So this is the second Chapter, I hope you like it. First part will be from Jainas point of view, second part from Thralls pov, and last will be Arthas part.
Please Read and Review!
'Thoughts'
Flashbacks
Chapter 2
-Old Friends-
Jainas Point of View
They had won the battle easily after Sylvanas demise, reducing the enemey Heores to a lone survior that had stood no chance against their almost full team. After that they had taken the nexus with ease, ending this tiresome game. She had not seen Arthas again after that.
What in the Name of the Krinin Tor had possesd her to create that damn magic barrier? She could have let him die and there would have come nothing of it. But she had not. Something had changed. Arthas had changed.
She began to notice it the first time he tried to say something to her. The Lichking had never hesitated in his speech, he had been confident and cruel, lacking all human emotions and insecurities. And his eyes, they had been so very cold and lifeless, she had seen a spark of the Life in there.
It had shocked her at first, that he would go so far as to throw himself in fornt of her. But in that momment she had decied that she would see this through to the end. The Lichking would never sacrifice himself for someone else. This was the Arthas she knew, and mabye even loved at some time.
That was why she had killed Sylvanas the way she had, that women was always to curel for her own good. Too consumed by her old hatred.
But after that, as she leaned over Arthas fallen body, the last thing she had expected was for him to apologize to her. She honestly did not know what to think about that, she had given up all hope of redemtion back in the fozen wastes of Icecrown, where they stood against the monstrous Lichking. But now she was not sure what to think anymore. And he had sounded so sincere, as the Lichking he had no need to lie, but back then, when he was still a young pirnce, he couldn't have lied to save his own life.
Now I find myself wondering, if mabye the Light has granted us a second chance? To live the life we never could in Azeroth. But could she really forgive him for all the lives he had taken. For the millons of souls he had enslaved to do his bidding? No, she can't forgive him. That would shame the names of the countless heroes who sacrieficed themslefs in desortying the Beast that Arthas had become.
She would meet him with indiffence, and stirke him down if he tried to interact with her again. He should be in hell or some other place where damned souls go, not here in this strange realm. There has to be some sort of meaning behind this.
'This is a second chance, is it not? Why not just take it. Maby this is some sort of compesation for all the hardships we had to endure in Azeroth.' some traiteurs part of her mind whispers.'
But that would betray all those how had fallen, in freeing the World from the Lichking. This is giving her a headache just thinking about it. After all, the voice had some merit. Life in Azeroth had never given her anything, it had always been one battle after another. One catastrophe after anorther, first the Legion, then the Lichking, the Cataclysm, Pandaria, and then Garrosh...it just never seemed to stop.
Never even a momment to take a breath and think about things. How much she had lost. She had almost lost all of her people in the end, all because Thrall couldn't be botherd to actually chose a level headed succecor. It was not his fault in the end but she still felt as if he could have done more, she had lost her hate for the horde over the years again, but there still remained a part of her that couldn't help but resent them for it.
Now she is floating in an empty void, a sort of "waiting room" in between the battles. If she wants to she can create a room, or pretty much anything in this void, but she never felt a need to do so. She prefers to float in the empty space, everything else would just remind her of the people she left in Azeroth. In this realm there seems to be no need to eat, drink or sleep, she can if she wants to but she dosen't feel any need for it.
She feels a familiar tug at her sences, not unlike the protals she used to create in Azeroth (She tried that of course, but she can only transport herself across the battelfield, it's as if something is blocking this realm form all the other realm's of excictansce). It means that another battle is about to begin, and she is about to be transported to the Nexus.
'Is this some form of universal entertainemt or something?' she wonder to herself.
As the strange magic begins to transport her she has only one thought on her mind.
'Please don't let Arthas be there, I can't face him right now, not after that'
Thrall's Point of View
He can't even rember how long hes been in this cursed world. The days or were it months just blurred together. It's always the same, fighting, killing, dying, be it for fun, survival, political gain or something else. It's always about killing each other in the end, it seems like no realm in exitance knows peace. What a sombre thought.
He wonders how the horde is doing back in Azeroth, it's been a while since hes come here. Have they finally made peace with the alliance? Has the buring legion reached it's goal and eradicated them all? He can only wonder.
I hear the call of a new battle. And my body begins to fade away to another plane.
Materializing inisde of the Nexus, I look around me scaning the faces of the heroes if been teamed up with. Hopefully not so many Demons this time...
I am suprised to find the myslef right next to Jaina Proudmore. She looks equally suprised to see me.
"Jaina, it's been a long time"
It feels so good to see a familiar face once in a while, ecspeccaly someone like Jaina, how I considerd a close friend and ally for a long time. But it all changed with the Cataclysm and his folish decicion with chosing his succesor, Garrosch Hellscream. How could he have misjuged him so badly? He had thought it was his best opion at the time, but look what it resulted in. The horde had never been the same after those few horrible weeks.
Everything Cairne, Vol'jin and him had worked so hard for had been destroyed. He should have stopped this when Cairne lost his live through poison, thought not intentonal on Garrosh side, it should have never even come to it.
But at that time he had been so busy with the cataclysm. Working to keep the world from breaking apart. He couldn't have avorted to stay with the horde. But still he can't help but think that he could have done more, could have somehow stopped Garrosh and Deathwing.
"Thrall, it's been far too long" she answers, and I see a tight smile one her lips, but it never reaches her eyes, it seems that I am not the only one affected by this realms cruel realities. We move of towards our lane together in compatible silence, we don't have to speak a lot sometimes. And I think she need a bit of silence now.
Her eyes are turned torward the ground and she bitting her bottom lip. Something is wrong. As we reach our positions, I decide to break the silcence.
"Jaina, what's wrong?"
She looks at me, her pretty sky blue eyes wide. Is she surprised that I can still read her after all those years?
"It's nothing Thrall, I'm just thinking"
Surprised at her icy tone, I shrink back a few feet, and she looks at me with even wider eyes.
"Light! That's not what I meant Thrall, it's not you, it's just you know..."
She trails off, but I know what she means, or rather who, there are only a few things she can't really speak about with me.
"So it's about him then?" I ask in a gruff tone.
"It's always about him isen't it?"
And it kind of is, Arthas here, Lichking there. Even in this Realm he cant stay the fuck dead.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask again in an more gentle tone.
"Not really, but he seems different latley"
I'm suprised.
"Different how?"
"Somehow more like the old Arthas I know, he well...apologzied to me."
She says the last part in a rahter sheepish tone. The Lichking apologizing to someone? It was unheard of! It must be some kind of trap to gain her trust.
"Jaina, this is most likley a trap, trying to gain your trust, for what I don't know, but remeber who you are talking about. Arthas Menethil is long gone. This is the Lichking. What he has brought upon Azeroth is undescribabel."
She scoffs, and pokes me in the arm.
"I haven't forgotten what hes done. Damn it all. I don't really know whats going on myslef. He also kinda took a deadly blow for me"
Suprised my mouth falls open wide and I am at lost for words at the momment.
"I know it sounds strange. But I am starting to think that he really has somehow changed. And think about it Thrall, in Azeroth at least he could teleport anywhere he wanted, with or within the existing planes. That power could be of extrem use in getting out of here"
She is right there of course, like she always is. And I don't really know what to say to that argument. Becuase we've tried everything and nothing worked. Portals, Hearthstones, dying and reincarnating, Hell he even asced Illidan once to create a Demonic Gateway. There is no way out of here.
"You got a point there Jaina, like you always do. I should have listend to you far more often"
Theramore should have never happend, this was where it truly escaleted. Had I stopped it, had I listend to Jaina, or Cairne or Vol'jin...none of this would have ever happend.
"Thrall, I told you so many times that you had nothing to do with it. It was Garrosh who called the attack, not you. I understand how busy the cataclysm kept you at that time."
"But it was my Deciscion to chose him, had i chosen Vol'jin or Cairne none of this would have happend. And I will repent that Decicion until my dying Breath."
"Thrall don't be so hard on yourself. This was not your fault. You couldn't have know how Garrosh turned out."
"But I should have seen it."
I huff a heavy Sight. What a fool I had been. She is far to forgiving.
"You are far to good for your one Sake Jaina Proudmore" I say with some humor to lighten the heavy mood a bit.
"And you for yours Go'el"
I fell a blush crawling up my neck, I should have gotten used to it by now but it's still different, hearing it from her mouth. And now she is smiling againg, but a genuine smile this time. It feels so good to see her smile again. We had lost sight of each other in the later years of our lifes, he had moved on with Aggra and his children, and Jaina had a family of her own. But this realm had some good in it after all. He could see so many old friends and comrades. Grom, Drek'thar, Cairne. Huh, mabye even old Sen'jin.
"You should keep an eye on Arthas, Jaina. We don't know what he is up to yet, you can't let your gouard down around him."
"I know that Thrall, now shall we?"
"It would be my pleasure, Jaina" I reply with a grin.
And maybe this could just be their second chance. In Azeroth it could have never happed, how much he had wished once upon a time that she was an orc. It's not that he found her repulsive, no far from it. But they would have never accepted it. None of them. Not the Horde or the Alliance.
But the Spirits seem to be on our Side this Time.
And it's a diffrent World after all, how would judge them?
Arthas Point of View
-Flashback-
He could hear ice breaking all around him, and the screaming of tortured souls rings in his ears. Suddenly he rembers where he is, it's Icecrown Citadel, his own twisted Throne Room.
He coughs up a handfull of blood and his eyes start to focus, there is someone standing over him, a ghostly form. The form reaveals himself as his father, who he killed with his own hands.
Suddenly it all comes back to him. It takes him in a rush of emotions, everything he has done. Light?! What had he done?! He had lost sight of everything important. He feels his body weakening and grips his fathers tunic in an desperat attempt.
"Father, is it over?" He manages to rasp out
"At long last, no king rules forever my son." The deep ethereal voice replies.
What does it mean now his Kindom of the Dead? It's all in ashes now. A Kingdom of Dirt, all it ever was. I see that now, Uther, Jaina but I had been blinded by power for so long.
"I see only Darkness before me."
Arthas Point of View
He dosen't know why that certain memeory plaguges him so often, maybe it's because this was the first moment where his thoughts had truly been his again. Since the momment he had taken hold of that acursed balde he had been a pawn of it's power. But no more. He had decided that in the moment when he jumped in front of Jaina, that he would do everything in his power to redeem himself. And not just for Jaina.
There are so many who he hurt, Uther, Muradin...Light, maybe even Malfurion and Tyrande, he had done enough to their people as well.
And as he decided on this, he had another Idea. If they all banded togehter, they might have enough power to break free from this fucked up Realm.
A mental tug alarms me that another battle is about to begin. It's just as good as any to begin with my plan. He should really think about how to aproch some of them. He huffs a sight.
Uthers gonna be difficult for sure.
He find himself on the circular platform that sufices as their starting point. Looking around him, he is dissapointed to find no one from Azeroth.
A rather large scaly looking Demon, but different from the Demons in Outland, it did not look like something corrupted by fel energy, rather like a natural being. Maybe something akin to a Nathrezim.
The next one was even stranger. Clearly a humandoid, he was wearing a heavy armor or suit of some kind, but nothing like he ever saw in Azeroth. It looked a bit like a really advanced gnome robot. The man was holding a large rifle, but it looked far more advanced than the ones back home.
A Skeleton, not unlike the legions he commaned back in Northrend. But it wore a crown and heavy armor and had the air of an king about itslef.
And lastly and maybe strangest of them all was a floating humanoid with blue skin, golden armor and fused together facical feature. If he would have to pick a race from Azeroth that resembled him then it would defeninetly be the Dranei, they may even be related.
He moves of tworwards the gate and finds the Skeleton King acomponing him.
"Greetings Skeleton" I call out for lack of a better term.
"I greet you as well Undead. You seem to be a Lord of the Unliving as well?"
"You could call me that, yeah" I reply in a dry tone. The Skeleton dosen't seem miffed by it.
"Then I shall introduce myself first for somone of equal rank, I am Leoric, King of Tristram."
"I am Arthas, King of Lordaron, and Lich King of the Source."
"It is good to meet another how has overcome death. Where you a great King back in your World?"
"For some Time it seemed like I was, but what is it worth if all you rule over is dead? I have come to that point and seen that there is no happiness to be found in the that."
"You only see what you have lost when you have lost it after all, I have come to that realization as well, there is no glory to be found in a Kingdom of the Dead."
The bell singnal for us to take our positions.
"That is indeed true, now let's begin this sensless game."
"Lead the way"
He had the distinct feeling that the skeleton was grinning.
They took there position insided a few bushes next to their minions. There was no singn of enemy heroes.
"It's quite"
"Yeah, too quite"
We've both been in enough battles to know a trap when we see one so we just wait out a bit.
"For Khaz-Modan!"
Our minion wave starts to move toward the enemy fortifications and suddenly theres a Warcry I definetly remember and a Hammer comes flying in the way of the first minion, curshing it to dust.
There before the Gate stood none other than Muradin Bronzebeard.
Light-damnit, I have no Idea how to even approach him, the Dwarf had thought me so much, he had been more of a father figure to me than my real father. Him and Uther of course. And he had betrayed them all in taking that sword, no it had begun even before that, Stratholme, he remembers a bruning City, and his frantic hunt for a demon that was no more than a pawn in a much larger game.
Had he listend to one of them back then, none of this would have ever happend.
Sadly my Skeletal Compainon does not share my sentimentality for the Dwarf and has moved in to attack him alone. Big mistake.
"Youre a big one, aye. But big ones were alwyas a speciality of mine, bwahaha."
With a berserker-laugh Murdain hurls another hammer right at Leoric, who dosn't even have time to defend himself and gets hit with full force. The Dwarf covers the Distance easly, and starts a mercyless attack that would leave no-one standing.
Suprisingly the Skeleton seems quite resistant and starts laughing himslef.
"Muhahaha, you have to do better than that you maggot!"
Leoric swings his gigantic mace torwards Muradin and l decicde to make my move.
Moving fast and efficent I drop in behind Leoric and sever his skeletal head clear from his spine. For good measures I drive Frostmorune again through his ribcage. That Skeleton should stay dead for some time at least.
"What in tae Name of Kahz-Modan, you just killed your own Ally, lad!"
He still calls me lad, how very unsurprising.
"You should be gratefull I safed you there Muradin."
"I need none of your Help, lad. And keep that bloody sword away from me."
"Muradin..I-" but before I can continue he starts atttacking me with a strong blow from his hammer.
I manage to block it but we are equal in strength. Our gazes meet and he seems to realize something and jumps back.
"What is tae matter Arthas, use the skills i tought ta ya, this is a joke."
'Tst. He always knew how to get to me, alright I'll give him a show, if he want's one'
"Very well then"
Raming frostmourne into the ground, I start charching up tow death coils, one in each hand. Ice starts to spread out from frostmourne, and just catches muradins heavy boots, immobilizing him momentarily.
"Your Magic Mabo Jambo is not gonna stop me!" He stand his ground and moves into an defensiv position.
I hurl both deathcoils at the same time. They seem to hit at first leaving a large dust cloud behind. But he somehow managed to deflect both of them, and is hurling himself torwads me. Ax and Sword meet again. Were still equal in Power.
I hear the familir singing of warhammer cutting the air behind me.
'A trap I should have known it'
If I move Froustmourne Muradin will surly hit me. I manage to twist my other arm behind me, to at least lessen the blow to my back. As the strike hits me, Muradin jumps back, and I fall forward the ground.
"Perferct Timing as always Sir Uther"
"Theres no needs for Titles anymore is there Muradin?" A very familiar Voice replies.
"Nay, I guess there is not."
Uther the Lightbringer stands before me in all his glory.
I manage to raise myslef to my knees. Leaning heavly on frostmoune for support.
"Still trying to fight boy, as deviant as ever I see." Uther speaks.
At that momment I decide that it's time to stop acting. I will not fight them any longer.
"I will not fight you any longer, this senseless game has gone on for long enough-" I begin, but Muradin interupts my speech.
"Are you trying to mock us, lad? Are we not even worth fighting to you? I failed you, lad. And for that I am sorry, but this is tae End for ya." Muradin moves in to strike, but Uther's hand stops him before he can move any further.
"Not yet Muradin. No, I think we are going to have a very overdue Conversation, boy."
"That we do, lad" Muradin adds in a gleefull tone.
Forcing mylself onto my knees, and holding on to frostmourne for support I decide that it's Time to stop acting.
"That's not what I meant. I know this is going to sound outrageous, coming from me, but for what it's worth, I realize what I have done now, and at least want to apologize to both of you. This realm has changed me. I see clear now. I see what this Power has made of me."
Both Muradin and Uther seem utterly speechlees at that. I can understand them of course. If I were in there Situation, I wouldn't know what to say either. So much had happend, and so much because of me.
He hopes that they can find it somewhere within them to forgive him someday, and if not he still owes them an apology, it's the only thing he can still give to them.
An what has all this Power made of him, a Monster? A God? Mabye a Hero this time around^^.
So yea thats the second chapter, next chapter is gonna pick up right there with Uther and Muradins Reactions.
I hope I got the charakters down somewhat. There's probably not gonna be any Thrall/Jaina, but I do love that pairing very much^^. Blizzard should have made it canon.
Thank you so much for reading, and if you find time for it I would be overjoyed if you wrote a review.