Unfortunately, I've already been through this mess. The final transformation is supposed to be as painful as the pain that Ner'zhul's soul felt as Kil'Jaeden twisted and tortured his soul (if you don't know who Ner'zhul is , it's okay because you do. Only you know him as the Lich King. Illidan had to explain that to me on the flight back to the Black Temple.) Anyway, this is when he comes to you in your mind and offers to save you from your pain in return of servitude as a soulless shell to him. And that's the fork in the road when your mind either submits to the Lich King or when your mind breaks free and you become a Forsaken.
I fell to Aunchim's side and tried talking to him. "Aunchim? Aunchim, please talk to me, its Eternus."
"Eternus?" he groaned, "You're here?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss out on this," I joked, "My second time witnessing a turning. Yaaaay…" As I watched him shake with pain, I remembered looking at Buck as tremors seized his body on the floor of that boat.
"Eternus, if I succumb, please kill me," Buck requested.
Shocked, I replied, "Buck…no, don't ask me that. I, I…I can't kill you. You're going to be fine."
"You're very strong, Eternus. You can kill me if I don't turn the right way," Buck encouraged. He placed his gnome hand on mine, "Even though you're taller, I've always considered you a little sister."
I breathed; I was back at the Black Temple versus being in my memories. "Aunchim," I began, "If you don't…well, you know…what do you want me to do?"
Seriously, he looked at me and said, "You know what to do." I was a little afraid he'd say that.
I nodded. "Grab my arm when you see, feel, or hear the Lich King." I wasn't quite sure how he approached you.
Finally, I remember watch the cunning leave Buck's eyes. I sat at his motionless side; it seemed like eternity until his head started to look around.
"Buck?" I asked the body. But instead of a smart ass remark, his arm shot out towards my throat. I grabbed it and stood up. As I held the gnome there by his arm, I looked into his eyes, trying to find Buck. But all I saw was his empty eyes, no different from when the light abandoned them.
"Buck?" I asked again, fighting tears, "It's me. It's Eternus.
"Die Eternus!!" he growled and furiously tried to get closer to my throat. I grabbed the arrow like he asked. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't swallow the lump in my throat, nor could I seem to generate enough saliva to wet my parched mouth.
Then, I felt Aunchim's bony hand grab onto a handful of my waist length hair. I found the dagger in the mass of curtain tied around my breasts. Ironically, the curtains made wonderful pockets too. I flipped the dagger around, like Illidan taught me. I felt his presence, but he seemed interested, whereas Archimonde and Kil'Jaeden felt confused. With the blade running along with the side of my arm, I waited. For the second time I watched as the Scourge mercilessly rip the light from another person's eyes. Another eternity later, his head started to look around.
"Aunchim?" I asked. I held my breath in wait for the answer. He sat up quickly and looked around. Then he looked directly into my eyes with his life-less ones.
"The Lich King is aware of your presence and your abilities," Aunchim said in a hollow voice that wasn't his old one. I exhaled in sorrow.
"What does that mean?" Kil'Jaeden asked, "No one knows she's here."
"He awaits your visit to the Icecrown Citadel," Aunchim spoke again. And then, like Buck's hand, his hand shot to my throat. I grabbed it and flipped him to the ground. He got up and charged at me only to meet my spinning kick that I learned today. The kick was aided by the dagger blade which met his head. He flew about 6 feet away from me.
"What the fuck was that?" Kil'Jaeden asked.
"Yeah…where did you say you went today?" Archimonde added.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well, I've seen those kind of moves before," Archimonde explained.
"And?" I pressed.
"And they've only been done by demon hunters!" Kil'Jaeden exclaimed. I remembered that I hadn't quite told them about my training session today, let alone the fact I was seriously considering infusing a demon soul in my body.
"Well," I began, noticing Aunchim beginning to stir. "We'll get back to that. I have to do something first." I flipped the dagger back around in my hand to face the regular way. I held it in both of my hands.
The rain had started pouring down on the boat. I could feel the other passengers watching from a distance as I dropped Buck on the deck and dropped with him. My hot tears mixed in with the chilling rain but no one could tell I uncontrollably sobbing. Buck's dead eyes looked at me then trailed to the arrow and then back to me. My growing and darkening green-teal hair was plastered to my face. My hands around the arrow quivered. I didn't think I could do it…and then, with a grunt, I brought the arrow down through Buck's heart. Then I rolled over onto the boat deck, curling up into a ball, I sobbed hard and long. I had just killed the last of my friends, the only thing I had ever had that I could trust and call close to me.
The dagger's handle sat in Aunchin's chest. I opened my mouth, "Looks like Sargeras is going to need a new puppet." Then pain shot up through my right side. One by one, it felt like someone was reaching
into my body and cracking my ribs with their hands, like sticks. I lied down on the cold tile floor, said just about every swear word and probably made up new ones, then I closed my eyes.
And I saw what I thought was the Emerald Dream...
The smell of burning hair woke me up. I was back in my room, lying in purple bed sheets. That smell, the stench of burning hair, drifted in my room, and probably the rest of the Black Temple, and stung my nose. I glanced at the window. I saw the rain falling from the sky eerily. That solved the burning hair stench because it always smelled like that when it rained in Shadowmoon Valley.
I sat up, deciding to change my curtain. I ripped a plain purple curtain from the window. Deciding to show my torso, I folded up into a thin strip and covered my breasts. As I was tying it in the back, I noticed that I had a new runic marking, tracing its way from my hip to the bottom of my strenum. Amazed at its elaborate design, I traced my finger up the softly glowing purple, twisting rune. And then, my peace is disturbed.
"Alright, spit it out," the spirit form yelled at me. He was angry. His emotion matched his transparent color.
"Alright, Kil'Jaeden," I sighed. I was expecting this. "I really wasn't planning on telling you this for awhile but…"I paused. "You have a fat ass." He yelled in absolute fury. He stormed around and tried to pick things up to throw at me. When he saw that it wasn't working, he approached me and started to throw his fist through me. When that didn't work, he let out another yell of frustration and rage.
"I swear to the LIGHT, the first chance I get where my arms don't go through you; I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!" he yelled through gritted teeth.
"And when the day comes that your arms can attempt to kill me, I'll be waiting," I challenged with a smirk. "And since you're curious about what I know you want to know, I'll answer. Yes, I've killed someone in transformation to the Scourge before. Yes, I know demon hunter moves because I plan on becoming one. Where I went yesterday was to do some training with this friend/enemy I made recently. My friend/enemy is a demon hunter, in case you couldn't piece that together."
"I'm not stupid," he retorted. "My question is: does this mean that you will be fighting the Burning Legion?"
"No. I plan on using the demon hunter's ability for the Burning Legion," I said. In the back of my mind, I wondered if that was a total lie or not. Illidan appeared behind Kil'Jaeden.
"Once this dumbass leaves, I have a few questions myself," he said.
"Alright then, I had to make sure," Kil'Jaeden huffed. "But, do try to make your transformation quick."
"And why is that?"
"Because," Kil'Jaeden said, beginning to move to the door. "Sargeras sent out warnings to Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, and Thrall. He alerted them of your presence and said that you were the next Illidan with every goal of destroying Azeroth." And then he left.
I felt myself pale and fall backward. Instinctively, my wings caught me before I hit the ground. I really had to complete my transformation fast. Why did Sargeras do such a thing?
"Either he thinks he's done with you," Illidan said. "Or he's testing you." I looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I can hear your thoughts."
"You said you wanted to ask me something," I reminded him.
"Oh, yeah," he said, "Aunchin said that the Lich King is waiting for you at Icecrown Citadel. Were you planning on going to Northrend?"
"No, I wasn't…" I said, distantly, "But I want to see how this whole warning deal snowballs." I could feel Illidan let out a heavy sigh.