemed to have a type of construction that borrowed from Nordic building style, but seemed to have some local influence, all of it mixed with ‘veins’ of soul gem-like crystal.

Entering the castle, a set of stairs led up to an entry hall area. The center of the room was a fire pit that held a cold fire in it, lighting up the room with a warm blue glow. To its sides were two tables with seats arranged near them. Each one had a crystal symbol placed above the seat’s back.

Five of the chairs’ symbols were matched to the cutie marks of the five friends of Twilight. The remaining two had the Imperial Dragon symbol while the other had a Skull in a Vortex symbol, seeming to represent Ruby and Garnet (at least to them). As the related ponies approached their designated chairs, Twilight looked between the two tables and was disappointed.

“Where’s my chair?” She asked, her ears lowered in sadness as she looked at the floor.

Ruby gently lifted Twilight’s head up so she could see the ‘Jarl’s throne’ with a large crystal starburst on the wall above it. “I believe that is your chair.”

Twilight’s eyes widened a bit. “I...wha...but...I want to sit with my friends.” She lightly complained.

Celestia approached Twilight and spoke. “No one is stopping you from doing so in private time, but as a Princess, it is yours to use.”

“But, me on a throne? That’ll just make it seem like I’m above everyone else and will use my power.” Twilight said, frowning at the idea.

“That you will be, but don’t think of it as a position of power.” Garnet consoled. “Think of it more like a position of responsibility.”

“Position of responsibility?” Twilight asked in slight confusion.

“A soldier on a tower is given both great power and great responsibility.” Luna said, giving encouragement. “While he or she is up there, they are mostly unsupervised, but have a responsibility to keep watch. Abuse of their freedom, or ‘power’, can harm others because of shirking their responsibilities.”

“And a ruler has similar power and responsibility.” Ruby said. “You have the power to act and command as you wish, but you have a responsibility to use that power for the good of those you rule.”

“But, I can’t do this ruling on my own.” Twilight said. “I know next to nothing about ruling and I’ve never found any books on how to do so.”

Celestia giggled at Twilight’s mini-freakout. “You think that Luna and I rule the night and day respectively on our own with no help?” She asked while trying to hold back further laughs. “We both have a shared council, as well as an assistant and a personal guard force. Delegation is there for a reason.”

“Your friends can make up your council.” Luna pointed out. “Spike already fills your assistant role, and we can see about getting a guard-”

“Luna, I appreciate the help, but I want to ease into doing Princess stuff.” Twilight interrupted. “So, no guard force...at least for now.”

Celestia giggled again. “Why the sudden change in attitude?”

“It’s starting to get obvious that I won’t be able to get out of being a Princess.” Twilight answered, getting the white Alicorn to giggle again. “It’s just that, I want to be approachable, so no guards...for now at least.”

Celestia’s eyes twinkled a bit before she nodded. “Then until you see fit, no guards.” She proclaimed. “Now, take your position among the Alicorn Royalty. Princess Twilight, the Princess of Friendship.”

The newly formed Friendship Council and the many ponies that saw and heard the proclamation began to cheer for Twilight as she took her seat on her throne. She gave a nod to the ponies and they began to go back to their daily lives. She then turned to the two Argonians and spoke. “And I think it’s time for all of us to introduce ourselves.” Her stomach growled loudly. “After we’ve had a good dinner.”

(One BIG Meal of Apple Cabbage Stew later)

“I have to say, having a simple meal is a pretty good relief.” Celestia said as she finished off her bowl of stew. “Eating gourmet day in and day out gets boring real fast.”

“Still, it could have been prepared with more than just salt.” Rarity critiqued. “Maybe a hint of cinnamon?”

“I don’t know why you’re grumbling about the food.” Garnet said as she eagerly spooned the last of her stew into her mouth. “This stew is actually better than what Ruby normally prepares.”

“And that’s saying something, since most of my cooking is survival based.” She said as she finished her fourth bowl and got ready to start her fifth. “Come to think of it, the apples and cabbages seemed more fresh and clean, while the salt seemed more pure than what I had to use.”

“Speaking of that, where do you two come from and how did you get here?” Luna asked after she finished her second serving. “I’m sure if you had come in from one of the port cities, some gossip or rumors would have spread about you two arriving in Equestria.”

Garnet gave a sad sigh before speaking. “It’s not a pleasant story, our arrival, but we can save that for last. Where we both come from is the world of Nirn, the continent of Tamriel.”

“The countries of Cyrodill, and Skyrim mostly.” Ruby added. “The first is the seat of an Empire and where we were raised. The other, the ancestral homeland of the Nords.”

“Who rules these countries?” Twilight asked, as she was attempting to write everything they were saying while eating.

“Emperor Tidus Mede II rules the Empire, while High Queen Elisif the Fair rules the whole of Skyrim and the province of Haafingar in Skyrim.” Garnet said. “Not that it will be important.”

“What do you mean?” Applejack asked. “I mean, you’ll head back there at some point, right? Maybe show us around?”

Ruby sighed and shook her head slightly. “It’s not that simple, nor easy. The way we got here, it was a one-way trip.”

Fluttershy spoke up. “Well, I’m sure Twilight can try to research how to-”

“It’s not that we don’t want to go back, it’s that the reality of the world we came from probably can’t accept us back.” Garnet explained.

“First off, for context, do you have dragons here?” Ruby asked. Everyone nodded, while Spike puffed his chest out in pride. “Well, I’m not sure what they are like here, but there, their very voices can twist the world to their whims...and Garnet and I were facing a virtual god of destruction level of power type of dragon. Alduin, the World Eater.”

“Ruby and I chased him from the tallest peak in Tamriel to the very glorious fields of Sovngarde, the Nordic afterlife.” Garnet recounted. “After many battles and with aid from the glorious dead, Ruby struck down our foe and freed our world from the End Times.”

“But with his dying breath, Alduin uttered three words of power and we were banished from Nirn to…” Ruby paused, looking at the group.

“The world of Equis, the country of Equestria.” Celestia provided.

“Here...and now our destinies are to be here now.”

“Adventuring, doing menial tasks, and generally helping save the world.” Garnet finished.

“Sounds like a type of Daring Do novel come to life!” Rainbow said with an excited flutter of her wings.

“Are there any...distinguishing features of your world that can be worth knowing?” Twilight asked.

“I can think of two big things.” Garnet answered. “One is…” She suddenly stopped, her eyes starting to dilate and contract rapidly between each other. Her neck, arms, and tail suddenly started twisting in odd, unnatural directions.

Everyone, except Ruby, reacted to Garnet’s bodily contortions in mostly negative ways. Celestia and Luna lit their horns, ready with healing spells. The Council either fainted, freaked out, or even vomited in disgust. Twilight could only stare in horror at what was happening.

“Time since last bout: 10 weeks. A new record.” Ruby said as she stood up and pulled out a “multi-faced” staff from behind herself and charged up it’s tip. “Stand back! I don’t want anyone to get hit.”

Discord looked at the staff with concern. “That staff...EVERYONE HIT THE DIRT!!!” He shouted, grabbing Fluttershy and Rarity in his mismatched arms and dove through a bag of potting soil and to the floor. Everyone else followed suit, minus the potting soil, and dove to the floor.

Ruby launched a red orb of magic at Garnet from the staff, causing her body to stop convulsing and to go back the way it was...for a moment. Her form then began glowing bright red and shifted to a thin but big chinned man in a red shirt and blue jeans. Man-Garnet looked around the room before 'his' eyes landed on Ruby...or more specifically, her generous size. 'He' then smiled and started 'singing' and 'dancing', almost as if trying to impress her in a ridiculous way.

Giggity giggity giggity giggity,

Ooo eee, Ooo ah ah, ting tang

Walla walla, bing bang,

Ooo eee, Ooo ah ah, ting tang

Walla walla bing bang!

At the last word, Man-Garnet tripped and fell backwards down the entry hall stairs, banging ‘his’ head on some of the crystal braziers as ‘he’ fell. Upon reaching the bottom, ‘Man-Garnet’ shifted back into Garnet with a flash of red light, and was left sprawled on the floor.

“And that is why you don’t mess with Daedric Princes, if you can help it.” Ruby said as she walked down to where Garnet laid.

“Pot calling the kettle black.” Garnet muttered as Ruby helped her up.

“Okay, I’ll admit, I killed a man at the beckoning of Mehrunes Dagon, all for a stupid dagger.” Ruby admitted, causing the others in the room to gasp in shock. “But can you blame me, since I have the blood of a dragon in me? You on the other hand-”

“I stumbled upon Sheogorath and bumped into a madman in the Solitude Sewers with Jyggalag’s artifact.” Garnet countered. “And you were told by Meridia to cleanse her temple...not that any blame towards who started Daedra worship first is important, since you openly admitted to murder.”

Ruby seemed to freeze in fear before turning back towards the group. “Umm…”

“I think there is more to this murder than what we are hearing.” Celestia observed. “Maybe you can give us the details we’re lacking.”

“I’m also kinda curious about what you meant about dragon blood in you.” Twilight said as she finished up a few bits of her notes. “And I mean no offence, but you look more like lizards than dragons.”

“No offence taken.” Garnet said. “Also, the ‘more draconic’ one is Ruby, and we’re Argonians, not lizards. Thankfully, you met us and not other Argonians, as being called a lizard is considered an insult and most aren’t very forgiving.”

“Sorry!” Twilight quickly apologized.

“You’re forgiven.” Ruby said. “Anyway...the Daedric Princes we’ve encountered, and my dragon blood. Hmm...how to start.”

“Start with you being Dragonborn.” Garnet suggested. “It’ll make the murder you did at Dagon’s urging make more sense.”

“Okay...now, once again, I’m not familiar with what dragons are like here, but back on Nirn, they are very violent and always have thoughts of domination and power.” Ruby explained. “And I am one of very few individuals that is blessed or cursed (depending on how you view it) with the blood and soul of a dragon.”

“As for the murder, it started out as a little task to gather the dagger shards for a museum.” Garnet continued. “After gathering the shards, we decided to petition Dagon to repair the dagger. That was where things went wrong.”

“Who’s Dagon?” Twilight asked.

“Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Revolution, Change, and Destruction. He nearly destroyed Nirn a century or two before we were born.” Garnet said.

“Anyway, Dagon told me of the dagger’s power and said I could have it IF I killed the guy who hired me to find the pieces.” Ruby said with regret in her voice. “The guy tried to plead for his life, but my dragonic blood could only see the power that the dagger would give me.”

“And that is one of the many times that my sister did something with draconic impulse.” Garnet said. “And I can say I’m not much better. Heck, I practice a rare form of Necromancy and while I manage to keep it under control and under wraps, I can be prone to fits of anger, thanks to one bad deal with the Ideal Masters.”

“Your stories and skills are things to be concerned about.” Celestia commented. “However, I can look past your misdeeds for a few reasons. One, the murder happened in your world and I’m sure you have a little better control over your draconic side. As for the second, while you do practice your ‘Unique Necromancy’, if you can keep it under control and only use the souls of those who are evil, I will allow it.”

“I thought you hated Necromancy, Celestia.” Twilight said, Luna giving a bit of an agreeing nod.

“I do...if it is used to harm or control others.” Celestia explained. “The same could be said about everything in life. Remember the Want-it, Need-it spell incident?”

“Don’t remind us.” Applejack said.

“It isn’t a proud moment for us either.” Pinkie shivered, recalling the chaos that incident brought.

“Well, the spell was meant to keep troublemakers in line, mostly children.” Celestia said. “However, when cast incorrectly, or with sinister intentions...well, you saw the results.”

“Should we even ask?” Ruby asked

“NO!” Twilight and her friends shouted.

A brief moment of silence filled the room before everyone started laughing for a bit. When everyone calmed down, Celestia stood, Luna and Discord following suit. “Well, Luna and I need to head back to Canterlot to run damage control and relief efforts. Discord...not sure about him, but from his perspective, it’s important. I’ll be back in a week to help with citizenship forms and oaths.” The three beings then vanished in a flash of light.