Chapter 4: Arthas

Note: I'll mix and match Arthas: Rise of the Lich King (book) and the Warcraft III campaign as parts allow for a more creative/interesting approach.

"Me Smash You!"

Not likely.

Jaina stared at the pair of ogres, amused. When was the last time that a pair of dumb brutes had been the worst of her worries? Not since she had been here originally. She pointed a finger and unleashed a bolt of lightning, putting a crispy hole right through one of the ogre's chests. The other gave a startled cry and turned to run. But Jaina had run out of mercy for her enemies a long time ago. Another bolt of lightning dropped the second ogre a moment later. She waved a hand and ignited both their corpses, burning them to cut off two potential slaves for the Scourge.

Really, she was doing them a kindness.

She kept going, walking down the pathway, her heartbeat starting to pick up. She had mere minutes to go before she laid her eyes upon her prince again. A prince untainted by suffering and darkness and death. One step after another, she walked down the path, taking in the sight of Lordaeran in all it's former glory, it's trees and land not blighted. No corpses or body parts littering the ground. No signs of warfare, of toppled trees, explosive scorches, upended earth. She paused briefly to kneel down and pluck a flower, bringing it up to smell nature in a way she hadn't seen in so long. It was life... as it should be.

Before the endless wars between the Alliance and the Horde. Before the servants of the Old Gods, the Twilight Cult, washed over the land. Before the Cataclysm and Deathwing's madness. Before the Burning Legion torched their way to the World Tree. Before the Scourge...

On her life, she would stop as much of it as she could.

She clenched her hands tightly, accidentally crushing the flower, before scoffing to herself and brushing it off. She'd have to see if she could stop the Scourge before she could even think about stopping any other issues. Though, sending a familiar to tell the Dragonflights that Deathwing was hiding in Deapholm might be an easy fix for that particular problem, not to mention get them out of the way for awhile while they fought eachother.

She banished her thoughts as she rounded a hauntingly familiar band of trees, and then... down the road... sitting by a campfire, were two footmen... and him.

Her prince.

She took in the sight of him, majestically long blonde hair for a man. His blue eyes shining with mirth as he and the men joked with one another. He bore his blue clothed and gold/silver plate armor with pride. A holy book hung on chains tucked to his chest. He gripped his warhammer, Light's Vengeance, lightly in his hand. She felt him with her senses; strong, prideful, light, oh pure blessed light, and... yet... a shadow hid behind him. The potential was always there, wasn't it? For Arthas to fall, regardless of it being Scourge or something else. She wouldn't let any of them take him, not this ti-

His eyes flickered in her direction, laying upon her, a wry smile spreading across his face, and...

And...

She froze up.

An image played across her mind, of the last time she had met her prince. In the Frozen Halls of Icecrown Citadel. Of him trying to kill her, feeling Frostmourne rake across her body, wounding her, trying to rip her soul from her mortal prison. The sensation of darkness and hate pressing against her. Of fighting him head on hopelessly, the despair of realizing she couldn't draw her prince out of that darkness, that she had been to late. The feeling of death stalking her as she and the Heroes of Azeroth had fled. The sheer terror of her former love hunting her...

She felt her face pale, her breath grow short, and she reflexively took a step back as Arthas started forward. Her prince paused at that, concern in his eyes, he held a hand out towards his footmen for them to remain where they were. He approached slowly, weapon held down to the side none-threateningly.

"Jaina?" he asked softly.

Oh... his voice... without that dark echo of the Lich King behind it. It was divine music to her ears, almost enough to break her freeze. But, when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out.

They stood there, a few feet from another for a minute, before Arthas sighed softly, regret in his voice, "I'm sorry about the Winter Veil Jaina, I shouldn't have hurt you like that."

Jaina blinked a few times. Winter Veil...?

A memory danced across her vision for a moment. Of a night spent making love to her prince. Then of panic and unbelievable hurt, when he backpedaled, so young and scared, when she had mentioned the prospect of children. After a night spent in bed, he had backed away.

"Can't you understand me now? Can't we still be friends?"

Jaina couldn't keep the flash of pain of her face. Friends? After a night of sex when he had told her he was ready to take their relationship to the next level? She had almost forgotten, pushing that to the back of her mind when she remembered her prince, trying to become lost in the memories of the 'good times'.

She licked her lips and averted her gaze away from him, focusing on his troops. "We... shouldn't keep your troops waiting Arthas, we have a plague to investigate."

There was the slightest of winces from him. "Right, of course."

This wasn't what she had wanted when she found him again... she hadn't wanted such an awful start. Yet... as they walked side by side, she couldn't help but keep one eye loosely held on her prince. For all she wanted him back, they had been enemies the last time they had met, trying to fight and kill one another. She...

She had no trust for her prince...

But it was stupid, he hadn't done anything yet!

Yet the trickle of apprehension and fear crawling down her spine.

He had hurt her before, both before and after he had become a Death Knight...

She forcefully adjusted her focus, looking over the two men waiting for them. They were vaguely familiar to her...

"Falric and Marwyn, right?" she asked, suppressing a twitch to shy away from them.

They had become Death Knights as well... she was surrounded by people with the potential to slaughter billions...

The was an air of surprise about them, Falric offered a baffled, "I'm surprise you remember us M'lady."

She gave a tight smile. "Considering the time Arthas and I used to spend together, I remember my prince's shadows."

There was a spike of regret and shame from her Prince before he cleared his throat. "Well, gentlemen, may I reintroduce Miss Jaina Proudmoore, special agent of the Kirin Tor..."

He gave her a grin. "...and one of the most talented sorceresses in the land."

"Hmm," mused Jaina, downplaying herself, "Considering I'm still just an apprentice, that remains to be seen."

"I don't know Jaina," teased Arthas lightly, "I doubt you've lost your touch."

His voice grew soft. "It is good to see you again Jaina."

Her heart pulsed warmly at that.

"It's... good to see you again, Arthas," she said, far to much hesitation in her voice for her own liking.

Light, what was wrong with her? She had stared down Archimonde with more bravery and control then she did Arthas.

There was a moment of awkwardness before she started walking. "My master's sources believe the Plague originated in the region north of here. We should check the villages along the king's road."

"Right," said Arthas, jogging briefly to catch up, "Let's get a move on."

They walked for several hours in uncomfortable silence, with Jaina oddly taking the lead. She just... she had wanted to see her Prince again so badly, but now that she had, she didn't, couldn't bear to look upon him. It was the most frustrating thing in the world to her, to be so conflicted.

"My prince, forgive me if I speak out of turn," she faintly heard one of the captains whisper, "But is something wrong? Between the two of you? Last I knew you two were inseparable when your duties did not take you apart. You've barely spoken to her since we set out."

Arthas sighed quietly. "I screwed up captain, that's all I'm going to say on the matter."

"Ah," was the reply, "I've been there before with my misses M'lord, it's not a comfortable spot to be in."

Arthas snorted. "No, it isn't."

Like before, they made camp before dusk, a few hours out from the first village. Unlike last time, when the liqueur came out, she didn't partake in any merrymaking. In hindsight, she had to wonder why they brought alcohol out on a mission. A man thing?

Definitely.

Not to mention, while they hadn't been attacked last time until they discovered the undead firsthand, she would take no chances of her senses being dulled. She slept lightly, and awoke suddenly, when she heard footfalls quietly coming her way. She stretched out with her sense, it was Arthas. He had come to her before on this night, hadn't he? She could remember that.

"You should get some sleep Arthas," she said quietly as the man knelt down next to her, hand reaching out to brush the hair from her face.

He paused, and his hand fell to the ground. "I... when this is all over, maybe we can... talk. You know?"

"Talk," she said slowly, "About what you did to me at the Winter Veil?"

Not even touching upon what he had done in her time.

There was a heavy, uncomfortable silence from him for a moment. "I'm sorry Jaina, I thought I was ready, but I wasn't. I was young and stupid, I feel that I took advantage of you, and I regret that, deeply. I've missed you, felt incomplete without you."

Jaina sighed. "I was never able to deny you anything Arthas, but that was then, this is now. You hurt me..."

Back then and afterwards, so many times. She couldn't deny that, when her body shied so readily away from him despite her mind's desire.

"...badly. If you truly want to make things right, then show me how much you care," she said, "Starting with the care for your people during this mission."

Arthas frowned, hurt in his voice. "You doubt that I care for the well-being of my people?"

"No, that's not what I meant," she said, "I simply want you to show me again the boy, the young man, the man, that I had fallen in love with. Show me he's still there, and show me how he's grown."

There was something almost shy in his smile as he replied. "I will Jaina, I swear I will. If I must start from the beginning again to win your heart back then so be it I will. I won't give you a reason to doubt me again."

"I hope so Arthas, I hope so," she said softly, yet with a desperate yearning.

Unlike last time, there was no passionate kiss followed by sharing a blanket, he simply squeezed her hand and said before he left, "Good night Jaina, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Arthas," she whispered back.

The next morning saw them approach the first village, a woman working a field at the first farm saw them and moved forward.

"Prince Arthas! There's something amiss at the bridge ahead," she said warily.

There was a furrowing of Arthas's eyes before he nodded. "Thank you ma'am, we'll look into it."

Jaina's stomach started to plummet. Less than an hour to go... less than an hour till she laid her eyes on the beginning of the end. Oh Light... she could hardly keep the tremor in her hands at bay. She had faced the Scourge and the Legion so many times, why was this so difficult for her?

"Look! It's Prince Arthas," came a few awed but hushed voices as they moved further into the village.

She had missed that, hearing people speak well of Arthas, not condemning him.

Arthas took point, and approached a destroyed bridge connecting the outer and inner parts of the town, one of the civilians gathered around it walked up to the prince, "Milord, someone has destroyed the bridge from the far side of the river! There is another way to cross, but it is not as safe as it used to be."

Arthas nodded slowly. "Do you have any idea why?"

The man hesitated. "We had heard last night that some of the people had grown ill, but why they would not come to us for help rather than blow the bridge is... odd."

"Very well," said Arthas, "Can you give me directions to the alternate path?"

The man did so, and with that, they were off.

Jaina had forgotten something about the first village, and it wasn't until the screams and cries of 'Bandits!' that she remembered the first trouble they had come across. Not the undead, but criminals murdering innocents to plunder their village.

"Slaughter them all! Sack the town!"

"Save us!"

Jainai's vision tinted red for a moment. Absolute scum! The Scourge were right around the corner and these bastards were doing this?! She saw a bandit kick a man to the ground and raise an axe to swing it down; but before he could, Jaina unleashed a bolt of lighting, streaking across the field, over the head of the fleeing civilians, and slamming into the bandit in question.

"Defend the town!" cried out Arthas, "Falric, Marwyn, get the civilians to safety!"

Arthas charged forward fearlessly, placing himself between the bandits and the townsfolk, his hammer swinging heavily, sending bandits flying or crushing them into the ground. She paused briefly to admire the man she had loved, as he stood for the light and in defense of the innocent, before she ruthlessly joined the fight. Fireballs flew from her hand, igniting bandits and sending them screaming from the battle. She didn't let a single one of them escape. A few minutes later it was done, the attack thwarted, and unlike last time, not a single civilian casualty taken. She took pride in having changed so simple a thing.

Arthas however was staring at her, eyebrows raised.

"What?" she asked.

"I think I was wrong," said Arthas, "You haven't lost your touch, you're even better than I remember."

Jaina couldn't help but grin. "Well, you did say I had studying to do when last we met."

There was a wince from him before he put on a fake grin. "Glad to see you took your studies and training seriously."

One of the villagers approached them, gratefulness in her eyes. "Oh thank you so much! We brought together a small reward for you."

A small bag of potions was handed over, with Arthas nodding gratefully. "It was our duty ma'am."

"But...," said Jaina, "You might want to consider evacuating."

There was a startlement, from both the village and from Arthas; the villager asked, "E-evacuate?"

"With bandits on the prowl, and a plague spreading from the north, I don't think it's safe to stay here," explained Jaina, desiring to save more lives, for she doubted these people had lasted long once the Plague truly got underway, "It is your choice, but it would be safer if you all packed your things.

There was reluctant looks on many people's faces, though some people looked like they agreed. "We'll take your words under advisement."

"That's all I can ask," said Jaina, turning and striding away.

Arthas moved quickly to walk back her side. "You truly think they'll be in danger? That we can't handle this... plague?"

"We know nothing about it," Jaina smoothly lied before diverting, "And the village would have been sacked if we hadn't been here. I'd err on the side of caution. Lives are not as easily replaced as homes and belongings are."

Arthas nodded thoughtfully before smiling at her. "My people are lucky to have your thoughts and concern."

Jaina turned her reddening face away. "Y-your to kind Arthas."

"Mmm, more bashful than I remember," teased Arthas.

More like it had been ages since anyone had been happy to be in her presence, who had offered and meant so kind a word.

They moved through a murloc infested side-route, and came upon the Banit's camp, putting down the beasts and animals. Instead of moving on though, Jaina took a moment to burn the corpses, drawing a curious look from Arthas.

"If there is a plague spreading, leaving corpses behind to become vectors of contagion seems like an ill idea," said Jaina.

Arthas nodded thoughtfully once more before grinning. "A good idea. Damn, you're putting me to shame."

"Isn't that our usual roles?" said Jaina lightly, "Brawn and brains?"

Arthas laughed and started moving again. "What would I do without you Jaina?"

She considered herself lucky that he didn't see her face pale and a shake go down her arm. What would he do without her indeed?

Death... betrayal...

She shook her head and started walking after him, the footmen taking up the rear. They moved out of the side path and up onto a farm. Dread wormed its way up to her stomach as she laid her eyes on a dreadfully familiar looking farm. This was it...

"Alright, lets see if the farmers here have any clue why the bridge is out," said Arthas, making for the farm.

"Arthas, wait!" she called out, "The gates broken and the livestock are gone."

Arthas came to an immediate stop, his head swerving first to her then to the objects in question. Slowly, he brought his warhammer to a two-handed grip, the footmen drawing their swords and coming to a ready.

"Bandits you think?" said Arthas, "The farms not that far from their camp."

"I don't know," said Jaina, a tingling sensation crawling down her spine, she had become so used to fighting against demons and the damned that the presence of necrotic magic became like a sixth sense to her, "Something feels wrong."

Arthas waved them back and approached the gate, his voice booming, "Geetings to you all!" I am Arthas, prince of Lordaeran, and my men and I mean you no harm. Please, come out and speak with us, we have questions concerning your saftey."

Nothing, utter silence aside from the wind beginning to pick up.

"No ones here," murmured Arthas.

"Could be they are all sick milord," offered Falric.

Arthas nodded. "Perhaps. Come on."

He paused when Jaina strode forward, "No, you stay here."

Jaina frowned, had he done this last time too? "Arthas, I'm not fragile nor am I defenseless. If you cant respect that, then you have a long way to go."

Arthas winced at that. "Right, I'm sorry, just... never-mind, lets go."

The wind shifted before they could take a few more steps, and the sickly horrific stench of undeath washed over them. Arthas staggered away, gagging, one of his bodyguards peeled off their helmet and heaved. Jaina steeled herself and flapped a hand in front of her to banish the unfortunately familiar smell. Moments later, squishy liquid horrific cries filled the air as zombies started pouring out of the house and the surrounding woodland. Arthas's hammer began to glow with light, reacting to the presence of the foul dark.

The Undead.

The Scourge.

Hate coursed through Jaina's veins like liquid fire.

"Defend yourselves!" Jaina cried out, aiming her staff forward and sending a fireball crashing into the zombie approaching Arthas with pitchfork raised.

It was over as quickly as it begun. Zombies were the weakest of the Scourge's minions, and unfortunately only the beginning.

Arthas nudged a corpse with his hammer, an ill look on his face before he turned to Jaina. "What... is this?"

"Undead," she said quietly, "They are Undead."

"Light preserve us," whispered Falric, "I thought these things were just stories to scare children."

Jaina merely shook her head. "No, they're real."

"You... don't seem surprised?" asked Arthas, confusion on his face.

Jaina frowned briefly, trying to work over how to lie about her lack of surprise, before the answer hit her and also helped to direct Arthas's anger. "Years ago, early on in my apprenticeship, there was an Archmage by the name of Kel'Thuzzad. He was experimenting with necromancy by reanimating dead rats. Antonidas had his experiments destroyed, and Kel'Thuzzad thrown out of Dalaran."

She paused briefly before lying, "I had the misfortune of examining his handiwork at the time as a lesson of lines to never cross. This however is... a big step up from rats."

Arthas nodded slowly before that oh so familiar flash of wrath filled his eyes. "This Kel'Thuzzad, do you think it's his doing?"

Not entirely, but he was a large part of the problem. "I hope not, he's not a person to be trifled with lightly and... wait, what's that?"

She redirected their attention to the granary at the far end of the town. Arthas frowned and walked towards it, pausing to look at the ground around the granary. "What in the hell..."

Jaina knelt down inches from the blighted ground, staring at the taint grimly, hatefully.

"Jaina, what is that?" asked Arthas warily.

"Its like a blight," said Jaina slowly, "The Land itself seems dead or dying, tainted."

Arthas glanced up at the granary with a frown. "This undeath... Jaina, we're investigating a plague, could it be...?"

"There's a high chance of it," she said quietly.

Arthas swore quietly before asking, "Could the grain itself be plagued?"

Jaina said nothing, and instead, ignited her hand with magical fire before slamming it into the blighted ground. The entire area went up in flames, burning the sickness out of the ground and torching the granary.

"Well, that's one way to get rid of it," mused Arthas before growing serious, "Jaina, do you think I'm right?"

"The grain is most likely infected, yes," said Jaina quietly, "Which means, considering the regional seal I saw on the grain boxes, that Andorhal has fallen to this madness, which means we have no clue just how far spread this taint is."

She stood and swirled a glowing hand in the air, summoning a familiar, a black raven. "Give me your book for a moment, I need to send a message to my master."

Arthas grimly nodded and handed it over. She conjured a paper and quill pen, using the Paladin's book for support, and wrote a quick message of warning for Antonidas. She rolled up the parchment and handed it off to the familiar. "Bring it to master Antonidas with due haste, as swiftly as you can."

They weren't doing this alone, not like last time. She watched the raven fly away before creating a second familiar.

"We should send something to Lord Uther as well," said Jaina.

Arthas frowned. "But... this is our mission, we can handle..."

"Arthas," she said sharply, pointing her staff at the ignited granary, "If this is as bad as we think it is, then it needs to be contained as swiftly as possible. A Plague of Undeath could destroy Lordaeran."

Arthas paled. "You... truly think it will be that bad?"

"We can take no risks," she said.

Arthas nodded and took an offered quill pen and paper and his book back. "I'll let Uther know our findings and to ready his men incase we need him."

Jaina agreed quietly. Valuable time had been wasted in getting back to Hearthglen when she had teleported to get help waiting for the army to arm and gather. The moment the second raven was gone Jaina aimed a hand and began levitating the corpse of the Scourge into a burn pile. The men carefully helped pile them up, when they were finished, Jaina raised a hand, ready to ignite them, before pausing.

Her eyes landed on a grief stricken Arthas, staring at the pile as if it were the greatest failure of his life. She had missed that last time, she was sure of it, caught up in her in the horror of what had happened.

"I'm sorry Arthas," she said quietly.

Arthas blinked a few times. "What for? This isn't your fault."

"They were your people," she said softly, walking over to put a gentle hand on a pauldron, "They didn't deserve this."

"No, they didn't," said Arthas quietly, reaching up to grasp her hand within his.

Jaina aimed her staff and set the corpse pile ablaze before they turned and left with great hurry. It was like a disturbing fit of deja vu, as they crossed paths with footmen fighting skeletons, a pair of Quel'Dorei Priests, and a Mortar Team of dwarves blasting into a skeleton filled village. They waded through the tide of the basic undead troops, followed by a necromancer in the process of reanimating dead villagers.

Once more Jaina's vision tinted red, this time at the sight of a most hated foe, she aimed a hand and called down a blizzard, shards of ice piercing into the necromancer and his undead slaves. Arthas and his men took point, creating a barrier of plate armor between Jaina, the priests, and the Mortar Team as they slowly approached a warehouse at the end of town.

"We've been discovered my brothers! Flee and continue with the operation!"

Jaina froze as that voice pierced through the air, her eyes locked onto to a garbed necromancer in the middle of a gathering of Acoloytes, ghouls, and an Abomination, her voice was ice when she spat out, "Kel'Thuzzad."

The man paused and turned his eyes to asses her and Arthas, something... odd... in his eyes, a look of familiarity. "I'm sorry I can't stay and chat Lady Proudmore, but duty calls."

She raised her staff and shot a fireball at the man, but he dove to the side and hit the ground running, his undead lackeys pouring forward to create a diversion.

"Light, what IS that monstrosity milord?" cried out one of the footmen as the Abomination lurched forward.

"We'll study it AFTER we kill it!" answered Arthas, charging forward with glowing warhammer raised.

The two groups smashed into eachother in a melee of putrid flesh and metal. Jaina focused her spellwork on the Abomination, it was the only true threat in the ground. She sent a fireball into it's gaping stomach, expanded the energy, and then ruptured the spell, causing to to explode and send Abomination parts all over the area.

"Gross Jaina," said Arthas after his men put down the ghouls, before his eyes sighted a warehouse loaded with infected grain, his eyes igniting in anger. "Destroy that warehouse, now!"

And destroy it they did. They smashed the crates, brought the warehouse to its knees, and then Jaina burnt both it and the blighted land around it to a cinder.

"So it IS this 'Kel'Thuzzad' you mentioned," snarled Arthas, "I want them, I want him, that bastard deliberately slaughtering my people!"

That anger and rage had become so familiar by the end of their journey together at Strathlome, yet it scared her. It was a precursor a more cold and deadly anger. She walked up behind Arthas and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shh Arthas, shhh," she said softly, "We'll stop him, we'll make this right."

Arthas seethed for a few more moments before his anger fled, his hands coming to grasp hers tightly. "We will. It's a good bet that we'll find him in Andorhal."

"Yeah," she said, staring at the road leading from the warehouse deeper into Northern Lordaeran, "I think we will."

Author's Notes:

Shini Kurogane: Kel'Thuzzad's survival isn't a matter of question. There is a reason he's one of the four listed characters. ^_^. As for Undead Route Arthas/Jaina, if Arthas is technically alive, then Jaina staying alive as a Necromancer could work I suppose if that happens.

Storyteller1333: Hmm... I COULD do two splitting storylines once we hit Strathlome (in the form of making another story). One going to Northrend (undead route) one staying in Lordaeron (living route). Tempting, so very tempting.

Lord22: Thanks. Kel'Thuzzad is going to have a long and impactful role on the storyline. The first hint of why has already been given, lets see if anyone can guess whats going on with him. :D

Draconic: :D. Watch and enjoy. And yeah, WC3 Jaina was best Jaina.

Reader: So, avoid Genaric Paladin Prince in the living route. Not to difficult, Arthas has issues.

Rhivan: Sounds like a romance to die for. (bad pun intended)

AzureTemplar3535: I have different intentions for the Scarlet Crusade if I go the living route (or both I suppose). Alexandrous Mograine isn't going to be so easily killed off in this, not with Jaina keeping an eye on Renault and having knowledge of Balnazzar. But thats much later. We've only just begun.

MEleeSmasher: Chromie... hmm... now there's an idea for a character interaction. Possibly as the one who catches on to what Jaina did.

Double Stories?

Do people want two stories side-by-side? It would take longer that way rather than doing the 2nd route after the 1st is complete. But, you wouldn't have to wait before seeing the 2nd route unfold. You could also compare and contrast stories as they both progressed, I'd probably switch back and forth doing one chapter at a time.

And does Fanfiction .Net have any rule against that kind of twin/sister story thing?

If not, I'd probably start the 2nd story when this one reaches Strathlome and diverge from there.