Cearbhail:

I had a lot of fun with this one. Like... way too much fun with this chapter.

...

Oh, and enjoy =^^=


Not how I was expecting to spend my day. I thought I would be outside, catching up with my friends. Maybe have the talk with Seth. But here I am… standing in my room, Kyuu rubbing himself against my leg like a cat would. And the High King was standing in my room, looking around.

"Wow… this is a nice room. So… is it a Dunmer thing, sleeping on ash?" He pointed to the remains of what used to be my bed until this morning.

I still couldn't believe in all the years I've lived in this room, I forgot… of all things… to enchant my fucking bed with anti-burning runes. I have them in all my clothes.

"Nope, I have a bed. I just… burned it into ash when I woke up. I… I had a nightmare." I looked down at the burned bed. I forced myself to not think about it.

I exhaled sharply, clapping my hands, and looking back up at the tall Nord. "So… you want to… what is it you want to do exactly? I mean… Compatibility… it's not like we can… you know…" I gestured to him and me. "I mean… we can… but I'd rather we not."

The High King shook his head. "Nope, we don't have to do anything of the sort. I may be a Bard, but even I have lines I won't cross. As long as Sanguine isn't involved on a rousing drunk adventure, anyway. I swear… that Hagraven looked just like Lydia…" He scratched his nose, whispering to himself. "Still reminds me of Lydia."

I had to hold my snicker at the High King saying such a thing. Having met Lydia and done several missions for her in my other past… yeah… I can see it. "She is kind of… hagraveney. It's her eyes… cold and lifeless."

The High King smiled from ear to ear. "Yeah… it's those eyes I fell in love with. Her cold, dispassionate, lifeless glare of heavy judging and sarcasm. Lots of loathing. She was a wonderful person." The High King laughed. "I'm just kidding. She… getting to know her… um…" The High King pointed to my bed. "You mind if I… get comfortable?"

I shook my head. "By all means. If you think you can get comfortable in cinders… go right ahead."

With a snap of his fingers, the dust of my bed was teleported away, and a new bed popped out of a portal. "I'm sure Ruby won't mind if we give you her old bed."

My cheeks immediately flushed. "Ruby's…. old… bed?" I bet it smells just like her.

The High King nodded. "Yup. Before she bought a double for her and Maleek."

And… there goes my heart. "Ah… yeah. I forgot about that."

The High King nodded at my face. "Seen that a lot lately. So…" He sat down on my new bed. "You traveled along a different world, saw all sorts of things, dated my daughter. And from the look on your face, you're still in love with her." He looked down at the bed. "I really should not have given you Ruby's bed. I don't want to imagine what you'll be doing in this bed."

Mostly cry myself to sleep every time I smell her scent, probably. At least until I get my memories wiped, then I'll be confused as to why it smells in the first place. The bed was cute though. Purple painted wooden frame, bed sheets a light blue with a floral design on the edges, and the cover was a thick glowing fur comforter… glowing with blue dots and lines. Huh… what even is this?

I pointed at the bed. "What's with the glowing bedspread?"

The High King ruffed the furry cover. "Vale sabre cat. Ruby was obsessed with these pelts when she discovered them. Made a lot of dresses from it, and blankets. She's a fashionista."

Yeah… I remember that much. And yeah… she did wear a lot of glowing dresses when I first met her. She moved onto fish scales a year later… mermaid scales. The next year it was feathers… mostly to impress Maleek… and then she joined a Reachman band. Lead lutist.

"So, anyway. Let's begin working on our Compatibility. So, there are several ways we can go about doing this. We can fight each other: bardic combat is especially effective. We could probably create Compatibility in one go if we do that. There's the other route, which you seem to know the best… loving it out. The problem with combative Compatibility is that… we can fight each other, but we're just as likely to create Dissonance. The opposite of Compatibility. It can eat away at the two trying their best to connect, and it just… it creates this ugly energy, one that destroys all that it touches, taints the soul… makes cats knock glasses off tables… waffles taste like pancakes… and turns the Chimer into Dunmer."

"Hey…" I snapped my fingers. "That's one too far."

The High King nodded. "Yeah… waffles compared to pancakes. I don't know what I was thinking. Even Dissonance couldn't do such a thing." I felt myself getting angry at this person. I forgot what he was like before Miraak took away his arm. "It can create a void though. Kill everything caught inside it." The High King shrugged. "Kind of how Sithis was formed to begin with. The Dissonance between the two first gods: creation and destruction."

"Okay… so we don't want Dissonance. How do we do this Soul Resonance thing then? I'm not making love with you. Not unless I absolutely have to."

"We play a game." The High King replied. "Two truths, one dare. Until we know each other inside and out. Also, the dares allow us to have some fun with this."

Oh… this game. I played this with Ruby all the time. It's how she dared me to kiss her. Our first official date. "No weird dares. No daring me to go kiss someone. Unless it's the fox curling up in my legs."

Kyuu purred up at me. "I'd kiss you any day, Vessy!"

"And no stripping clothes. Okay. Nice, simple, easy dares."

The High King nodded. "I'm a man of my word… or Thu'um anyway." He gestured to me. "You can go first."

Okay… two truths and a dare, huh? What to even ask him? "Your favorite color… favorite memory… and put on lipstick." I pointed to the lipstick on my dresser.

The High King shrugged. He walked over to my various colors of lipstick. "Ooh, midnight blue. My favorite color, deep blue, just like this lipstick." He puckered his lips and stared at himself in the mirror as he started getting is lips dressed in my newer lipstick. "Interestingly enough, this isn't my first time doing this. I guess that's a free fact about me. As for my favorite memory… huh…" He stared off at the ceiling. "I was… eleven… or around there. I was out for a walk in the woods. I grew up in the town Anvil, down in southern Cyrodiil. I loved to go to the beach, play in the sand, swim whenever there wasn't a slaughterfish infestation. But there was this one day, this young girl, around my age, with wide blind eyes, walked over to me. She wanted to play in the sand with me. And so… I played with her. We spent the whole day together. And then… she was… just gone. I never saw her again. Until… just a couple years ago… when I was at an Imperial camp. The same blind girl, dressed in full armor… smiling at me. Not even a day older. I thought she was like Babette… a vampire. Nope… she was my daughter, from the future. It's my favorite memory… because my daughter thought to come back in time… just to spend one day with me… playing in the sand. I was missing my mom that day, and she told me about her parental problems. We bonded over that. Both of our birth fathers were pricks. It's only now I realize… she was referring to me. So… it's both my favorite memory… and my saddest. It's the best experience I had with my daughter… and she spent half the day telling me stories about how apathetic I would become. I've changed that future though. And I'll make sure to keep my daughter safe in this timeline."

Oh boy… I should tell him about Miraak. "Yeah… about that. In my timeline… you still become… like that. Except, it happens in this fight against Miraak. The dragon eats your arm, and you lose your emotional soul in combat with Miraak."

The High King's smile faded. He forced it to come back though, smiling brightly at me. "But… that's why I have you, right? You'll be there, by my side."

Yup. Time for me to change the future… again. I'm in the best timeline, and I'll be damned if I don't keep this one safe. "I'll do my best."

The High King nodded. He looked content with that, looking at his perked lips in the mirror. "This shade looks nice with my eyes." He blinked at me a few times. His eyes were a bright emerald, and they looked… not anywhere compatible enough with his lipstick to look nice.

"If you say so." I waved my hand to the High King. "Your turn. Two truths and a dare."

The High King tapped his chin, clearly deep in thought. "Your worst fear, your deepest shame, and tell me the dumbest funny joke you've ever heard."

Oh boy. A funny dumb joke. I love those. "Okay… let's start with the joke. Okay… so… why are melons sad?"

The High King stood by the mirror… looking at me with wide eyes. "Hmm… because… water… melons? No, that's stupid, Asger. Think. This is simple. It has to be. Because summer vacation was a smashing hit? No… that's too dark." He finally shrugged after a minute of mumbling to himself. "Okay, I give up. What's the answer."

"Because… they cantaloupe." I snapped my fingers at him, making finger guns.

The High King immediately burst out in a snorting laugh. "Wow… I forgot cantaloupes were even a melon. That's… that's the highlight of my day, right there. Even if Miraak kills us horribly… I'll die knowing that melons cantaloupe." He finally got his laughter under control, after rolling around in my new bed for a few solid minutes. I was laughing too. I had to admit, I did feel better about this Compatibility thing.

"Okay, so… deepest fear… and darkest shame?" I tried to remember if I even had any shame. "This world or the other?"

The High King smirked. "Both."

Well, that's cheating, but I'll allow it. The two dichotomous lives that exist within me would need to be in sync for this to work anyway. "Okay… so, my deepest fear has been death."

"Too vague."

I mentally sighed. "Okay… when I was twelve… I was kidnapped by my mother. She was crazy… and she was half-way between crazy and dead. The heart stone implanted in her chest was keeping her alive, but was slowly killing her mind, erasing who she was… and transforming her into a puppet for the Red Mountain… or something like that. And Mom was constantly between operating on me, turning into a version of her, or she was trying to have me killed by Gwen, a crazy girl that lived with her. So, my fear was that place… being there, in a constant state of… will Mom cut me open and install a rock inside me that will slowly kill me and turn me into a Daedric puppet; will I get to see my sanity fade away? Will Gwen cut me open and let me bleed out? Will Mom just… use necromancy to bring me back to life… only to continuously experience the pain and torture of dying over and over again? That… that was my darkest fear.

"And my greatest shame? I started dating Draseth because… I wanted to be with Talvas, but I knew I couldn't, so… I just… decided to date Draseth and see if I could just… fall in love. And it didn't work. And now… I have to break up with him, knowing it will crush him… probably. For him, it's been a day. For me… it's been 20. And my intentions weren't exactly for him anyway. I was constantly picturing Talvas when I was with him… even when I tried to be with Seth… it was like the shadow of Talvas was in the back of my mind. And the thing is… I still want Talvas, and not Seth. And now… there's Ruby. There's… I can't be with Seth anymore. I just can't. I can't pretend to love him anymore."

It felt weird to say… but I knew… I think… I think I'm telling the truth. I feel numb having said that. My heart was beating pretty quickly, but… I still felt nothing. I just… I wish I could like Seth like I used to. But that's the thing. I was getting tired of waiting for Seth, even before I traveled to another world.

"Okay, my turn. So. I want to know… your deepest fear, and your darkest shame." There, let's keep it what he just asked me. "And… that lipstick would look great in the dress mom bought me that I'll never wear. In my bottom drawer. It's the pink frilly one with all the ribbons on it."

The High King laughed. "Of course it is." He seemed to be enjoying this well enough. He pulled his shirt off, and I got a good look, but… sadly found nothing interesting to look at, except all the scars on his back.

"Wait… what are those scars?" I asked.

He looked over his shoulder. "I guess that would be my darkest shame." He started pulling my dress out, looking at it. "I may be very skinny, but…" He used Alteration to stretch my dress out. "There we go. Good as Nord." He threw it over his pants. "Ooh… it's very puffy."

"Yup. And it's pure mammoth wool. Good luck breathing in that mess."

"Oh boy… I can already feel my pores sweating into this dress, and it's just… absorbing it. The heat buildup alone will kill me." I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"So, I guess you were telling me about the scars?"

The High King blew a rogue feather out of his mouth. "Yup. So, when I was ten-ish… I learned I was adopted, sort of. The man raising me wasn't my birth father. I was half-Nord, half Breton. And my Nord father… he was alive somewhere. I wanted to go find him, so… I left Anvil. Traveled to Kvatch… where he lived. I met the man. Hjor Stonearm. I learned of my last name that day. When I found him, he was training the local militia. He was the town's Imperial Liaison, and he was preparing the newest recruits for the eventual war that was always right on the horizon. So… I met my dad, introduced myself… explained my mother, and how I was raised. And he… he told me I was a milk drinker too effeminate to be a true Nord, let alone his son. Even the girls were twice the man I was. I was ten. But my father said that he could fix me. Make me… a true Nord. And me… wanting to impress my dad, and learn about my heritage, I allowed him. The scars on my back… are emotion corrections. Anything other than malicious attitude, harsh manliness, testosterone-induced chest pounding bullshit, was corrected by a slash on the back. The scars will never fade, and to be honest… I don't want them to fade away. They're a reminder. Of who I am… and what I learned about myself. I'll never stop smiling. I'll never pretend I'm someone I'm not. I'm Nord by blood, but I'm Imperial and Breton by choice. I'm a bard, and a Dragonborn. I never had to act tough to get where I'm at… and to be honest… I can't imagine living like that.

"In fact, that girl I played with… it was probably only a month after I returned from my few months living with Hjor. I was in a pretty dark place, and… she was there to help me. Even if for a day. My daughter…" The High King shook his head, smiling as tears started forming in his eyes. "I can't fail. And that's my deepest fear. Everyone… my daughter, you… Lydia… everyone says that I'll fade away… become a shell of myself. And… I don't want that. I'll end up becoming the thing I've always avoided… turning into my father. At least… the darkest parts of him. And if we fail… either my daughter will grow up without me in her life… or… even worse… she'll grow up with a version of me that's not real. And that scares me. Deeper than any dagger wound. I don't want her smile to fade away… as I saw with her when she visited me as a teenager."

Yeah… I remember reading that in the Chronicles series. Cecilie was the daughter's name. She traveled from a desolate future to see her parents, both of which were dead. She wanted to spend some time with her family before committing herself to the war that was going to end with her dying.

"About that. You know I know Cecilie. She wasn't… even when you were alive through most of her life, after losing to Miraak… you still lost your emotional soul. She told me about the previous lives she lived, the changes she made to fix the world, and in the wake of the war with the Dominion… she actually looked me in the eye, and said that… even though she fixed almost everything… nothing changed. Fate found a way to take everyone away from her. Lydia died during the dragon rebellion with Maleek and half of Ruby's arm. It was like nothing changed at all; that's what Cecilie said anyway." I sat down on my bed, picking up my diary. I bet I could read this and be reminded of all my lost memories of this place.

The High King let out a heavy sigh. "So… fate always finds a way, huh?" He almost chuckled. "And here we are, being jerked around by the god that deals in fate." He turned to look back at me. "So, here's the two truths and a dare. If you could change one thing about your life, what would you change; are you enjoying this sleepover; and I dare you to make the change you want to see in your life."

The High King looked so cute in his dress and his shoulder-length curly brown hair made him look more like Lydia than I would have guessed. Now, I can see where Cecilie gets it from. Lydia's hair was flat and boring. I wondered where Cecilie got that curl in her hair from. Future High King kept it shaved down.

"Change one thing about my life, huh? So, an event that happened in the past?" The High King nodded. Huh… what would I even want to change? Obviously, I would have wanted to kiss Ruby while she was here, but I didn't really have any feelings for her at the time, and she's dating Maleek. That wouldn't have actually ended well for either of us. Getting locked up in Mother's tower was a nightmare, but it did teach me a lot, and it did allow me to save her. "If I could change one thing about my life…" The cave crawl with Talvas was special for me, even if I could only remember whatever Dad implanted in my head. "I guess I would have to say…" My bonding with Seth was also special for me. Seth and I really got along, and it did sort of blossom into something more… just… we're not compatibly anymore. I could erase my memories but then… everything I learned would be forgotten. For now, at least, I need these memories to be as useful as I am. "I would get rid of my lactose intolerance." My past what it is, but if I could strip away any weaknesses from my self that limit what I can and cannot do… that would be the thing I would change.

The High King laughed. "Yeah, if I could change one thing in my life, it would be Ruby's allergy to honey. Whenever she sneezes…"

"It gets everywhere!" I finished for the High King. "Gods, how can one person even hold that much mucus in her nose?"

"Esbern thinks she has a portal to a realm of Oblivion that links to Peryite's realm in her nose. We're not sure yet though, but I wouldn't be surprised if she really does." We both shared a laugh at the thought that Ruby was just a portal for a realm of mucus. It really does go along with her personality, and her luck streaks.

There was a knock on my door, which made both of us stop our laughing. "Huh… someone coming to visit?" I got off my bed, walking over to the door. When I opened it, both Seth and Mirri were standing on the other side. "Good… what time is it anyway?"

"It's near 2 in the afternoon." Mirri replied.

Wow… either time was flying fast, or I slept in for a long time. "Huh… and here I thought it was the morning." I glanced back at the High King. "We have a long day ahead of us."

"Long week." The High King corrected. "Compatibility doesn't just happen overnight. You have to be on the same wavelength as the person you're connecting to in order to achieve Compatibility at its highest potential. It's the one magick spell I've never seen completed in its entirety. I doubt we'll reach that point, but the closer we get, the stronger the results." I looked over my shoulder over to Seth. We beat a Dragon Priest by linking our hands together and launching our Love Gun at him. I wonder how much in sync we had been at that point. And just how much stronger we could have been, if given the chance.

"Well, let's hope it will be enough." I replied. The First Dragonborn, the strongest ever known… versus the last Dragonborn, one who had to learn all of his gifts on his own. I guess they both had to learn their gifts on their own. "I have a question." I glanced back at the Dragonborn High King. "You have a sister. She is also Dragonborn. Why not invite her to help you?"

"My sister is not as strong as me, in the sense of a Dragonborn. I have a lot of Shouts unlocked, while she only knows a few from her adventures as a Companion. And while she may be a werewolf…" She's a what now? "she's still not competent enough to put up with a dire threat like Miraak. I'm not sure I'll be enough to keep up with Miraak. And from what you've told me… I'm not. And with Ria here… it would be worse. Miraak would go after her, bend her will to his… and use her against me. I'm sure of it. So, I chose to leave her out of this. I can't risk more lives than absolutely necessary. And absolutely necessary equals my life and my life alone." The High King looked completely sure of his decision. I can't fault him. I would chose to leave my associate Agni out of missions because it would be dangerous for her to be near the action. My actions in Riften only proved that.

I was learning a lot about the High King, and I guess… this game of his was actually useful in that department. I hoped it was working just as well for him as it was for me.

I turned my attention back to my friends. "Okay, peeps. What do you need?"

"Peeps?" Mirri arched an eyebrow. "You've never spoken to us in such a fashion."

"Yeah, twenty years in a guild filled with adult children does that to you." I chuckled.

Seth nodded as he waved to Mirri and him. "We just wanted to let you know that we're both fighting for you."

Fighting for me? I glanced from Mirri to Seth back to Mirri. "Okay." I guess that's a good thing then. I like it when people root for me. And then it clicked. "Wait. Fighting, how?"

"The fight with Miraak." Mirri pushed her way forward. "We'll be behind you, 100%. Draseth and I are going to help you two however we can. Also, we're competing for your love." Mirri sputtered out the last phrase so quickly that I almost didn't catch it. But I did. And I was right. I tried to hide a smile as I laughed, but I failed and it came out as a snort.

"I knew it. You were jealous of Ruby!" That made her ashy face turn ashy purple. It looked cute.

I looked at the two of them. "Look, dude, dudette. I can't… I really can't choose someone right now. I'm on the brink of either chasing down Ruby… or having my memories wiped. And then… this conversation… will probably also be wiped. So, we can have this talk after the mission is over. Until then… I really can't chose either of you. But… Seth… until further notice… I will have to break up with you." I glanced down at Seth. He looked like he already knew. "I have lived a long time… and I just got out of a relationship with… my whole family. I barely even remember us. I need to think about who I am before I can think about… what we are. If I have my memory wiped, I may immediately approach you like we're still dating, and if so… it's up to you. I'll be back to being the Veselle you already know. And if Mirri wants her chance at me… that's also something I would have liked, even back then. It would have confused me to start with, but… it's something I would have tried out." I smiled at Mirri. "Once this is all over, we can have this conversation, but until then… I have to focus on killing Miraak."

Mirri nodded, almost smiling as she stepped back. "I wanted to let you know that I will begin researching ancient Dragon Priest shrines to see what kind of Shouts were recorded on their walls. Master Neloth, Mistress Ildari, Master Teldryn, Azarien, and I will be conducting this research while you continue training. I have been allowed to… spar with you if you require some combat training."

"And I'll spar you too.." Seth quickly added, casting a quick glance at Mirri. Great… I'm in the middle of a love triangle. Fantastic. Not again. I really don't want to repeat this.

"I'll gladly take you both on… just not today. I need time to think." I rubbed my eyes. I'm still adjusting to his life, after living through oblivion. I just need a few more days to orient myself, and then… and then I'll begin to feel more like myself. Or I could just erase my memories. That might help. Just one day at a time, Veselle. Just one day at a time.

"Look, dude, dudette… I need to get back to my training with the High King. It's super important stuff." Mirri and Seth looked over my shoulder, and just by the expressions alone, I could tell they were checking out his dress and lipstick.

"Ah-huh… really important." Seth tried to hide his snicker.

"I have that same shade." Mirri noted. "Didn't I buy that lipstick? And didn't you borrow it?"

"And never returned it." I confirmed. "It looks better on me anyway."

I was throwing her an opportunity to agree with me, and she smiled as she grabbed it. "That much is true. Anything looks cuter on you than me."

That's taking it a bit too far. "We'll continue this later. I really need to get back to our training. I would offer to let you two join us, but it's important for me and the High King to achieve Compatibility. I don't think having the two of you here would help that."

The High King shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. It might help, it might hurt. Group Compatibility is hard to maintain. Like having a group project… some members are great in groups of two or three, but put them in a team of five and the dynamic really shifts. For right now, tonight, we should focus on just us. But if you want a real sleepover, with friends, I suggest all of your friends join in. We could have a massive sleepover."

I shook my head. "Two love interests in my room… with me… all night. No." I glanced at Seth and then at Mirri. "We will not be doing any such thing tonight."

Mirri nodded, bowing. "I need to attend to research anyway."

"And I have pigs to tend to." Seth grumbled. "Stupid chores."

"Stupid chores that keep our town fed." I replied. "And for a week, the farm's been mostly neglected."

Seth sighed. "That it has. And ma parents want me to take care of all the ash piling up. Chicken eggs are everywhere. Everyone needs fed. Zera is still sleeping."

That sounds about right. "So, there you go." I turned to face the High King. "Just you and me tonight."

I nodded goodbye to Seth and Mirri as I closed the door behind them.

"Three of us." Kyuu called from my bed.

I had to roll my eyes as I turned around. "Yes, Kyuu. Three of us. Sorry I've been neglecting you." I walked over to the bed, stretching my hands out for Kyuu to jump into. The tiny fox leapt into my arms, and I wrapped him up in a hug as I turned back to the High King. "So, I believe I have one question left to answer. Am I enjoying this sleepover? Not really." I said, looking down at Kyuu. "Kyuu… I need to summon something. Can I put you down? Or you can jump on my shoulder."

Kyuu smiled. "I read you, partner." He hopped off my hands.

"You aren't enjoying the sleepover?" The High King looked crushed. "I could have sworn we were having fun."

"Well, first off, it's still afternoon, and secondly…" I snapped my fingers, summoning a portal in my hands. "I think it's time we have some… real fun." The portal spat out a pillow, the strongest one in my arsenal. "And now… we're going to have some real bonding. Just you and me, princess." With that, I swung my pillow. And I smacked him right in the face.

The High King was quick on his feet, rolling off my bed, grabbing the two pillows Ruby kept on her old bed. "Oh, that's how we're going to play. Well, Veselle. You have a choice. You can either dodge these pillows, or you can let yourself get pounded by Ruby one last time."

That… that broke me. And he took that opportunity to slam me in the face with pillows that filled with Ruby's scent. And as hard as he smacked me, I was reminded of when Ruby and I had a pillow fight just like this one. I laughed as I smacked the High King in the stomach, spun around him, and landed my body pillow right over the top of his head. I laughed manically as I ripped summoning portals all over the room. He watched in awe as the portals ripped open all around him. Pillows launched from the portals, slamming him from all angles, only to teleport away and relaunch again. I laughed as I pillowed him to the floor. He was on his knees, covering his face. Mhuhahahaha, I had him begging me for surrender.

And then… the High King was suddenly gone. "Su, Grah, Dun." I heard behind me in a thick Nordic accent. Oh boy… that's a Shout. And I know that one. Cecilie knows it.

I tensed up as hundred of pillows slammed down all around me. The High King was dual-wielding Ruby's pillows and was hitting me on each side, enhanced by his Elemental Fury Shout, a Shout that allows him to speed himself up, and make his attacks much faster. I couldn't keep up with his speed, and the blows were coming from all around me. He was Shouting his Whirlwind Shout now, zipping around me like a nimble fox, a nimble fox that was almost twice my size and half my strength. Because he's tall and thin, and very lanky, especially for a Nord.

I screamed as I spun my body pillow around me like a bo staff, trying my best to defend myself from his relentless attacks. "You may have me on the ropes, but I'm a pro! I've bested both of your daughters. You can never defeat me!"

"Who do you think trained them?" I heard behind me as the High King came to a sudden halt.

"Nani?" I snapped my head around just in time to feel a heavy double blow over top of my head. And that was it. The smell of Ruby's scent in my face and the impact on me caused me to fall to the ground. I couldn't beat him. He was the High King after all. Dressed in the pinkest frilliest dress I could find, wearing the blue glossy lipstick I stole from Mirri, and wielding two tie dye pillows… I met my match. This guy was too much for me to handle.

"I was the champion of the whole guild." I found myself muttering. "And all this time…"

"They've never fought someone of my caliber." The High King said proudly. "Champion of all of Kvatch and Anvil. And second place for Chorrol. Primrose holds the championship. Cute little Bosmer girl. Obsessed with Necromancy, but nice person overall. And one hell of a pillow fighter."

Kyuu's ears popped up. "Oh…" He turned around. "Zera's awake. My girlfriend is on her way over." Kyuu sprang for the open window. "I'll be back by dinner!" He leapt out without even looking back over to me.

My head was still spinning around me. I was catching my breath for my final assault. "You know… I'm a bit of a conjurer myself. And one thing I was working on in secret, I think I'm finally ready to unleash. So… those portals with pillows, those were only piece of the puzzle. And now… I think I'm ready to assemble my finest golem. The highest grade pillow golem. Awaken, Pillzilla!"

I snapped my fingers, and the heart stone sitting on my nightstand started to glow. The hundreds of pillows on the ground started picking themselves off the ground, spinning around my room like a tornado. The High King watched in horror as he tried to dodge the flying pillows. The heart stone started to float. Pillows were collecting around the heart stone, forming a Storm Atronach form of golem. Two red heart throw pillows acting as the eyes focused in on the High King.

I laughed as I stood up. I held my hand out, giving the High King a thumbs down. "You've already lost."

"Nani?" He had time to ask right before every pillow in my room slammed down on top of him.

My room basically exploded from the sheer force of my pillows slamming down on top of him, and to be honest… I lost a lot of pillows for this one assault. And there's going to be one oblivion of a cleanup in store for me in the morning.

"You have lost, your highness." I said as smugly as I could possibly muster. "You have trained your whole life for this moment, but in the end… you are just my plaything." I walked over to the pile of pillows. I laughed as I kicked the pile of pillows off him. "You see, there is…no…way…" He's gone. Why wasn't he buried under the pillows?

"You have come a long way." I heard behind me.

Oh fuck.

I felt a heavy slam over top of my head.

And as my life began to fade to black, I suddenly realized… I was never the strongest heroine in the land. No… I had never defeated an Aedric god… I had only summoned one. Truly… if there was ever to be an opponent I could never face in combat, it was the High King of Skyrim. Only one such as he could pull off a frilly pink dress, blue lipstick, and handle pillows as fiercely as he. Truly, I am awed. And I have failed. Forgive me, Ruby. It would seem, that I too… have fallen.

"You can get up now." The High King tapped me on the forehead.

I sighed as I opened my eyes. "You win."

"I always win. It's kind of my thing." The High King said with a laugh. "But thanks for the match. This was good. We now know how strong we are against each other. Now, we just have to focus this energy on Miraak."

"Pillow him to defeat?" I smiled as I pushed myself up.

The High King shrugged. "If we can get away with it… yes. I'd rather not be violent unless I have to be."

Huh… violence is usually my go to. I guess we are different. I hope that doesn't affect our Compatibility. "Well, time for another activity. What's next?"

The High King laughed. "Lunch. I'm starving."

My stomach growled. "Yeah… me too."


Cearbhail:

Yes, I really just did a whole chapter on a pillow fight, and a rousing game of truth and dare. I am the master of the misdirection, surely. Anyway, I should let these two have some fun before I start killing Mirri. I mean... um... look, Kyuu's eating strawberries with Tatiana!

Oh, and in other news. I opened up a Pat reon account. It's under Cearbhail so... I'm easy to find. I'm the one wearing the purple Mandalorian helmet. Anyway, once I start actually getting followers, I'll start posting updates and whatnot, as well as access to my older stories (very cringey ones I wrote in high school and stuff) Like my original early Bond Summoners (very edge lord stuff) as well as my very first fan fictions (very cringey bad) Super Smash Bros, and Fable (this one's actually not so bad). Anyway, I hope to see you there. I'm always willing to listen to advice on how to improve my pat reon account. Anyway, I hope to see you there, or on Facebook, also under Cearbhail, but that one uses my Umbreon/Espeon yin yang symbol.