(A/N): Wow guys, it's been a while (for those who know me) since I posted anything, Merry Christmas and happy new year for everyone! :D ... sorry, sorry, once again I had next to no time to do anything besides work or homeworks sooo yeah, but hey! At least I mustered enough energy to write this short serie about my other passion besides Kingdom Hearts regarding games, World of Warcraft.

I have read the novels... well, most of them, and I totally fell in love with "Rise of the Lich King", hence the topic of this fiction because there was sooooo much potential for even more developement regarding the Shadowmourne Questline, specially the ending, that I could not keep my creepy little hands away from it.

For some this might look... dunno... cheesy? sometimes too convenient? Well, to you I say: Try to write a half decent fic with as much as 30 minutes to an hour, every three days, before you fell out cold due to sheer tiredness... I'm not trying to be petty here, just have in mind this was the best I could muster, and that the idea seemed cool to share.

Before you start asking, yeah, the name of the protagonist is also the name of my in-game character.

I'll do the disclaimer just this once, the other chapters are short enough to add even more text before the chapter itself. I don't own anything, all characters and etc in WoW belong to Blizzard, all I own is my words.

I won't delay you anymore, go ahead and enjoy.

"Everyone else has already left" he heard a concerned voice say behind him "I think it's time we leave too Lerunastin."

"Go ahead Anandor, I will join you shortly" his voice sounded so tired, but at the same time calm… a hand rested on top of his shoulder, the enchanted metal of his plate armor preventing him from really feeling it there, but its comforting warmth reaching his skin nonetheless.

He smiled.

"The soul of your brother is free at last, resting in the warmth of the light along with the other trapped souls. He would have liked for you lay your own ghosts to rest too… justice has been made, it's time to let old hatreds go."

With that the sound of rustling cloth distanced from him, as his old friend made his way to the portal a Kirin Tor mage had conjured back to Dalaran, leaving him alone at the top of Icecrown Citadel.

Lerunastin shook his head with fondness, a small smile gracing his lips as he regarded the parting words of Anandor. True, he joined the order of the Blood Knights out of spite, being one of the many that lost everything the day Prince Arthas marched upon Quel'Thalas along with his army of the undead, butchering everyone in his path to claim the Sunwell for the scourge. He was still an innocent priest back then, thinking the light had forsaken him as he clutched the body of his younger brother to his chest, time and time again repeating the prayers he had learned from High Priest Vandellor, losing his faith with every failed attempt to bring Viridiel back to life.

So when Lady Liadrin offered an option for those like him, who had lost their way and renegated the light, he immediately jumped to the chance to rise in arms and look for retribution but... so much had happened since then…

No, he had let go of his hatred a long time ago. What kept him standing alone in the peak of this frozen land was something entirely different.

Shadowmourne felt heavy in his hands, the souls trapped within the axe, even if already doomed when he harvested them, weighted down on his very own soul along with the profane infusions empowering it... a dark weapon forged to stand against another, to rise against those who deserved the light's judgement and to protect their victims.

A burden he would humbly carry from now on in memory of those fallen to the blade that merited it's forging.

"Hello again Lerunastin" a kid's voice said next to him.

"Hello… Mathias" he answered without batting an eyelash, the kid giggling at the way he said his name as he walked towards the corpse still lying in the ground.

"So you already suspected… how long?"

"The time you appeared after I picked up Light's Vengeance… light started to emanate from the weapon, albeit faint, even after all this time. The light might be blind, but it is not stupid..."

The boy just nodded, staring down at Arthas' body, before reaching down to the armor and picking up a small sealed box from within and throwing it in his direction.

He would have thought it was a piece of metal if not for the rattling sound of something inside.

"Frostmourne- no, Gul'dan did something horrible to his soul. Fragmented it… shattered it, all goodness in him was twisted beyond recognition as madness overtook his mind, but he never stopped feeling, even if he tried to convince himself he did."

"That's no justification for all the atrocities he committed, or the lives he destroyed."

"True" said the kid with a shrug "if anything it makes his actions even more despicable, but... regret is the first step towards redemption, right?"

"What?"

"Maybe they won't understand, but it was you who delivered the final blow so I'll be content if you do."

"What are you talking about?"

"Once you open that box you'll find out" Once he said that the boy vanished with the wind.

Lerunastin stared at the spot Mathias Lehner had occupied, now with even more questions than before… Tirion Fordring had looked inside Arthas' heart and deemed him beyond redemption, so what was inside the small box that Tirion missed? Was that kid even the spirit of Arthas Menethil, as he thought? Or at least of whatever goodness left in him?

He shook his head and turned to leave, now eager to know the answers held inside the box, pointedly ignoring the frozen image of Bolvar Fordragon sitting on the Lich King's throne. Both had died today, that was all he knew.

"Anara'nel belore!"(Enchantment to summon the phoenix) He chanted loudly as he threw ashes from a pouch on his belt to the air, seeing them ignite in midair and group in front of him, the flames taking the shape of the phoenix that once bonded with Prince Kael'Thas, until his defeat in Tempest Keep.

Al'ar patiently waited for him to mount.

"Are you ready to go home Invincible?" He heard Mathias say one last time somewhere behind him, immediately answered with a happy neigh, followed by the sound of hooves running away.

"Al diel shala, Arthas"(Safe travel, Arthas) Lerunastin muttered before ordering Al'ar to take him back to the entrance of Icecrown Citadel, where he knew Highlord Darion Mograine would be waiting to hear the news from his own mouth.