Heyyy Taka here with Chapter 9 of Hardship Before the Love. This is the second last chapter so yea.

Review:

Utility Protectron: I agree with you totally.

lone. fallen. wolf: love does find a way. (life story right here)

Recap:

My eyes opened suddenly as I found myself standing with the Scroll in my hand. I was seriously confused. 'Was that a prophesy?' I shook my head and smiled. Prophesy or not... she was warm and kinda soft... I kept the scroll and prepared to journey back to the Throat of the World...

-Tetsuya's POV-

It took me two weeks to reach Ivarstead at the bottom of the Throat of the World, I stopped to resupply. I went to the General Store to buy some food before going to the Inn. I sat down and ordered a mead before sighing. After a few minutes of waiting, my mead arrived and I drank slowly. I pulled out the necklace from my pocket and stared at it.

"For your loved one?" I heard someone say when a guard sat beside me. "Something like that." I replied. He then ordered a mead. "I gave my wife a ring. If you are having trouble with love I may be able to help you." I then looked at him. "I am just wondering since the person I like is a..." I trailed off. This seems to give the guard an idea of who I loved.

"I see... Well life is hard sometimes. I know I am just a guard but you should follow your heart. If you feel that you love her, you should just confess to her. Even if it is a dragon." I stared at him as he laughed. "I am quite observant Dragonborn. It's all up to you now. Make the right choice." As he said this, he stood up and left the Inn. I looked back at the necklace before keeping it and downed my mead in one gulp and walked out of the Inn.

I began making my way to High Hrothgar and to Paarthurnax. After a few hours of trekking. I reached the monastery. I entered the building and Master Arngeir greeted me. "Tetsuya! You are back with the Elder Scroll." I nodded as I stopped. "It took me awhile though."I replied. He nodded and walked with me to the courtyard towards the mountain. "Well good luck on fighting Aludin. We will be waiting for your victory."

I nodded before proceeding to the Throat of the Mountain. When I reached the top, Paarthurnax was waiting for me. "You have returned. You realise that the moment you read it, Alduin will come." I noddee to that. "I know. I'm prepared." To say the truth, I was not. I took out the scroll and held it in front of me. I took a deep breath and opened it. There was a mark before everything went black.

When I awoke, I could not move. I looked in front and saw three people in front holding their weapon. I then saw Alduin flew overhead and landed in front of them. "You Mortals think you can defeat me?" She questioned. She looks amused. "We'll find out today!" The old man said. Before Alduin flew up and they looked at her. "Joor Zah Frul!" All three of them shouted before the shout hit Alduin and she screamed in pain before falling to the ground.

Her screams made my heart ache. "What is this?! What twisted Words have you created?!" She shouted before she stood up. The shout seemed to take away her ability to fly, almost like a mortal... "They then engaged her. She roared and breath flames on them. They evaded it and attacked her on three directions. Each time they landed an attack on her, she would roar in pain. She then found an opportunity and reached to bite the female warrior.

She caught her in her mouth and swung her around before throwing her to the ground, killing her. "Gormlaith!" Alduin then flew up as the male nord went to check on Gormlaith. "It's no use Felldir! Use the Scroll!" Felldir then took the scroll from his back as the male nord went to distract her and chanted.

"Hold, Alduin on the Wing! Sister Hawk, grant us your sacred breath to make this contract heard! Begone, World Eater! By words with older bones than your own we break your perch on this age and send you out! You are banished! Alduin, we shout you out from all our endings unto the last!" Alduin was suddenly surrounded by a green sphere. "The Kel? NO!" As she shouted this, she disappeared. "You are banished!" Felldir shouted before keeping the scroll.

"It worked. You did it." The nord said. "Yes, the World Eater is gone... May the spirits have mercy on our soul." They slowly walked away as my vision went black. When it came back, I was on the mountain and I saw Paarthurnax looking at something behind me. I turned back and saw Alduin looking at me. We stared into each other's eyes and I could have swore I saw sorrow.

"Nice to see you, brother. And a surprise to see you here also Tetsuya." She joked. "Alduin... why are you doing this?" I asked softly. Alduin was taken aback for a moment before her hard and cold stare appeared to cover her warm ones. "Why you ask? They took everything away from me... I am doing this to take back what is rightfully mine!" She shouted before she flew up.

Paarthurnax and I shared a look before I looked at her and shouted. "Joor Zah Frul!" She was surprised as she stopped moving and the shout hit her. She screamed as she landed roughly. "How did you...! The Kel..." She said before I drew my Katana and my Blade. She crawled to me and tried to bite me while I dodged the bite and slashed her wing. She roared and spun, hitting me with her tail.

I flew back and landed on the snow. I got up quickly and saw Paarthurnax breathing fire on her. She ran up to him and smacked his face away before ramming him. It knocked him off balance and sensing the shout wearing off, she shouted. "Yol Toor Shul!" He took the blunt of the attack and stumbled back. I quickly made my way there and mounted her.

She shook her back before she flew up in an attempt to throw me off. I stabbed my Katana into her back as the electricity surged into her wound. She roared in pain and looked back at me with hateful eyes. She then dived straight into the ground and landed on her back, injuring her and crushing me. Due to the force, I spat out blood as I struggled to get out.

She rolled off me to my relief but it was short as she grabbed me with her mouth. Her teeth pierced my armor and my skin making me shout in pain. I then shouted. "Feim..." I became ethereal and dropped from her mouth. I looked at the bite mark and saw blood leaking. I cursed and tried to heal the best i could before the shout ended. I did not get to heal much as the shout ended and I was sent flying again.

"So much for being the destined one. Too weak." I stood up wobbly and glared at her. I then ran towards her and shouted. "Joor Zah Frul!" She was caught by surprise and got hit. I immediately jumped on her back and pierced the previous spot trying to deepen the wound and open it up. She screamed in pain as she could not fly and tried to shake me off in vain. I then released the Blade and drew Dawnbreaker and stabbed the wound. She cried out as the sword started burning up.

She the rolled on the ground forcing me to grab my weapons and jump off. She then looked at me and I looked back. Neither of us looked away until Alduin said. "Strong... I may have underestimated your capabilities." She said as I kept Dawnbreaker. "Why can't you co-exist with us?" I tried to reason. "It's not me that can't... It's you mortals. Always afraid to explore the unknown. I was betrayed by your kind!" She shouted.

"Just because my kind betrayed you in the past does not mean they will now!" I shouted back. We both stared at each other again and I felt a blush creeping on my face. She looked pretty right now. I internally shook it away and glared at her. She glared back and said. "I am declaring a war. In a week, I will deploy my army to took over Skyrim. If you come and find me before that week is over however, I will not attack them." As she said this I was confused. Before I could ask why she just flew up and away.

Why would she ask me to find her and not just kill me now? Paarthurnax came out from the mountain side rubbing his chops. "She does not hold back..." He looked at me and then at the direction she flew to. "You realised that she did not want to kill you." As he said this, I went wide-eyes. Now it made sense. Maybe it could work between us... "I need to know where she is going." I said. "She is going to Skuldafn where she will create a portal to Sovngarde. I do not know where Skuldafn is but I know one who do."

I turned to him and said. "I need to know. I also need to stop the civil war." Paarthurnax nodded. "His name is Odahviing. He is Alduin's second in command. I must say this though, he is not easily convinced." I smiled and said. "That's why I got a plan already." I then smiled before healing my wounds. I then proceeded to High Hrothgar. I had work to do.

I spent one day to climb down the mountain to find a courier and tell him to deliver the letter I wrote to General Tulius and Ulfric as fast as he can. I also asked him to send one to Jarl Balgruuf. I then climbed back up and asked the Greybeards to train me.

It took two days of training for the two major parties to appear. I had the Greybeards lead them to the long table where I was seated and waiting. As the table slowly fill up, I saw Elenwen. Looks like she came too. As the table fill up, I stood and said. "We are all here because of major events happening." Before I said anything else, Ulfric stood up. "You insult us by bring that Thalmor here." Tulius stood up as well. "If we are going to discuss about the civil war, it's only right i bring whoever I deem fit to bring."

As he said this, They started bickering. I got pissed and slammed my fist on the table, making it crack a little. "SHUT UP!" I was greeted with silence as both of them stared at me. "I did not invite you guys here so you can start fighting again. Also, That bitch sitting there can be here for all I care because if she even dare to attack Skyrim while we are having this talk, I will personally make sure the Aldmeri Dominion is wiped off the history books. Are we clear?"

Elenwen was about to retort as I shouted again. "ARE WE CLEAR?" That got them all to stay silent and sit down. "Thank you. Now, I called all of you here because I want you guys to stop the war." As I said this, I heard absurd and crazy around the table. "Of course if you rather Alduin take over the place then be my guest." That got most of them to shut up.

"Anyway, If you guys do team up, the Thalmors would not even be able to invade Skyrim. I need you guys to work together and defend against any dragon attack if any. It's all just in case." This seems to get them both thinking. After a while, Tulius spoke up. "If we do end this war and work together, how do I know that Ulfric won't try to take over?" This got Ulfric to scowl as I said. "I will handle that. Just like how I will with you." This got Tulius to nod and sit down.

"I trust this issue is done?" I got a series of nod before I smiled feeling satisfied. "Then this meeting is done. Be sure to keep your end of the deal." Everybody then slowly took their leave as Balgruuf walked up to me. "Never thought they would agree. Well done." I chuckled. "I expected them not to agree though. Can I ask you a favor from you?" He smiled and replied. "Anything." I then begin to explain the crazy plan of trapping a dragon in his castle...

"I am not even going to question how you know that or how you know it will work. I trust you Tetsuya, do what you need to do." I nodded and prepared to proceed to Whiterun for my plan. I had two days to prep everything.

After two days of work and laughter, we were ready to trap a dragon. I walked to the balcony and looked back to Balgruuf where he gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and looked at the sky before shouting. "O Dah Viing!" I heard a roar two seconds later as a red dragon flew towards the balcony. He landed on the balcony in front of me. "Ahh the Dovahkiin . An honor to meet you finally. Alduin was infuriated with you."

I laughed before turning serious. "I am going to ask you once. Are you willing to transport me to Skuldafn?" Odahviing was grunting before he replied. "Alduin had requested that if I was summoned by you, I was to transport you there. Alduin had never requested anything before so I was caught off guard. Climb on." I nodded before turning to Balgruuf. "Looks like that trap was not needed after all." This caused a few laughter before it all died down and Balgruuf walked to me.

"Stay safe Tetsuya." I nodded as Odahviing took off towards Skuldafn.

That was Chapter 9. I must say that I was rushing to write chapter 10 but I swear i did not cut corners. R&R and I will see you in the final chapter of Hardship before the Love.