Still not-owning Blizz stuff.

Ariki clung to her giant sword with one hand and clutched her body with the other. Soundless thunder reverberated through her entire body. She tumbled, limp, as the ground gave way and rolled. Mist swirled, blinded her even as she swept her way through its tendrils. It stopped as suddenly as it started, and she struggled to her feet.

Ariki felt oddly detached. Where once she felt no thoughts but that of her master's willing, she now had an empty head. Her thoughts drifted, until she was staring up at the sky.

Where was she?

It couldn't be death. There was no pain before she blacked out, nothing but a strange warmth. And the Val'kyr would had blown their horns for her- Olrun had promised her personally of that.

Crouching, Ariki rested her elbows on her knees and weighed her options. This world looked nearly endless, though not entirely empty. A tree sat entirely motionless some ways behind her, and-

The tree hadn't been there a moment a go. Rising, the Death Knight moved towards the colorless plant. As she neared it, another tree faded into existence where she had been moments before.

She inspected the two trees, and would have missed the hill rising beneath her had she not seen the cobbled together rocks that came together to form a path at her feet. Raising an eyebrow, she heard a small shuffling sound, and turned to see a chapel rise before her, windows and doors and even flowers forming themselves as if shaped from the mists.

And everything remained colorless.

Now the forest was thickening, though there was a small clearing before the church. Benches came together, grass inched from the ground, and slowly, the slowest yet, pools of some dark liquid splashed themselves across the ground to either side of the now slightly raised path.

Ariki sent another glance around the small vale, finding it somewhat familiar, and strode over to one of the pools. Upon inspection, she determined that it must be some sort of bodily fluid, judging by the splatter shape and way it coated the grass.

A beam of light slowly began to shed light on the clearing. Now utterly bewildered, the knight did nothing but watched as shapes pulled existence from the mists.

They had a humanoid outline. One was gesturing slowly. Next to him, a ball of light floated, big enough to contain a large enough amount that it may hurt should she touch it. Edging away, Ariki jumped when the shapes became more defined, and she recognized the chapel.

It was Light's Hope.

Memories swarmed her, breaking the calm spell that had been shielding her mind.

Stumbling through the doors, another human dying inches in her wake. Books were scattered along the tables and parts of the ground. A priest jumped her. One swipe of her blade and his soul slipped away. Light, pure Light, at the back of the chapel. She paused briefly, but resolutely charged on, hearing the man sigh almost humorously at her weak attack. Throwing her energy into as much ice into her armor, massing her might and roaring as she swung, meeting air. Spinning, panting, almost frantic. Grabbing him with shadow hands, pulling him back against the wall. An attendee shouted and rushed her. She threw him into the ceiling, caught him on the way down, strangling him as she froze her target to the wall.

"Ariki," he whispered. She dropped the attendee, snarling, to advance.

"None shall stand against the might of the Lich King." She growled. He stared into her eyes, and she into his.

He was old. Old, wise, tired. Very tired. He broke through the ice and she swung again, bringing hands out of the ground to grapple with his robes. A wave of his hand, her attempts swept away.

Blackness.

Tirion had her body. Tirion had her body, encased in pure Light. Was killing her.

Pain seeped through her body, creeping its tendrils into her mind and making her muscles spasm against her will. Fury. She thrashed against her confines. Helplessness. She struck a hand from her prison, grabbed his shoulder. Fire swept along her appendage, making her scream, though no sound was emitted.

He didn't know he was killing her. Stupid human was too old. Just wanted to hold her. He was killing her.

And she was dead. She had to be. Ariki watched as Darion looked at her still twitching body worriedly, and then at two figures being held captive, though by mere human hands rather than pure Light.

She jerked forward a few steps, past her own body, stood over Thassarian and Koltira. They had fought to reach her...

Figures surging against the Light. One fell, one reached out.

A reassuring coolness seeped from where he managed to brush her hand. Coolness that eased the raging fire. Ice, wonderful, protecting ice. And thoughts swarmed her in a rush...

'Not her. By my life not her, not yet! Stop, please, stop, just spread the fire. Give it to me, spare her.

Doesn't know, doesn't understand. Not her fault. Spare her, time. Need time. Must fight...

Please... Ariki...'

Feelings too, though they were gone as soon as they had come. Hidden things, hidden from father...

Father!

Her eyes frantically swept over the captured figure. If their master knew he cared for another than the Scourge as a whole... He would be destroyed. There were no excuses. Nothing could save him. Not unless...

She turned to Tirion, tried to reach him with her dead hands. They swept through him.

Then darkness. Darkness and a different kind of fire.

Father came. She ran to his side. Arthas would call her back to life. He needed her.

Sure enough...

"Ariki."

And she closed her eyes, smiling grimly. The humans would die.

She was released from the blinding Light and heat. Gasping, she threw herself away from Tirion, past a stunned Darion who merely whispered her name, to collapse before her sire.

"My leige, Arthas, I tried, sire..."

He nodded at her, and laughed. "How easy it was to lure the great Tirion Fordring out of hiding."

Darion seemed to be shocked still, and was staring at Arthas as though his world was crumbling away. Ariki rose slowly, grinning in triumph. What was wrong with Mograine? They had won. Arthas was here, could destroy all the humans. Why was he so stunned?

"You're a damned monster, Arthas."

Thassarian was on his knees, shaking his head at Ariki. In fact, now that she cared to look, all of the Death Knights were standing by Darion, and not Arthas.

What was this?

The pull of Arthas' control stifled her thoughts like they never existed. She rattled slightly, her balance wavered, and she looked back at her liege. He pressed the mantra of the Scourge onto her, his frosty eyes boring into her as his will dominated her wild one.

All was for the Scourge, for the Lich King. We, the entity of doom, bring cleansing evil to the land. There is nothing but the Lich King. There is nothing but service to the Lich King. All will fall before the unstoppable might of the Scourge.

She bowed slowly, accepting his word as law. She was his chosen, she was to obey.

But then, the Night Elf, at the far back of the gathering, began to weep. Ariki turned, and her eyes cleared for a moment.

The Light, the Holy fire that had killed her, was no so different from the Unholy fire that brought her back. Her allies were now her enemies, and what did that make her enemies?

You are under my command.

His cold grasp chained her to him, but she sought out Darion's eyes. He too was of the chosen few, he too had undying loyalty. Why now did he stand against Arthas?

The sacrifice of few for the better of many.

Stunned, she met Darion's gaze. He was strong now, strong as he stood and faced Arthas. Sacrifice Darion? What for?

Her constant barrage of questions wheedled at the Lich King. The smallest drop of doubt left a small, small opening for Darion.

It was now his voice that rang clear in Ariki's mind. He would have sacrificed you as well, sister.

Instantly she denied it. Arthas' grip pulled her closer, further from Darion and the rogue Death Knights. He was not the terrible fire, he was the safe ice of protection. He barricaded her from Darion, snarling.

Ariki's eyes glazed over as her mentality frayed.

Arthas clung to Ariki's unmoving body. He had already lost her once to doubt and once to death by Light. She was more than a simple Death Knight. Her mind was a precious gem that tumbled into his claw, and no small human would steal her from him.

"You are killing her, Arthas."

Darion sounded resigned, if tense. He clenched and unclenched his hand, gaze flicking to the female as she swayed. How could she stand by that monster when he had just sent her to her death? He tried calling to her again, softer this time, but Arthas clutched her closer.

Tirion was saying something. Arthas laughed tightly, and responded. Darion could hardly ignore the situation, but he would not let Arthas walk away with any of those he betrayed.

Ariki was not one to be left behind.

Arthas cast Darion aside like he was a toy, chuckling at the weak attempt. As if by physically distracting him, he could jar the mental prison. Ariki was his, and Tirion's soul beckoned to him.

Falling to her knees, Ariki watched, torn, as Darion was knocked away. He was trying to get to her, she knew it. Arthas was protecting her, this she also knew. Gasping, she buried her head into her hands, emitting more ice to cover her body.

Nothing could end the chaos, she suddenly realized. From the moment her mind was severed from the Lich's in the prison, she had not been the same. And now, the gap between their connection brought her a turmoil of problems.

He will kill you.

She shook her head, and Arthas blasted Tirion. No, she wanted to say, he won't My liege needs me.

The Ashbringer was caught by Tirion. Light flooded the clearing, and she stumbled away, fear emanating from her bond with Arthas. Both were afraid.

"This is not over." Her master hissed, and began to teleport the two of them away.

Darion, nearly passed out, tried once more to cut her from his control. Using the last of his energy, he threw himself against the barrier protecting her mind, until one final thought answered one of her questions.

The elf, on the other side of the clearing, looked up, confusion spreading all over his face, and pain twisting it into a frown.

Ariki fell to her knees as Arthas disappeared.

"No amount of chaos will stop us, brothers and sisters." Darion told them as he summoned a portal to Acherus. "We will take back the keep, and repay Arthas what he has done to us!"

The hoarse cheer that rose in reply was bedraggled. Ariki was staring into space, motionless. Thassarian gently took her elbow, steered her into the swirling blackness and steadied her at the balcony. Darion sent wave's of the rogue Knights down to the lower levels, and Koltira sent a glance at Thassarian before warping through the rose colored light.

From horseback, Darion beckoned Ariki. She drifted to his side, staring over his shoulder into space.

"Our will is our own, Sister."

His tone implied that she was more Sister to him than those females he sent to destroy Patchwerk. Her head tilted as she puzzled through why that was.

"Thassarian, is she…"

"Broken?" The once-human queried. Darion nodded, watching with unease as an icicle fell from her form. "No, not yet. Give her time. She did not want freedom."

Freedom. She shuddered. Freedom from safety? Who would want such a thing?

"She will see, then. Bring her to Patch."

Led by Thassarian still, Ariki drifted to the lower levels, where few Val'kyr were fighting and few had joined the rogue forces. Patchwerk was laying waste to all who came near, friend, foe, and all in between. Ariki watched the battle with little interest, until she realized Thassarian had gone.

With a small glance around herself, she inhaled for the first time since Arthas left her. Death hung heavy as ever in the dank air, and she moved with unnatural grace towards her first victim.

It happened to be a Val'kyr who still fought for the Lich. Ariki gripped her prey with shadow hands and pulled the screaming female across the ground.

"Why didn't you bring me back!"

The Val'kyr shuddered and screamed again, calling for her sisters to save her even as Ariki's claw dug into her ethereal side, holding her down. Merciless, the Death Knight gripped the still moving jaw of her enemy, bringing their gazes to meet. "Why did he not sacrifice you?"

And the jaw was detached from its owners head, cutting off the scream but starting the gurgling. Ariki bashed her crown in with the bone and leapt without looking onto a lumbering hulk of an Abomination.

"You are not worthy of existence!"

Her blade swept from its head and down its middle, spraying fluids across the floor.

As she stood over the corpse, Patchwerk slung another wave of attackers from his area, sending a few tumbling to Ariki's feet. She considered destroying them, too, until Koltira rolled to his back and moaned, gripping his ribs.

She landed on Patchwerk's back, digging her blade between one shoulder and another arm and tearing the skin open as she fell. When the beast turned, roaring, she slid on his fluids, out of reach of his attacks, and caught his leg on a claw. Catlike, she climbed up his mountainous side, halting at his neck. Gripping the lumpy head, she screamed and twisted.

Every sentient being in the vicinity with a hearing ability fell to the ground. The room fell silent, and that silence allowed the sound of Patchwerks head hitting the ground echo on the walls with a faint, "What happen to… Patch?"

Panting, she stood in the middle of the wreckage, blade in one hand and claws extended in the other. The blood on her armor had frozen, and was flaking off as she breathed.

Upstairs, Darion Mograine smirked.

Well, all apologies for the wait. I feel unsatisfied with this chapter, but I don't know if that can be helped.

If it appears that I am rushing through the main plot points so far, it's because I am. This story isn't about how she was a death knight that sides with Mograine. This story is about the aftermath. All this? Basically prologue and background.

And I am trying to wake up the plot bunny to help me out a bit. But my dad has hijacked my account and has just found the joy that is raid groups and ten man dungeons and bosses and… well, let's just say you are a lot more likely to find Raycharles out and about on Quel'Dorei, questing and having fun at lvl 80. He's a nice guy, if you want to join up with him, but don't get between him and his ore. The man is an addict.