Ch.17

[Fredas, 16th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

“Rainbow, I tried to tell you that I didn’t need it now, but I needed it as soon as tomorrow.” Twilight chided her friend, who had already apologized sheepishly to me for scaring me and interrupting my time with my daughter, thus she was rather downtrodden for jumping the gun.

“Whatever, I’m here now and my daughter is with someone she knows and I think is trustworthy. Here.” I reached into my satchel and retrieved the colorfully encased scroll before handing the weighty thing to the secret alicorn. “I’m guessing that was next on my to-do questline from you?”

“Yes. I was going to task you with infiltrating the Imperial Library and liberating one of the three Equestrian Scrolls that the Empire had stolen from us at spearpoint, citing some patriotic drivel about how all Elder Scrolls belong in the Imperial Palace due to their historical and prophetic importance. Either way, only one of the stolen Scrolls ended up in their library, but that can wait until later.” Twilight sniffed me and she blushed. “Uh...I sense that you’ve become rather intimate with Rarity.” Ugh, I need to carry perfume or something.

“What’s new? She’s Rare’s type.” Rainbow snorted with a roll of her eyes and I leered at her.

“Can we please not?” We heard Berserker say when he entered with Shade in his arms, my little girl all tuckered out from the day’s adventures. “And may I get an abridged version of what you are all planning on doing, please?”

“Uh...bridge what?” Rainbow asked as she looked at Twilight, who rubbed her temples in a long-suffering manner.

“A short, simple version with more than enough information condensed to understand.” Berserker briefly explained the terminology, but I think a couple of those words were still too big for Rainbow, but she nodded in comprehension anyway.

“Alright, since you share a similar anomalous spatial signature as Meen-Rei and Shade, I can assume you’ll be involved at least tangentially. We’re replanting the Tree of Harmony to replace the fallen Crystal-Like-Law as well as the shattered original Tree of Harmony that replaced Crystal-Like-Law briefly as a Tower. If we don’t, our reality will cease to exist and linear time will collapse.” Twilight laid out for us all and I nodded to Berserker in wordless confirmation.

“Do you have the Seed of Harmony?” Berserker’s question felt a bit redundant, but then again did the Tree of Harmony from my previous world even have a seed in the beginning?

“Yep. It’s been planted in the central courtyard with protective runes and all sorts of fancy magic writing. Together with Mellow Cake’s fertilizer, it’s already sprouting.” Rainbow answered since that was something she could provide.

“That ‘fancy magic writing’ is a modern interpretation of the original Ehlnofex. I’ve explained this to you several times just yesterday when you kept asking about it.” Twilight groaned and Rainbow’s ears wilted at her friend’s frustration with her lack of comprehension.

“Twilight, calm down, this is your friend Rainbow Dash. You know she’s not into long-winded lectures of magic. Give her time, she’ll learn to appreciate it on her own terms.” Wow, that was wise and nice of him to say.

“Sorry Rainbow. It’s just been such a long couple of days and there’s still more work ahead of us.” Twilight rubbed her eyes, the bags under her eyelids and shadows surrounding them evident enough to notice.

“Hm, so is there anything else?” I asked as Twilight's gaze lingered on my chest.

“Nothing important. Just be careful with those potential smother-hazards on your chest. I’d suggest you try sleeping on your front until you gain full control over your size.” Twilight commented, but I think I saw her rubbing something in her robes before she went back to her work.

“C’mon, let’s leave them be. We’re not needed here anymore.” Berserker suggested, but I stopped him with a raised hand.

“Wait, first, Twilight, please tell Berserker what a Lilmothiit is.” I requested in the hopes this roundabout hint would help us figure things out.

“The fox-people? What about them?” As soon as Twilight said that, Berserker started to act strange. First his head lowered down, as if bowing in prayer. Then he collapsed on the floor with a heavy thud.

“Berserker?!” I gasped in shock, quickly rushing to his side and pulling Shade out from under him when she awoke from the fall.

“Owie~. My head.” Shade mewled as she rubbed her head. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I had Twilight say what a Lilmothiit is, then he fell the next moment.” I told my little hatchling while Rainbow Dash came over and turned the unconscious man on his back.

“Hng! Can’t get his armor off!” Rainbow gritted her teeth as she tried to pry Berserker’s armor off. However, the Doomguy was enwrapped in chains the next moment, causing us to back away from him. The next thing we knew, Berserker was being electrocuted!

“Everyone, get away from him!” Twilight ordered as she used her magic to pull us away. “I think something might have tried to possess him!” This was proven when Berserker started talking, only his voice was distorted and spoke in a language I didn’t understand. This was met with more shocking and more grunts of pain.

“Berserker.” Shade sniffled in my arms as I shielded her eyes from the self-inflicted torture until it finally stopped with black smoke rising out of his body that faded away into nothingness.

“By the Gods.” Twilight muttered in horror as she moved towards the man’s body. Berserker was lying still with no signs of consciousness. Twilight knelt down next to the man and removed his helmet only to get shocked. “Ow!”

“Hey, don’t do that!” Rainbow rushed over to the Arch-mage's side and inspected her hands. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Rainbow.” Twilight assured the guard. “Can’t say the same for him.”

“What could’ve possessed him and what’s with the chains?” Rainbow questioned.

“I don’t know, Rainbow. I think those chains are a failsafe. We’re left in the dark until he comes back. However, I am certain of one thing: someone or something tried to silence him from revealing details about Meen-Rei’s old life. Wherever he’s from, this probably wouldn’t happen. But here, he’s vulnerable.”

“What?” I whined as I knelt next to Berserker.

“Okay, so now what?” Rainbow asked as she helped Twilight back up, taking a hold of the helmet as she looked at it curiously.

“For now, we let him rest and recover. We’ll continue on until he’s up and moving again. Tomorrow morning though, I want to hold a meeting for us to discuss some things, including what happened here today.” Twilight elaborated as she effortlessly picked Berserker up in her magic like he weighed nothing at all. “C’mon, let’s get him to Mellow.”

“Okay.” I mewled, worried about what would happen to Palu or Victor if I summoned them if the Doom Marines were harmed like this. “Should I even try summoning those I used to know?”

“I’d rather you didn’t. If what happened to Berserker is of any indication, it wouldn’t be wise to summon any other person who has a connection to you from your past. Let’s keep it to him, until we know for certain.” Twilight rebuked my pondering and I could see the wisdom in it, even if I didn’t like it.

📜

[Loredas, 17th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

“So that’s what happened last night.” Neethsi murmured after Twilight explained the events to everyone. Shade wanted to be with Berserker, but we couldn’t allow it.

“So Meen-Rei is cursed?” Applejack asked before Fluttershy elbowed the blunt mare.

“It’s complicated. Right now we need to plan our next move and be on the lookout. Berserker’s little ‘episode’ may have drawn attention to us. He’s very vulnerable since he’s new here and doesn’t really know much about our world. So I’m going to see if I can do something about his armor.” Twilight replied with a sigh before looking my way. “Meen-Rei, could you tell us how you summoned him here?”

“With this.” I said pulling out the Token, but something was different with it. It’s markings were no longer red. “Uh, hello?” I spoke to the coin, hoping for a reply. Nothing. I tried summoning one of the other Doom Marines, still nothing. “Something’s wrong, I can’t summon anyone else.”

“What does that mean for the big guy?” Rainbow asked.

“He can’t return home.” Neethsi answered with a hiss. “Whatever’s doing this wants to finish the job. Berserker’s more than likely a threat to it, as to how I do not know. My experience with planar travel is limited to between Oblivion and Mundus.”

“Is he trustworthy?” My tail flickered in agitation when Diane had the gall to ask such a question. How could she say that when Berserker is my only hope of fully remembering who and what I was before all of this?!

“While I understand your reasons, Pinkie, he’s not the enemy. He’s connected to Meen-Rei in some way and he has way too many wards on that armor of his. I don’t want to tamper with any of them in case they blow up in our face. If it makes you feel better, Berserker will be put under my watch. He’ll understand why.” Twilight suggested, to which Diane nodded her head.

“I’m sorry Berserker.” I muttered to myself in guilt.

“If it’s alright, I would like to see him.” Rarity spoke up, surprising everyone. “I’ll admit, while I’ve only just met him yesterday, he has gifted me Generously with something that will help with my, ahem, condition.” She said with a blush, the other’s jaws dropped in disbelief. “Oh, don’t look at me like that! He was only helping me, nothing too serious beyond that.”

“Well, that was...very nice of him to do for you.” Twilight quickly replied awkwardly.

“If it’s all the same; I, too, would like to see this man. I want to see what makes him special.” That’s one way of putting it, Neethsi.

“Okay then. Wasn’t he in your room, Twilight?” I asked the Arch-mage.

“Yes, but the first thing I want from you is more sap, Meen-Rei. Berserker is under good care here, you don’t have to worry for his health. If anything comes up, we’ll inform you.” Twilight told me as she picked me up with her magic. “Neethsi, go fetch her daughter and take her out about town would you? Show her what it's like to live here since she’s not a native.”

“Hey, why can’t I see Berserker?!” I yelped as I was carried out by force in her magic.

“Because he is in a magical coma and things could’ve taken a turn for the worse. I have town guards on him, wards and other defenses in case he wakes in a ‘berserking’ rage. I don’t need you triggering him into that state. He’s lucky he’s not in Star Swirl Eye, which is a prison miles offshore for powerful magical objects. Right now I am hoping that when he wakes, whatever tried to take him over has passed. I can’t be sure a Prince isn’t trying something.” Twilight said grimly with a severe look at me, considering I’ve had numerous encounters with Princes.

“I-I see.” I accepted as I wilted in her magical grasp. Those were all reasonable reasons.

“Good. Now, you are going to give us the last of the sap we need, then I’m sending you off to get us some ingredients of a potion that might help me discern whether Berserker is being manipulated by a Prince or not.” Twilight said as she placed me on the milking table.

“Okay, so you’ll still let me help?” I asked as the magical cups were placed on my heavy sap filled bosom. I shivered at the feeling of my tits being squeezed and milked, sap pulsing through my nipples into the tanks for the new Crystal Tower to use for nutrition.

“Yes. I have some Students also looking into it. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out and I’ll keep you updated.” Twilight told me before leaving me to be milked.

Great. Well, at least I know he’s guarded and not going to have his throat slit in his sleep. This allowed me to relax and let the pleasure of the milking help me enter a zen state of pleasure and rest.

📜

[Sundas, 18th of Sun’s Height, 4E: 221]

I walked through town watching as ponies, argonians and others bustled and toiled around, doing chores and buying provisions for the week. Not much was interesting other than my ever present shadow Neethsi walking about with Shade on his shoulders. The little thing had begged the Naga for a piggyback ride for an hour now and the giant finally relented. I found it rather amusing.

“There’s so much up here!” Shade cheered as she looked around.

“Yes, yes. Now Meen-Rei, we are in need of potion ingredients aren’t we? What do we need?” Neethsi asked while he ignored all of the approving glances from people of both sexes and all species present for how he humored who they probably assumed was his hatchling.

“Gold Dust, Torch Bug Thorax, Ice Wraith Teeth and I think this says Eye of Saber Cat.” I read out from the list Twilight had given me. She is brilliant, but her writing is hard to read. Also, I didn’t know Gold was used in alchemy. The hardest things to get here are Ice Wraith Teeth and the Saber Cat Eye since those are native to Skyrim.

“We’ll need to go to the port and find an importer for half of the ingredients since some of those are from Skyrim.” Neethsi sighed after he mirrored my thoughts as he looked about the plaza.

“That means it’s going to cost more right?” I groaned since we were left with little options on how to obtain the ingredients. Neethsi nodded as he wove through the crowd, my little girl looking at everyone as we walked.

“Yes, though remember I am helping you with the pay.” Neethsi reminded me as he held up his pouch of currency or at least the one he was bothering to carry out of the Haven Bag.

“Right, do you see the shop?” I asked as I looked about to see where I could find an importer.

“End of the Plaza, near to the docks.” Neethsi said when he pointed at a sign with a ship. “It’s easy to spot them if they have such a sign at a port city or town. Memorize them.”

“I see.” I hummed with a look around at the signs for tailors, barbers, bookstores and several stands selling food. “Hm, let’s try the bookstore first. It wouldn’t hurt to have some knowledge on hand.”

“Alright, just watch out for copies of The Lusty Argonian Maid.” Neethsi told me as we made our way towards the bookstore.

“Surely they wouldn’t have that kind of book, would they? I mean, would it really make that much money?” I asked in confusion. I mean, it’s a lewd stage play, sure, but really?

“It’s a thirteen part series and sells well, mostly to nords and those in Cyrodiil.” Neethsi continued and then smiled faintly. “It’s fairly popular among all who find argonian females even mildly attractive. Crassius Curio was a shameless horndog who dutifully studied argonians to ensure he got every minute detail of their physiology as correct as possible.”

“Really?” I have to wonder how he knows that. The bookstore was rather cozy and organized, not to the same level as Rarity’s, but close enough. “Wow, this place isn’t half bad.”

“Ah, welcome.” The store’s clerk greeted us with a short bow, a beautiful nord woman with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. “How may I help you today?”

“Hello, we are looking for a copy of Song of the Alchemists. Do you have any in store?” I inquired while wondering why Twilight needed an old Dwemer book on fairy tales.

“Yes, we do. Follow me, please.” As requested, we followed towards the section of books containing alchemy books. “Any particular reason why?”

“The Arch-Mage wanted these items in order to make a potion as well as the book for a reference for some reason.” I answered, showing her the ingredients on the paper.

“Ah.” The clerk nodded her head as she looked for the specific book. “Here you are ma’am.” The pretty nord lady said as she brought down the thick blue tome. I faintly remember that it only had a single poem or something, why was it so thick? Is my metaknowledge so poor? “I would ask for payment, but I’ll just put it on Arch-Mage Twilight’s tab.” She has a tab at a bookstore? What an adorkable nerd!

“Thanks.” I put the book into my magic satchel and left the shop with Neethsi following. “So, how do you know this about Crassius?” I asked out of curiosity to fill the time between here and the import shop.

“Ah, yes, perhaps it is unsuitable for young ears?” Neethsi probed and Shade patted his smooth head in protest.

“Hey! I may be young now, but I know all about the sex stuff! Just tell mama what she wants to know.” Shade protested and Neethsi sighed.

“In my quest to save Morrowind, I had to join and gain the trust of each Great House. Crassius was the only member of House Hlaalu willing to help me. His price was for me to strip naked and pose for him, along with answering every question he had. Ironically, he was also the most proper person in the House, greatly opposed to corruption to the point of helping me subvert the rest of House Hlaalu to depose their corrupt leadership.” Neethsi smiled and then became sad.

Ah. An old friend. Being immortal can suck I guess, having to suffer loss repeatedly like that…

Next Chapter: Ch.18 Estimated time remaining: 16 Hours, 33 Minutes