Chapter 43: Partying 'till We Get Some Serious Hangovers

That night, all of Fort Dawnguard celebrated as the threat was finally over. The Companions and the Stormcloaks that helped were welcome to join the celebration, which they did.

"Here's to our victory!" Irsan cheered, as he raised his mug

Everyone raised their own mugs. ""TO VICTORY!""

"Cheers!"

""CHEERS!""

As everyone drank merrily, the main party watched the celebrations unfold. The entire Party, minus Solaire and Serana, were indulging themselves in the mead as well. Enjoy their victory.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug!" Patches cheered on Subaru.

Slamming down his mug, Subaru laughed, "THISH SHOME GOOOOD SHIT!"

"How much can he handle?!" Sieglinde asked, mildly horrified.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN BEST ME, NATSUKI?!" Aela roared, already quite drunk.

"HELL YEAH!" the tracksuit-wearing Undead shouted. "I BEAT REID FUCKIN' ASTREA AT HIS OWN GAME, I CAN TAKE YOU ON, TOO, YA MANGY MUTT!"

Aela growled and turned to her fellow werewolves. "VILKAS! FARKAS! BRING ME MORE MEAD! I WON'T HAVE THIS UNDEAD TAKE MY CROWN!"

Vilkas merely facepalmed while his brother, Farkas, chuckled as he complied.

"You think they'll be okay?" Erik asked Solaire.

"Let them have their fun. They can deal with the consequences in the morning."

Serana nodded along to the knight's notion. "Mm."

"BRING IT WOLF GIRL! NO BALLS!" Subaru shouted at Aela.

"OH, YEAH? I'VE GOT NO BALLS?! WELL, YOU GOT NO BRAIN, ZOMBIE BOY!"

"WELL, I'M THE SMARTER ONE! WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU?!"

Aela snarled, as she lifted up another mug. "AAAAAAAA—"

The Undead Sage and Werewolf were chugging their mead down as fast they could, with no sign of stopping.

"By the Divines, the stomachs on those two…" Siegmeyer murmured.

Emilia, meanwhile, was having none of this. "Subaru! Enough with the alcohol!"

Emilia stepped forward, seemingly about to put a stop to this farce. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as she sat herself down at the table.

"If anyone's gonna beat you, it's gonna be me!" the half-elf announced.

"LIKE TO SEE YA TRY, MY WAIFU!" Subaru

Soalire chuckled. "Now he can't even tell the difference between her and Satella…"

Patches shrugged. "Or it's some kind of Freudian slip."

Serana looked over to the bald thief. "Freudian?"

"Some Earth neurologist."

"I am not even going to bother asking what that is," Solaire said, already desensitized to Earth stuff at this point.

Patches chuckled a bit. "Probably for the best."

Solaire turned to Serana, who was holding her father's katana and not saying a word.

Solaire cleared his throat a bit. "Serana? What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Serana looked down at the sword. "Oh, you mean this."

Solaire nodded. "Yes, that."

"It's... my Father's sword. He took it from ancient Akaviri warriors from Tamriel. This blade is the last of its kind, as the Akaviri weapons made after are slightly different."

"Ah, a family heirloom?" J'zargo asked.

"Not really, but… this is all I have left to remember him before... his obsession."

"Are you going to keep it?" Oscar asked.

"Yes. Despite everything my Father has done, I want at least something from him to do some good," Serana explained, rubbing her hand along the blade. "Maybe it can help make up for my family's sins..."

Solaire nodded approvingly. "A very honorable notion."

"Back when enchantments were popular, Father imbued it to be able to steal life-force and mana from anyone he used it on and add it to the user. It was the perfect weapon for a battle of attrition." Serana explained as the sword would briefly and periodically glow with a dim red aura.

Erik clicked his tongue. "Sounds like something he'd do."

"Now that Father is gone... I need to go back and get Mother. She's still in the Soul Cairn."

"Wanna do it tomorrow?" Patches offered.

Serana nodded, still tired from everything they went through. "Yeah... today has been exhausting. I'm sure Mother can wait one more day…"

As the others nodded in agreement, they enjoyed the dance-inducing music and the sounds of their comrades' drinking, the party going well into the night.

After a few hours, everyone was knocked out. The ones who didn't partake in the party stayed outside and appreciated the nightly atmosphere.

Serana looked over at the sitting knight. "Solaire… are you still awake?"

"I am," the knight said, his armor moving. "Do you need something?"

Serana bit her lip a bit as she tried to form her words. "I just… wish to thank you."

"What for?"

"For… being there for me. You helped me when I needed it most, and you never asked for anything in return…"

Solaire nodded in response. "Of course, it seemed only natural to help those in need."

Serana looked surprised and a bit skeptical. "Anyone?"

"Yes. Of course, there are those who are undeserving of compassion, but there are many who are deserving, like you."

Serana paused for a bit. "...Me?"

"Yes. You are clearly a good person, regardless of your Vampiric nature. If it weren't for you, then your father would have likely completed the prophecy and plunged the world into eternal night." Solaire spoke with full confidence and certainty, which stunned the vampire princess.

"But, I'm… broken…"

"Perhaps. However, that means you can be healed," the sun-loving knight said to the vampiric princess. "It will take time, but I believe that anything broken can be restored."

Serana was silent for a moment, before she silently crawled towards where Solaire was laying, quietly, so as to not wake the others.

Solaire looked confused by her sudden approach. "Serana?"

"Can you just…hold me?"

Solaire paused at hearing that. "Hold... you?"

Serana looked a bit embarrassed, but also pleading. "Please. I just… need someone to…"

Solaire did so, holding Serana close while she did the same. She expected his armor to be cold, but it was warm. So warm…

"Thank you..."

"Of course. I shall be here whenever you require me or my aid."

The two of them quietly embraced one another, as they closed their eyes, and let the starry night pass them.

The next morning, everyone was getting up from a hangover, especially Subaru, Emilia, and Aela.

Subaru rolled over in the grass. "Uhhh… who won?"

Aela gripped her head in pain. "Ugh... I can't remember…"

"Subaruuu…" the half-elf drawled out.

The Japanese man, meanwhile, groaned. "Oh, not again…"

"Squeeze me," she said, pressing her body up against Subaru's.

Subaru was stunned for a minute as his mind processed that. "...Huh?"

Emilia just stared into his eyes. "Pleeeeeaaase?"

"Does she just get... "excited" when she's drunk?" Patches asked, both joking and seriously asking.

Erik groaned, "Please, not this early in the morning…"

"Emilia, I am not inappropriately touching you," Subaru deadpanned.

Emilia just pouted in annoyance. "I just need to puke all the mead out."

Subaru understood, as he grabbed Emilia's hair. "Alright, let's go find a bush…"

Elsewhere, Sieglinde was getting up. "Mmm… Good morning, father."

"Good morning, Seiglinde... you didn't drink too much, did you?" Siegmeyer asked.

Sieglinde shook her head. "No, I'm perfectly fine."

"This is why J'zargo does not touch mead," the Khajiit said.

"Oh, you're a wet blanket…" Aela chuckled.

"J'zargo is cultured. You are hungover and your clothes look ready to slip off."

"Watch it," the werewolf warned him. "You're not Erik."

J'zargo merely flexed his magic in response. "No, but J'zargo is among the top five strongest beings here."

"Ehhh… you're still a cat," Aela mumbled.

Erik sighed. "Aela, just focus on feeling better."

"Rrrrr… fine."

Serana simply stared. "Wow... you guys really went at it."

"Have you begun to regret it?" Solaire asked.

"Given how they are now?" Serana asked. "Nope."

"BLEEEAAAHHH!"

While Emilia was... attempting to help herself feel better, Subaru was standing beside her to support her. "Yeah, it's always rough in the morning."

"Just keep squeezing my stomach," Emilia groaned.

"Just think happy thoughts," Subaru said, as he kept giving Emilia the Heimlich Maneuver.

"AAAAUUUGH…"

While not seeing it, Solaire could still hear it. "I suppose even heroes of legend and prophecy are not immune to the corrupting power of alcohol," the bucket-helmeted knight jested.

"I'm sure she'll get used to it," Patches said.

"If we have the time," Erik added.

Emilia took a bunch of deep breaths to make herself feel better. "Okay… I think I'm good."

"Just make sure. We wouldn't want a surprise attack in a few minutes." Subaru patted Emilia on the back.

"I can hold down the fort," Oscar said.

The nasty-eyed Undead gave a thumbs-up at that. "Okay, take over, Oscar."

Oscar saluted his chosen master. "Will do, sir."

Subaru turned to the Dawnguard leader. "Isran, we got any water?"

Isran chuckled. "Of course we do, O Great Sage."

"Great... Sage?"

Subaru's blood ran cold as he heard that voice. Turning around, he saw Ralof was standing a couple feet behind him. "How long were you standing there?"

"A couple of minutes," Ralof answered.

Subaru couldn't help but cringe at that. "MMMMM…"

Ralof's expression, meanwhile, said it all. "Wait... You are the Great Sage?!"

"Please keep it on the down-low."

"I... have many questions," Ralof simply said.

Subaru pulled on his hair. "Ugh… shoot."

"Don't worry…" Emilia said. "Ralof's a good person…"

The black-haired Undead just sighed. "Alright… ask your questions."

After ten minutes, Subaru answered all of Ralof's questions and he was left speechless.

"Not what you were expecting?" Subaru asked.

Ralof shook his head. "Not... at all."

"Good. That's how I like it,"

Ralof was silent for a minute before answering. "Although this a lot to process... I will keep this knowledge to myself."

Subaru gave a small smile in return. "Thanks, much appreciated."

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I think we're due for a break," Patches said.

Siegmeyer nodded at the thief's words. "I concur. I need a vacation."

"For once... I think we all need a vacation," Aela said.

Sieglinde agreed with that. "I'm done adventuring for a while."

"All in favor of taking a break from adventuring?" Erik asked.

J'zargo raised his hand. "Aye."

"Here here," the bucket-helmeted knight said.

"I have to go do something first," Serana said.

"Okay... just be careful…" Emilia said.

Serana nodded. "I will."

"I will accompany her." Solaire said.

"Aight, just lemme warp ya," Subaru told them.

After being told where to go, Serana and Solaire were warped back to Castle Volkihar.

Solaire looked around the area. "It's… so quiet."

"Yeah. It's a strange change of pace," Serana admitted.

"I'll leave you to do what you need to."

"You know you can come with me, right?"

Solaire paused for a moment. "Are you certain?"

She smiled softly at him. "Of course I am."

"Very well, if that's what you wish…"

The two made their way up the Castle to Valerica's lab, where the portal to the Soul Cairn was still open.

"Ladies first," Solaire said.

Serana smirked. "Well, aren't you a gentleman."

The two of them went through the portal, and into the dark, dead world of the Soul Cairn.

Solaire couldn't help but admire the scenery. "This... place... it's so…"

"...Otherworldly," Serana finished his sentence.

"And dead…"

"Oh, yeah. That, too."

"And your mother?" Solaire asked. "Where is she?"

"Right behind you."

Solaire and Serana jumped back as Valerica was standing behind them.

"Hello. You must be Serana's friend," Valerica said.

"Indeed. I am Solaire of Astora."

"Hm. So, I take it that it's… done?" Valerica asked, almost hesitant to believe that it was over.

Serana grimly nodded. "It is. Father is gone."

"I see… So you've come for me."

"You don't have to stay in the Soul Cairn anymore," Serana said.

"But… where will I go?" Valerica asked.

"We cannot tell you. That is for you to decide," Solaire said.

Valerica nodded. "Of course. Thank you, regardless."

Solaire nodded back.

"Well… ready to come back?" Serana offered her hand to her mother.

"I... I believe I am," Valerica said, taking her daughter's hand.

Author's Notes: And with that, the Dawnguard Arc is officially over.

(It's finally over! I've been wanting to get through with the Dawnguard arc for a long time.) What happens next is a big surprise, so just enjoy some comments for now!

5queso: That "Multiversal Avengers vs Thanos" thing was a pretty good analogy you used there. Though I'm still glad you enjoyed the last chapter. And university being hell hasn't been more true than it feels right now. Though that might be 'cause I'm sick.

Ferrum Sanguis Pulvis Ignis: Yeah, we've got knights, ninjas, and now assassins of the onion variety. What's next, onion wizards? Also, that's quite the long name you've got.

Kifhjoofff: ¡Ah, sí! ¡Apaga la luz! Encantado de que hayas disfrutado el capítulo.

Anyways, back to the regular old shilling…

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Thanks for reading, and once again, see you next time!

- Ernalore & Infinite the Celestian