Disclaimer: yes, as many other fanfiction writers, I do not own TES, neither I have or want any profit from writhing this – apart from reviews ))) This is my first story to post online, and my first fanfic on Morrowind, so… I want to know if I suck.

The very short story that you are about to read is pure fiction. It could never – and will never, unless someone like me is crazy enough to make such an add-on – happen in the game. But this is what I have always dreamed about. I never wanted to kill him, really. I just wanted my friend back.

My Friend.

Very slowly, he opened his eyes, and looked at me.

- Nere, you've come after me at last. I began to think that you'd never come. Stupid me.

He recognized me… Is it possible? Does the Incarnate have every feature, every gesture, and the voice of Nerevar? Must be…

- Yes, Voryn. I'm so sorry it took me so long. You don't know how sorry I am.

When I destroyed the Heart of Lorkhan, I knew that the worst, the hardest, the most unbearable challenge still awaited me. I still had to kill the Head of the Sixth House, Lord Dagoth, Dagoth Ur… Voryn Dagoth, who had been driven mad by this evil thing, who had been turned into a monster. Who had once been the best – or should I say "the only"? – of my friends. The paralyzing spell that I had cast on him should have been wearing out by the time.

I turned around, trying to gather my thoughts and strength.

I tried to persuade myself that I will probably end his sufferings this way.

Because there was no other way.

I had to.

- What's happened, Nere? You know, I don't remember anything. How strange. You told me to guard those Tools. What's become of them? And where are we?

He lifted his hand to his eyes, and turned it several times, as if he was not sure it was really his hand.

- And… What's with my skin? Such strange color. As if covered with ash… Nere… Is it… some illness? Am I… ill?

When I turned around, I saw that the still figure of Dagoth behind me was obscured by some kind of fog, or maze. It was slowly changing. I could not see clearly, and I was scared.

The fingers began to shorten to normal length, as though they were drawn back into palms, the golden mask, which covered the face, started to dissolve. The figure became thinner, more fragile.

The fog disappeared a moment before the paralyzing spell ceased working.

A black-haired dunmer stood in front of me for about half a second before falling on his knees. Next moment he collapsed on the floor, face down.

It was impossible.

But I saw it.

I came closer.

In front of me was lying, thin, fragile, almost naked, – Dagoth Ur.

Voryn Dagoth.

All the power of the Heart of Lorhan was taken from him. Together with the curse.

- No, you are not ill, Voryn. Look at me.

I brought the torch closer to my face. The flickering light lit it well enough for Voryn to have a better look.

- Oh, and you look the same! Tell me, is it somehow connected with those damned tools? Are we… no, it's not possible… are we at the same place where the Dwemers have disappeared when they used those things?

I kept silent. I didn't really know where to start.

- Nere, why don't you say anything? Nere? Are we… dead?

I kneeled beside him and touched his shoulder. He did not move, did not react. I was not even sure he was breathing. In fact, I did not hope he would. I turned the body so that he was lying on his back now, and removed the strands of hair that had fallen to cover his face.

I gasped.

All the memories, that had long been torturing me, sliding away before I could grasp them…

Memories of my life…

Memories of my friends…

Memories of their betrayal…

And of his eternal loyalty…

…came back in an instant.

…so fast that I hadn't even time to be afraid of it.

I no longer differentiated between Nerevar and myself. I was Nerevar.

- No, Voryn. – I smiled. – It's not that bad.

But then and there it was bad. Holding him in my arms, shaking with tears, – for the first time since I have come to Morrowind – I could not suppress my grief. I cried, I cursed all the daedra, myself, my counselors, the false gods, who betrayed me and killed me – me, for I am Nerevar Indoril, – who nearly killed him hundreds of years ago, and who finally did so with my hands now.

When I could think again, my first thought was to take him out of this damned place.

Even if only to bury him.

- You look so tired, Nere. Tell me, what has happened? I feel that something is wrong, but I don't know what.

He was worried, very worried. He arched his eyebrows, and was looking at me intently, with a questioning look.

- Everything is all right now. It has been wrong, but now it will be all right. Do you remember anything at all?

- Nothing since you left me there. That was a bad place. I felt that it was… talking to me, Nere. The Heart. It wanted me to do something. Something bad. I don't remember now what exactly. But I know we need to destroy it.

- I did it already. And you scared me no end! I found you there, unconscious.

- I'm sorry. I have overestimated myself… I turned out to be a weakling… I let you down…

- No. You've done your best. You were very strong to survive there.

Yes, he turned out to be stronger than I thought. As I was leaving the place – hopefully, not to come back there, ever – I sensed that he was breathing after all. The mad hope that he might recover gave me strength and will to get out of there. Otherwise, I could have sat near the entrance to the Outer Facility to wait for my own death.

I managed to get to the Ghost Gate, and fed the guards in the Tower of Dawn a successful lie that Voryn had been a prisoner in Dagoth Ur's dungeons, the only one I found alive.

But, well, probably after hearing the news that the Heart had been destroyed and Dagoth Ur was no more, they would have believed even if I told them that all ash vampires had turned into pink guars…

- But I don't understand… I need to know… And what is this place? I don't remember these towers being here, so close to the Red Mountain. When… How much time has passed, Nere?

The horror of realization dawned on him. I could see that he is struggling with it, refusing to believe what his acute mind was telling him.

- There are a lot of things you will need to know, Voryn. But it will be better, if we do not talk about it now. Not here. I will tell you everything. Do you trust me?

- I have always trusted you, Nere. Always.

Author's thoughts, explanations, and lame excuses:

1. This is not slash. But for those who would like to interpret it as such – well, I do not have the power to forbid you doing so. And I do not know if fact, what kind of friendship there was between Voryn Dagoth and Nerevar Indoril, anyway…

2. Voryn shortens the name of Nerevar to "Nere", yes, but tell me, do you really call all your friends by full names?

3. Nerevar(ine) does cry over the body of Voryn, but this is just my personal perception of any representative of elven race. They are sensitive. Generally. Even if they are such die-hard Terminators as the main character of Morrowind.

4. If you notice that there's a huge bunch of mistakes in the text – oh well, you caught me there. English is not my native language, yes… It should explain the bad style…

5. Edited on 28th January 2012. I still hold this little story dear (why! it's one of the two that I ever dared to post online), so it deserved at least to be checked for huge spelling mistakes. I guess there are still some, but oh well.