Disclaimer - I do not own Warcraft
Seas of Azeroth
A huge amount of arcane energy was released that it lit up even the midnight skies of Azeroth. Everyone in the world who wasn't asleep saw it. After ten days of waiting, the final battle was about to begin
In the skies where the energies came from, gargoyles were sent from the Broken Isles at it was revealed that the seas of Azeroth began separating. Down below, there was a large city and the ground around it was slowly rising, encircling the city. The gargoyles saw that the ones inhabiting the city and even they appeared not to know what was happening
The seafloor was slowly beginning to rise high enough to isolate the underwater city and much more of the ocean floor, leaving it vulnerable to an attack by the outside world. It almost looked like a dam was created by the magics that was responsible for these changes. Rather than simply block an area, the dam like landscape ended up revealing an underwater city and preventing any of the waters from covering it up. The magics have also ensured that whoever was in the underwater city would not be able to climb up the landscape easily. From Great Dark Beyond, it looked like a massive sinkhole has appeared in the ocean
What everyone did not know is that the waters of Azeroth have begun to separate and reveal the underwater city long before the earthquakes even occured. In a hidden underwater cave, Azshara was there conducting the spell in order to leave her city, Nazjatar, vulnerable to the Scourge. With her were the Tidestone of Golganneth, which she used to separate the waters and the Hammer of Khaz'goroth, which she used to transform the landscape. No one knows about the cave except for the queen so while the ritual took hours to bring to fruition, there was no danger of anyone interrupting her
Orgrimmar
At the Horde's capital, Vereesa and Kael paid a visit. They arrived a few minutes earlier after searching for Jaina in the areas near Theramore. When they didn't find a single clue to her whereabouts, the two went to Durotar and the Horde were extremely confused and wary at their visit especially since it was almost midnight by the time they arrived in Durotar. When they explained the situation to the Horde guards, they let them into the city without further questions
"Are you sure she did not come here, Thrall?" Kael asked worriedly
"No, I am certain she was not here." Thrall answered. "Ever since the events in Pandaria, I haven't heard anything from Jaina. I thought she would be depressed after losing Arthas to the Old Gods."
"She was. When they got back, she just stayed in her room without even coming out." Vereesa pointed out. "Earlier, she just vanished. The guards said Jaina never left her room ever since we got back and they only found out when they were bringing him dinner."
"Then I guess that settles it." Kael said. "She has gone to the Scourge in the hopes of asking for their help." he said and caused Thrall to frown, something which did not go unnoticed. "What is it, Thrall?"
"I don't think that Jaina went to the Scourge for help." Thrall answered. His words only made the two Alliance members worry even more. "Illidan does not owe us anything and Arthas has no relevance in his goals. Jaina also has nothing worthwhile to offer the Scourge so it is doubtful that they would even consider saving Arthas. Jaina should be aware of that which can only mean that..."
"That she wants to try and save Arthas before Illidan gets to him and she might get herself killed." Vereesa finished
Before any further words could be spoken, the skies suddenly lit up which they saw through the building's windows. They didn't need to say anything as they all went out
"That..." Kael muttered, recognizing what the lights were. "Was a release of a massive amount of arcane energy."
"Could it be Illidan?" Vereesa wondered in surprise before taking note that the Horde seems to be preparing for something
"It is possible." Thrall said. "However, what is certain is that this is the battle that the Scourge had mentioned would happen." he pointed out while recalling Dranosh's report
Silvermoon
Through the eyes of the gargoyles sent to the area, Illidan observed everything carefully. Upon seeing the expressions of the naga, any doubts he had that this could be the naga finally breaking N'zoth's prison was gone as they too were very startled. 'Azshara was really serious about not having any loyalty to the Old Gods.' he thought while observing the confused faces of the naga through the gargoyles. He was amused when he found Arthas in the city, looking very confused at what was happening. His attention was soon taken when Illysanna and more of his own subordinates arrived at the level of the fortress where he was
"Illidan." Illysanna called out. "What is happening?"
"The final battle." Illidan replied simply. "It has finally arrived. The seafloor has somehow been changed so that it forms what appears to be a dam around an underwater city. I don't have to tell you who would be capable of something like that."
"Azshara..." muttered Malygos
"Arthas is there as well." Illidan said, surprising the rest. "Head to the gunships and necropolises. Tell Allari and the others to attack as well. This is, without a doubt, the final battle." he ordered and everyone scrambled. 'If we somehow get rid of N'zoth now, the only problem would be what to do with C'thun.' he thought while everyone else was moving out
Before they went to the gunships, Illysanna went down to their new recruits. "Jace, Varedis, Asha, you three remain here. Valeera, you're with us." she ordered
"Why are you not taking them?" Valeera asked, already knowing where they would go
"We can't risk you three losing control of yourself. It's only been a week since you became like us and they're more volatile than Vandel was during training." Illysanna explained and to her surprise, they didn't really argue. "Rivendare, Anya, keep an eye on them, alright?" she asked and the two individuals nodded. "Let's go, Valeera."
"But if they're staying, why am I coming?" Valeera asked again
"Because you don't want to be a demon hunter so there is no risk of you losing control of yourself." Illysanna answered her. "This would be a good chance for you to experience for yourself how we do things and see if you are willing to work with us. If you aren't then you'll be free to return to the Alliance if we win this battle."
Valeera just stared at the demon hunter in deep thought. All her thoughts about the Scourge have slowly begun to change. She was among the group that they had let go with Nathanos without conditions but only a warning. Now, the Scourge has proven that they really keep their word and her hunger for magic has been greatly remedied thanks to Illidan's knowledge. "Alright, Illysanna. I'll come." she said before looking at her three companions and giving them a farewell nod as she wasn't too confident she would survive this
A few minutes later, a Scourge fleet of five necropolises and four gunships were flying towards the the area where the seas and the ocean floor was manipulated
'Illysanna, meet me at the top deck.' Illidan said mentally. A few minutes later, the demon hunter in question and the one Illidan saw as his surrogate daughter arrived. When she noticed that they were alone, she instantly knew exactly what this was about
"Illidan, are you ready for this?" Illysanna asked, concerned about him
"I honestly don't know." Illidan said, causing her to frown. "Fighting Arthas and the rest of the naga is one thing but I'm not sure what I'll do if I face Vashj in battle."
'Naga, huh? So that's what Azshara and the others call themselves now.' Illysanna thought
"Listen, Illysanna. I need you to do something for me." Illidan said. "During the battle, I need you to find Vashj and knock her out, or at the very least, ensure that she cannot participate in the battle."
"And if I fail?" Illysanna asked, taking into account the worst
Closing his eyes and what was probably the hardest thing he had to say, Illidan replied. "Kill her."
Illysanna could see the hurt on his face and immediately knew how hard it was for him to give that order. However, she had to be ready for what happens as she knew full well that no plan ever survives contact with the enemy and regardless of what happens, they both knew that dying would be preferable than serving the Old Gods. "Alright, Illidan. I'll try my best but I can't promise you that I will succeed. However, I don't think I'll be able to do this alone. I will need some help to do this."
"Take whoever you need and make sure it is someone you trust." Illidan answered, having a very good feeling on who she would ask
"Thanks." Illysanna replied. "I take it you'll be the one to handle Arthas?"
This time, Illidan smirked. He was more than ready to face the possessed prince in combat. "That's what I've been planning since the beginning. After all, why else would Y'Shaarj need a vessel if not to increase their odds to stand against us?" he pointed out. Illysanna then nodded and began to leave. "Illysanna." he called out before she could get more than a few feet away, causing her to stop and turn around. "Thank you."
Illysanna didn't know how to respond to that. She had never seen him in such a vulnerable way. He had always made himself look like a calculating and calm but never an emotional one. Illidan did tell him about why he had isolated himself at the fortress' peak and she still wasn't used to it. The only reason Illysanna is even willing to help him save Vashj is because she knew that if she was in his position, Illidan would help her without a second thought. "You're welcome." she replied awkwardly and took her leave
Illidan was rather surprised at her response but figured that she wasn't used to seeing him like this. He still kept some secrets from her but he was really grateful that Illysanna understood that this was something very dear to him
In the meantime, Illysanna made her way to the bridge of the gunship they were on. "Kor'vas." she called out, getting said persons attention. She then tilted her head in the direction of a nearby empty hallway and began walking towards it
Kor'vas understood and followed her friend. "What is it, Illysanna?" she asked curiously
"I need a favor from you and I need you to keep it between us." Illysanna said. Her friend merely nodded for her to continue. "I'll just give a short explanation. One of Azshara's handmaidens, Lady Vashj, is actually Illidan's lover, or something along that line. He hasn't told me the details of what's going on between them but since Azshara is still alive, Vashj is alive as well and under the Old Gods control. He wants me to find her and ensure that she doesn't cause too much trouble for us."
Upon hearing what Illysanna said, Kor'vas couldn't believe it. She never would have guessed that Illidan actually had someone close to him. For as long as Kor'vas had known him, he never gave off that kind of impression. "I understand. Of course I'll help you." she replied. Illysanna was surprised at how little it took to convince Kor'vas of this. "Come on, Illysanna. I'm not just doing this because you're the one asking me. I too feel like I owe Illidan for the chance to actually fight for this world and we both know that if we asked him for something similar, he would help us as well." she replied, completely repeating what Illysanna had thought about earlier. Illysanna gave her a grateful nod and they both went back to the bridge
Nazjatar, the Underwater City
As soon as the spell burst into the sky, the Scourge forces in the Broken Isles have already moved to attack. Only minutes after the sky was lit up, one of the necropolis was already in the air and inside was an undead army. Alongside the necropolis were a few sky barges and in one of them were Jaina and Uther. Since Illidan's group would arrive later, the duo decided that this would be their best and only opportunity to save Arthas. The moment Illidan and Arthas meet, they knew that the odds of the prince being saved would be next to none
When the Broken Isles' Scourge group finally drew near, multiple lightning bolts were thrown into the sky from the city. Ymiron then ordered the necropolis to return fire and dropped down an icicle storm, killing the ones who were hit almost immediately. Frost wyrms and gargoyles soon deployed down towards their enemies to secure a foothold for the rest of their grounded army
The frost wyrms and gargoyles were met by powerful underwater creatures, the hydras, who looked like a mix of giant snakes and dragons. Before a foothold for the Scourge was secured, the necropolis already began to descend all the while continuing to shoot large blasts of ice at their enemies. It also shot large amounts of flesh that transformed into flesh golems upon impact. The necropolis itself soon came under attack from flying hydras and couatl. An battle for aerial dominance soon began between the Scourge and the naga
At the largest building in the city, Lady Vashj looked from the window in her room. Ever since Arthas had arrived, she had locked herself in her room, dreading what was to come. She was more surprised that Y'Shaarj didn't even bother to call for her throughout this whole time. When the small earthquakes began, Vashj didn't pay it any heed but when the waters were suddenly moving away, she quickly looked to her window to see what was happening but it happened so quick that by the time she made sense of what was happening, the waters have already separated and Nazjatar was already being isolated. 'Is Azshara the one responsible for this or is it Illidan?' she wondered, fear already filling her. Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud knock on the door was heard. Using her magics, she opened it without moving towards it
A male naga soon entered her room. "Lady Vashj. It's the undead. They've begun attacking us. The masters have demanded us defend the city to the last snake." he said before leaving
Vashj let out a sigh. "Of course Y'Shaarj would do that." she muttered. As much as she didn't want to fight, she had no choice. There was also the fact that this would be her first ever real battle. Being Azshara's handmaiden, she has never been in any actual battle. Not only was this her first battle, it was also against what could possibly be the most powerful force in all of Azeroth after the Old Gods themselves. Swallowing her fear and nervousness, Vashj slithered out of her room to join the battle
In the meantime, the Scourge forces has already dropped off their ground forces even though the necropolis hasn't landed yet. A brutal battle soon began between the grounded warriors of both sides while in the air, the frost wyrms, blue dragons and gargoyles have their hands full with the naga's aerial troops. Ymiron, Anub'arak and Maiev have already dropped down and began engaging the naga while Allari, Candrael and Sevis took to the skies and aided the frost wyrms
"Where in the hell is Uther?" Maiev suddenly asked when she took note of who was present
"Lord Illidan had informed me of what happened." Olrun answered her while summoning some skeletons. "Jaina Proudmoore has made her way into the Broken Isles. I imagine the both of them are looking for Arthas right now."
"That damn human. I'll have his head for this." Maiev growled out before instantly killing a small group of naga by creating large icicles
"If Arthas doesn't find them first." Anub'arak bluntly commented, causing the former warden to grow confused
"Why bother going after them both?" Ymiron pointed out. "Our only goal is to buy time for Lord Illidan and the others to arrive. If they find Arthas, then all the better for us. They'll get themselves killed but they'll also keep him busy."
The necropolis they were on finally landed thanks to the foothold created by the four of them although it did suffer damage. The rest of the undead forces soon came out and began aiding in the battle. Since this was the final battle and the fact that the naga aren't direct spawns from the Old Gods unlike the faceless ones or the mantid, the necromancers were given the clear to reanimate the fallen naga
From one of the sky barges, Jaina teleported herself and Uther down to the ground. They hid themselves among the large icicles created from the necropolis' attacks
"Arthas isn't here." Jaina noted, observing the battle
"We'll have to find him then before anyone else does." Uther said. Jaina nodded as she turned them both invisible. Before long, both of them realized that the invisibility spell was all for naught. The naga have their own protective spells even against these kinds of things and they were quickly attacked
"Stay behind me, Jaina." Uther said as he drew his sword, knowing that Jaina can't fight in the melee
Rather than do nothing, Jaina began releasing powerful arcane spells which began killing the naga and their mur'gul slaves but after a few minutes, she was soon overpowered when the naga's own spellcasters targetted her. The archmage was barely able to erect a shield to block the incoming attacks but even that didn't last too long
"Uther! We have to-" Jaina said but her shield broke and she was hit by a lightning bolt
The death knight, who was trying not to get killed by the naga's melee warriors, looked towards the archmage and found her about to be killed by the naga. Uther then released a small burst of ice magic that forced back his attackers before creating an anti magic shield around her. Taking advantage of the distraction, he made a run for her. "Jaina." he called out as she was only getting up. "We have to go before we're overwhelmed."
"I need a minute." Jaina groaned as the lightning hurt her a lot. The duo soon began moving away from their immediate enemies. All they really needed was to give Jaina the time she needed to recover her strength. "I'm ready." she said and began casting a teleportation spell that would return them to where the rest of the Scourge was. However, before the spell could take hold, dark magics surrounded it and forced it to stop. "What?!" Jaina asked in complete surprise
The answer soon revealed when strong footsteps were heard heading towards them. The nagas were snakes and when they slither, they don't make footsteps. There was only one conclusion as to who they belonged to
"Arthas..." Jaina said in surprise
"Lad..." Uther muttered, finally seeing the corrupted form of his student
"You actually dare attack us directly?" Arthas growled in anger, drawing his blade, fully intending on taking his anger out on the two before him. Y'Shaarj was already getting frustrated that he was nowhere close to releasing N'zoth after ten days and now, one of their last two strongholds is under attack. "At least there will be more who will serve us."
"Arthas, please. Give it up." Uther begged. Like with many other individuals, hearing something is completely different from seeing it yourself
"Arthas is already gone." the corrupted prince said before unleashing a huge amount of dark magics. Jaina barely managed to erect a shield but both of them were thrown away and her shield instantly shattered. Arthas then motioned for the nearby naga to fight the other undead and to leave these two to him, which they obeyed. An arcane bolt soon got his attention and Uther was already in front of him, trying to cut him down. The prince parried this easily before using his magics to force the death knight back. "Do you honestly think that you two have what it takes to end Arthas' miserable life?"
The answer soon came when a huge amount of arcane energy was shot at Arthas' back. It was so powerful that it actually drew blood, black blood in fact. "Does that answer your question, Y'Shaarj?" Jaina said before blasting him again
This time, Uther was able to inflict an injury upon Arthas' torso. "We know Arthas well, Y'Shaarj. He would prefer to die than to serve the likes of you!" he growled before firing a death coil at him
Now growing annoyed, Arthas created minions made out of pure darkness to fight off Jaina while he dueled with Uther. Being possessed by Y'Shaarj, Arthas was slowly overpowering Uther, who was barely able to block the prince's attacks. It soon became clear that they were in over their heads and despite what they said earlier, neither Uther nor Jaina wanted to go all out against Arthas
Up in the skies, Allari took notice of the battle between Arthas, Jaina and Uther. Since she was just hovering in the air, the other two high elven demon hunters regrouped with her
"What is it, Allari?" Sevis asked curiously as he floated next to her along with Candrael. Gargoyles soon surrounded the trio, protecting them from their enemy's flyers
"It's Uther." Allari answered, pointing down. "He actually dared to ignore orders and went after his student."
The other two looked at where she was pointing. "Do we help them?" Candrael asked
"Don't bother." Allari replied, surprising them both. "If they disobeyed orders, then they should deal with the consequences. Besides, our goal is to kill the Old Gods and anyone who serves them which includes Arthas. For now, they're simply doing us a favor by keeping the prince occupied. We need to stall them until Lord Illidan arrives."
"You have a point. Let's leave them alone." Candrael said as they all floated away to kill more of the flying snakes
Back on the ground, Arthas threw Uther into a wall. The prince then grunted in pain as another arcane blast hit him from behind. Reacting quickly, Arthas manifested four large tendrils from his back and tried to kill Jaina. The archmage simply teleported on top of one of them before using her magics to shatter three of them and freezing the last one. As the prince was irritated at how easily Jaina avoided death, he was slashed once more by Uther who had recovered from the attack. "Why you!" Arthas hissed and unleashed a wave of darkness around him. Unfortunately for him, both Jaina and Uther protected themselves with an arcane and anti magic shield respectively
Jaina then quickly fired a pyroblast, creating an explosion. The distraction allowed Uther to close the distance and inflict a couple slashes upon his former student. The archmage then froze Arthas' legs, preventing him from moving. Seizing the opportunity, Uther carved out a huge part of the Heart that was surrounding Arthas' body before freezing it solid and shattering it. That should have inflicted a huge amount of damage upon Y'Shaarj but to their surprise, the possessed prince simply grinned before it was his turn to severely injure Uther
"Uther!" Jaina yelled but was slammed into a wall by Arthas' power
"Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me, paladin, or should I say death knight." Arthas said as the Heart around him slowly regenerated. "The demon hunters have already told you that you cannot injure me and yet, you came out here all alone and without a plan." he continued as he stepped on his former mentor's chest
"Then I guess we'll just have to kill you." Jaina said and fired another lightning bolt at her prince
"Then give it your best shot." Arthas countered back, turning around and shooting black lightning at her. Jaina tried to counter it with her own arcane bolt but a few seconds after the two attacks collided, Arthas' lightning proved to be stronger and it hit the archmage. "Is that the best you can-" he began to mock before a sword was run right through his chest
A huge amount of ice was soon released from the sword and it froze Arthas solid. Uther was revealed to be the one responsible. "Jaina, now!" the former paladin yelled
In response, Jaina began charging an even larger pyroblast. Rather than make it as powerful as possible, the archmage shot it only after a few seconds had passed, not taking the chance that Arthas might break the ice. Unfortunately for the both of them, what they were trying to avoid actually happened. A dark energy shield came out of the ground and blocked the pyroblast. Uther quickly tried to shatter the ice to end Arthas once and for all but the shield expanded and surrounded the prince. When Arthas was surrounded, only then did Jaina and Uther realize that the shield didn't block the pyroblast but simply absorbed it. They were both completely helpless as Arthas added the pyroblast's energy into his own and enlarged the shield. His move completely reduced the nearby area to dust
Arthas' darkness then made cracks on the ice and shattered it completely, revealing himself to be unharmed. "As I said before I was so rudely interrupted, is that the best you can do?" he asked, finishing what he had said before he was cut off. The prince began walking towards Jaina with one of his hands transforming into a mass of darkness. Arthas was about to corrupt Jaina but before he could do so, Uther threw his runeblade at him, being too injured to make it before the prince could corrupt his lover. Arthas anticipated this and from his back, he created tendrils once more and caught the sword. "Did you really think I would not anticipate that, death knight? As I believe Illidan would say right now, you are far too predictable." he said and used his darkness to engulf the runeblade and destroyed it completely. Knowing that Uther wouldn't give up that easily, Arthas used his tendrils to pick him up and drag him. "You're becoming a bother to me, death knight. No wonder the Legion reanimated you into undeath."
He had failed. Uther knew it. Arthas was too powerful even with Jaina's help. He didn't want to believe that only Illidan or anyone at his level could take his former student on but as it was proven now, it was true. The entity possessing Arthas was too powerful for anyone that isn't Illidan to defeat. Not wanting Jaina to suffer the same fate as the prince, he called out to her. "Jaina, run. Get out of here." he said
Jaina just stared at the two of them for a few minutes and begrudingly, she knew he was right. Arthas was way out of their league and if she stays, she will only be corrupted like him. As such, she began channeling a teleportation spell
Arthas however, only watched in amusement as his lover was trying to teleport away only for it to be abruptly cancelled. The grin on his face said it all. He was the one forcefully cancelled her spell just like earlier. While Jaina was in a panic, the prince took this chance to have one of his tendrils stab Uther in the torso. "If you try to do something stupid, at least make sure you know what to do." he mocked them before taking his sword and cleaving Uther's body in two, finally killing him. Arthas then turned his sights to Jaina, who was panicking even more now
Her salvation soon came when large explosions were occuring all over the city. In the distance, the city was finally in range of the gunships and they wasted no time in opening fire. With Arthas distracted due to the chaos, Jaina took this chance to run away
The corrupted prince merely chuckled at the archmage's desperate attempts to escape. "You won't get far." he muttered menacingly before he teleported right in front of her. In her panicked state, Jaina attempted to hit him with her staff but he simply caught it. His magics soon engulfed the staff and destroyed it completely. "Now then, time to join your beloved, Jaina Proudmoore." he mocked before gathering another mass of darkness in one of his hands
"Never." Jaina hissed and unleashed a point blank pyroblast, creating a small explosion
That attack caught Arthas off guard and now, he was pissed off. "You bitch." he growled as he grabbed her by the throat and threw her away before creating an explosion at where she was. "This time, I will make sure you suffer a worse fate than Arthas did."
Before the prince could get over to where Jaina's body landed, a figure landed between him and his target. Arthas' eyes widened in surprise even though he really should have expected that. After all, it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths but he was not prepared for this encounter. He observed the newcomer, which was none other than Illidan Stormrage, and realized that leaving Nazjatar vulnerable was not his doing. He also knew that Vashj was not the one responsible. That only left one individual on the planet. "Azshara..." Arthas growled out, realizing that the queen was still alive and has turned her back on them. He then turned his sights to the demon hunter before him and pointed his sword at him. "Come then, Stormrage."
That's right. I just killed Uther in this battle. In all honesty, that shouldn't come as a surprise since he did lose, eventually, to DK Arthas in the canon and this possessed Arthas is way more powerful. When I wrote the last part of the chapter, I did kinda think of it as similar to the one in WCIII Reforged where Illidan dropped from the sky before they both fought
About Nazjatar, that probably wasn't the best way to describe what happened to it. If you're still confused, just think about an ordinary glass of water but empty. The city would be at the bottom of the glass while the glass itself is the seabed that has been raised. That's the closest thing I can think of and I thought it would be wierd if I wrote 'glass of water' in the story. From space, that would look like a sinkhole though so there's that. Anyway, that's not the point. Point is Nazjatar is vulnerable
Having said that, what I just wrote is something I just made up about what kind of powers the Pillars of Creation have. All I know is that the Tidestone was used to create rivers so I just built on that and allow it to manipulate the waters of Azeroth. Whether or not that's how it works in the canon or not is something I'm not sure and I don't particularly care to research. The same goes for the Hammer since it was said to shape the earth, I figured why not although in the last chapter, I did make it all up on how the Hammer reforged the Tidestone
Finally, advanced happy new year to everyone