Aniyu: Okay, before anyone gets on to me about timeline discrepancies and canon lore; I am very much aware that nothing about this fic is canon. And since I have had a lot of trouble finding an accurate, basic timeline for World of Warcraft, chances are I screwed up when Kael'thas' death at the Magisters' Terrace actually happened.
Anayi: So please, just take this as...a sort of headcannon. Pointless flames will not be tolerated; otherwise reviews of all sizes are welcome.
Aniyu: Has light mention of Kael'thas/Jaina, and sort of acknowledgement of Arthas/Jaina.
Anayi: Aniyu does not own World of Warcraft at all, so please don't sue. Enjoy!
Last Moments
Kael'thas Sunstrider, self-proclaimed king and former prince of the Blood Elves, fell back with a heavy thud, his breaths shallow and his blood creeping across the floor. As his life force steadily drained, so did the insanity, the corruption that had gripped him for so long. For the first time in years, his mind was truly his own again and grief gripped him.
I... What have I done...? What have I become...?...I ignored the warnings, became such a monster... Instead of saving my people, I damn near destroyed them... Kael'thas mentally sneered at himself in disgust as the face of the man he had despised the most in his life flashed through his mind. I am no better than that bastard Arthas...
Inevitably, thinking of Arthas made Kael'thas' thoughts turn to the woman both of them had loved. He recalled the soft gold of her hair and the deep sapphire of her eyes...and the gentle warmth of her smile. He could practically see her before him, sitting beside him to keep him company in his final moments.
A tiny sigh escaped the elf's lips. Such a thing would never be possible... Though I do not doubt she would be so kind, she is in Northrend dealing with Arthas...
"Kael?"
And now I am hearing things, Kael'thas silently groaned, wondering why he found it necessary to torture himself before death. But his breath caught as he felt the unmistakable warmth of a gentle hand on his cheek. Blinking slightly to focus his slowly dimming sight, his eyes widened slightly as he took in what he had previously thought was a vision of his imagination.
Her hair, while longer than he remembered, was still the same soft gold; her eyes, bright with unshed tears, were the same deep sapphire; and her touch was still delicate yet steady.
"Kael, can you hear me?"
She...is really here... "Jaina... To think I would...be granted the...chance to see you one last time," Kael'thas replied softly, weakly, as his body continued to slowly shut down.
Jaina Proudmoore gave her dying friend a soft smile even as tears began to slip down her face. "With how we parted, I would not blame you if you wished never to see me again..."
Unsure where he found the strength to do so, Kael'thas managed to lift one of his hands up to hold the hand she held on his cheek. "Even in the midst of my madness...one of the things I regretted...was how we parted. You...were not to blame...for what happened to my people...to my homeland... Nor were you to blame...for what He...became... I should not have...lashed out at you when...you were only trying to help."
"Logically, I know you are right... But I still cannot help but feel I should have been able to stop him," Jaina admitted quietly. "If I had..."
Kael'thas chuckled weakly. "Life is...too unpredictable to dwell on 'what if'... I think I recall telling you that...once before..."
That drew a laugh from Jaina. "Yes, you did, when I had been wondering aloud what I would have been, had I obeyed my father and given up my pursuit of a mage's life."
A wistful smile settled on Kael'thas' face at the memory, part of his heart longing to go back in time to those simple days. But he knew that was not possible and that he had little time left, so he sighed. "Dear Jaina, my time is nearly done... Before I pass on, there...are some things I wish...for you to find."
Jaina nodded her understanding, her eyes gaining that attentive look Kael'thas remembered so fondly from her days as an apprentice. "There is a pair...of hidden compartments in the wall...behind the translocation orb behind us... One of them holds valuable information...about the forces guarding the Sunwell(1)... The other has...the last egg Al'ar created with his mate(2)...before she perished... It has not been corrupted yet... I wish for you to keep it, Jaina...as my last gift to you."
Tears fell faster down her face as Jaina nodded and Kael'thas continued before she could thank him. "The last thing I want you...to find is my family's runeblade, Felo'melorn(3)... There is a hidden room in the final chamber of...Tempest Keep, at the very back... There will be seals you are familiar with hiding the door... Felo'melorn is on a weapon rack inside that room... When you find it, please...give it to Lor'themar Theron along with this message... In death, I regret what my actions...have caused my people to suffer... Safe guard this blade until a...champion is chosen to lead the assault against... the Lich King, Arthas...as Felo'melorn is able to stand against...Frostmourne. And when he falls, with Felo'melorn in hand...lead our people...to the bright future I should have sought... Can you do this for me...Jaina?"
"Of course," Jaina replied with a hitch in her breath as she withheld a sob. "And...thank you, for everything you taught me, and gave me. No matter what anyone says, and no matter the things you have done since we last parted, I will always remember you as one of my dearest friends and mentors."
The gratitude Kael'thas felt at her pledge nearly made him tear up, but he refused to let those tears gather. "I do not deserve such a thing...but thank you, Jaina."
There was silence for a long moment, aside from Kael'thas' slowing breaths and Jaina's near silent crying, before Kael'thas spoke one last time and Jaina had to lean down a bit to hear him. "Had things been different...I would have asked for you to...be my Queen, Jaina..."
By this time, his sight was practically gone, but he could easily picture the surprise that crossed her face at his confession. As the last of his senses slipped away, Kael'thas heart felt comforted by the last thing he heard her say.
"Had you done so...I would have said yes..."
END
Aniyu: There. Short, simple, and I like to think it's sweet. Incase anyone is wondering, I really just did not like Arthas...Not entirely sure why, just something about his entire character rubbed me the wrong way. The only thing I did like about him was his apparent adoration of his steed, Invincible, as portrayed in the book written about him. Therefore it should not be a surprise that I'm not a fan of Arthas/Jaina; hence the mention of Kael'thas/Jaina.
Anayi: That being said, do not feel as if she was trying to bash Arthas during this. She isn't, but we're pretty sure Kael'thas does not have a positive view of the undead prince.
Aniyu: Hope you enjoyed this short one-shot (or does it count as a drabble?). Please R&R!
(1) Though I don't recall finding documents of any kind whenever I've run Magisters' Terrace, it's my headcannon that Kael'thas is very OCD about having a report about anything that affects his plans.
(2) Kael'thas drops a Phoenix Hatchling companion pet in Magisters' Terrace, hence my idea to have him give her a phoenix egg.
(3) It really really bugs me that we have no definite information of what happened to Felo'melorn, so I came up with an idea. Yes, I am aware of the speculation that the two-handed sword Twinblade of the Phoenix, dropped by the Kael'thas in Tempest Keep, is Felo'melorn, but that's just not good enough for me.