"You did WHAT??" the huge dragon thundered while towering over the smaller one.
"I'm s-sorry, Great Spellweaver..." the smaller dragon said while cowering in front of the enraged aspect. "I tried to defend the artifacts with all my strength... but they were just too numerous. You see, they conjured up demons..."
"You know that there are many warlocks among Blood Elves, don't you?" Malygos roared. "This wouldn't have happened if you had travelled incognito, in human or elf form. Why did you turn back to normal, in the middle of Kalimdor?"
"I th-thought I could reach my destination quicker this way," Cyan tried to defend himself. "I thought the only ones that would see me are Night Elves..."
"All elves have heightened senses compared to the other races," Malygos hissed. "And it is common knowledge that the Blood Elves have joined the Horde. And you still tell me that you are surprised at their presence on Kalimdor, where the greatest Horde capital is situated?"
"F-forgive me... I know that I can't possibly calm your rage... but I have some good news. They may have forced me to drop my cargo, but when I checked the surrounding area after driving them off, I noticed that most of the artifacts I was supposed to bring to your secret hoard are safe."
"Is that so?" Malygos grumbled. "But not all of them?"
"Oh, no need to worry," Cyan grinned nervously. "The only artifact they managed to steal was a worthless, glowing sphere... I never heard you talk about it, so I figured it had to be pretty worthless. They probably found it on top of the other treasure and were dazzled by its sparkliness... you know, I put it on top of the more valuable artifacts on purpose, to trick anyone who would be stupid enough to assault a blue dragon..."
"WHAAAAATT??? Do you have ANY idea what you've done, foolish whelp?"
Cyan winced under the booming voice of the aspect of the blue dragonflight and gulped. This just wasn't his day...
Back on Kalimdor, the troop of Blood Elf archers and warlocks that had assaulted Cyan while he was flying over the barrens, were hiding in the dark shadows of Dreadmist Peak. They knew they couldn't stay for long, since they preferred not to be seen by either members of the Horde or the Alliance.
Their leader, a powerful warlock with raven-black hair, brushed back the hood of his robe and pulled the stolen artifact out of his pouch, staring at it with glowing eyes.
"Finally..." he whispered. "Prince Kael'thas will be overjoyed... with this powerful artifact, we will be able to break the barriers between the dimension and bring our Lord Kil'jaeden to this world..."
He didn't know that by touching the artifact, he accidentally activated it, reawakening the old spell that it had used many years ago... and once again, a tunnel was opened, connecting the world of Azeroth with a faraway dimension... and a certain district of a big city, called Nerima.
Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, frowned when he saw his sister kneeling on the floor of her room. In front of her, she had a slightly torn photograph within a golden frame. It showed the disgusting image of some monstrous, dark-skinned person in a cage. Kodachi closed her eyes and raised her hands, folding them in front of her chest.
"My dear Illidan-sama... how I long to behold you once again... how many years has it been since we last laid eyes on each other? I know I am betraying my darling Ranma by doing this... but I can't simply choose between you two. Ranma-sama? Illidan-sama? I... I must have them both!"
"Sister, what on Earth are you doing?" Tatewaki asked her.
Kodachi eeped and dove for the picture, hiding it from her brother's view. "T-tatewaki!" she stuttered. She was so bewildered that she was actually using her brother's first name. "Since when... have you been standing there?"
"I just entered," Tatewaki frowned. "What kind of ugly picture was that? And what you just mumbled... don't tell me you have a secret admirer with a decidedly questionable taste..."
"Don't be silly, brother!" Kodachi hissed, letting the photograph vanish inside her pocket. "I would never betray my Ranma-sama!"
"Oh, really?" Kuno Jr. asked and raised an eyebrow. "Just a moment ago, you said you wouldn't mind having two suitors at once..."
"That is none of your business, brother!" Kodachi yelled, standing up and facing him. "Besides, you should not open your mouth as wide as that... what about Akane Tendo and that red-haired harlot? Isn't it you who can't decide on either?"
"Leave the beauteous Akane and my pig-tailed goddess out of this, sister!" Kuno commanded. "Unlike the foul sorcerer Saotome and your other, twisted lover, those two are prime examples of humanity!"
"Unlike you, brother dearest!" she shouted back. "You know, sometimes I wish... I wish I would disappear from the surface of Earth, just so I wouldn't have to listen to your neverending nonsense!"
"You know, I sometimes wish that as well!" Kuno shouted.
Then, Kodachi disappeared in a flash of light.
Kuno blinked. And blinked again. Then, his hands tried to grasp the empty air over the spot where his sister had just stood a second ago.
"What kind of sorcery...?" he muttered. Then he shook his head. "No, demented or not, my sister is still a Kuno, and could never use any sort of black magic."
He tried to come up with another solution. If other people were present in the room, they would have surely heard the wheels in his head grinding.
Finally, he came to a conclusion. "She must be hiding somewhere," he said.
He raised the carpet and looked underneath. "Sister, are you down there?"
Loyal ninja retainer Sasuke sweatdropped when he entered Miss Kodachi's room and saw his Master Kuno crawling around on the floor, looking underneath the carpet. "M-master Kuno... what are you doing?"
"Do not disturb me, Sasuke," Kuno commanded. "I am trying to find my demented sister."
Sasuke sighed. "Master Kuno is acting weird again..."
Meanwhile, in another world...
Sylvanas Windrunner, the Dark Lady, the Banshee Queen, the leader of the Forsaken, sat on her throne in the Undercity, her fingers playing with the chain of a medallion she was holding in her right hand.
Her personal bodyguards, undead, like most of the inhabitants of the underground city, were flanking her throne and the entrance to her round chambers. They never looked at their queen, even though they could tell that she was deep in thought. It was best not to disturb her when she was like this.
Sylvanas raised the medallion until it was dangling directly in front of her face.
"Sister..." she whispered. "Where are you...?"
She had sworn to never dwell in the past, since it couldn't be changed anyways. She was what she was, and she had to make the best of it. And that was to wait for a chance to make Arthas pay for all he had done to her and her people...
But just a couple of days ago, a messenger had found this medallion in the Ghostlands, close to Windrunner Spire, her old home. And seeing it had made her heart hurt, something she didn't believe to be possible... she was undead, after all.
The memories of Quel'Thalas were joyful and painful at once, and, overwhelmed by the feelings, she had sung an old song she had known since her childhood... the Lament of the Highborne.
She wondered if her sisters, Alleria and Anveena, could still be alive. The chances were slim... but it wasn't impossible.
But then, the memories of her childhood had brought back other memories... images that she had buried under the burdens of her life and undead afterlife... the images of a boy with a pigtail...
'Why is it that I can't stop thinking about him?' Sylvanas thought. 'He was nothing but a little boy... a human, furthermore.'
Remembering Ranma, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of mystery had surrounded him. Even though she knew that elves age much slower that Ranma, he had stayed a child during all these years she had met him.
She closed her hands around the medallion and put it away. "Enough!" she said to herself. "What's in the past is in the past... my sisters are long gone, and this silly human will probably never again appear in my life..."
A sudden flash of light in the middle of her throne room made her blink in surprise... but only for a moment. She then quickly stood up, drew her bow and arrow in one smooth motion and aimed at the intruder who had appeared in front of her, while her guards surrounded him, with drawn weapons.
The human seemed as surprised as she was, but she wouldn't let herself be fooled. Anyone who was able to sneak up on her with a trick like that had to be a powerful mage.
"Where am I?" the young man asked and looked around. "Akane? What is this place?" He then looked at the corpse-like guards and grimaced. "Uh, and who are you guys?"
"Whoever you are, sorcerer, you will pay for invading my domain!" Sylvanas shouted.
Ranma looked past the weird guys in the strange costumes, at the pale-faced woman in the black hood that was aiming the bow at him. "Hey, gimme a break, lady! I didn't invade nuthin', I was just hanging out with Akane when all of a sudden, I found myself here... and please, don't call me a sorcerer, okay? I've got enough nutcases back home who call me that."
"How dare you talk to the Lady Sylvanas like that, meat bag?" one of the undead soldiers hissed.
"What in the name of the Twisting Nether is going on here?" a booming voice shouted, as the towering form of Varimathras, the Dreadlord, entered the chamber.
"An intruder, Lord Varimathras!" one of the guards shouted. "Obviously an assassin to dispose of Lady Sylvanas!"
"Then why are you hesitating? Kill him already! Or wait, I'll do it myself..." The white-faced, horned, winged demon took a few, determined steps towards Ranma.
"You will do nothing until I order you to do so, Varimathras!" Sylvanas commanded. "You might be my right hand, but I am still the queen of the Forsaken!"
The demonic majordomo grimaced, but he bowed his head and stepped back. "Of course, my Queen... but, with all due respect, if this human is indeed an assassin, we shouldn't hesitate to get rid of him..."
"I want to know more about him first, Dreadlord!" Sylvanas snarled. "I want to know why he comes here, unarmed, and yet hesitates to fight either of us."
While the undead elf and the demon had prattled with each other, Ranma couldn't take his eyes off the Banshee Queen.
Her skin was as pale as that of a corpse, her eyes were as red as blood and the stench of death surrounded her... but now that he got a closer look at her, he recognized her. Also, he had clearly heard the bad-smelling soldiers and the bat-winged guy call out her name.
"Sylvanas?" he muttered. "Is that you?"
Sylvanas looked past Varimathras and glared at him. "How dare you call me by my first name, human? I am the Queen of the Forsaken!"
"But... but I always thought... you wanted to be an Elven Ranger..." Ranma stuttered. His mind was still spinning. He had just been sitting close to the channel in Nerima, talking with Akane, when suddenly, an all-too familiar flash had taken him back to the person he thought he'd never see again in his life... and he was shocked to see how much she had changed. Why wasn't she in the beautiful forest of her home? Why was she in the company with these creepy guys? And why was she stinking like a decayed corpse?
"If you ask me, my Lady..." Varimathras whispered, bringing his mouth close to Sylvanas' ear. "This human is not quite right in the head..."
"Let me talk to him," Sylvanas commanded. "Something about him... is strange... almost familiar..."
Varimathras raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything.
"Why do you think you should know anything about me, human?" she finally asked.
Ranma grinned. "Hey, d'ya even have to ask? Remember the days when we tossed leaves at each other? When we climbed trees? Oh, wait, what about when you tried putting a squirrel into my pants?"
If demons were able to facefault, Varimathras would do it several times.
Sylvanas nearly dropped her bow. Slowly, she lowered her arrow and stared at the pig-tailed youth in front of her.
"Ranma...?" she whispered.
"It's me!" Ranma grinned. "Hey, isn't it great? I mean, it's been six years since we saw each other... how long was it for you, though? Ten years? Twenty years?"
"My Lady, what is this boy babbling about?" Varimathras asked her.
The Banshee Queen narrowed her eyes. "Leave us be! All of you! I want to speak with him in private."
The personal guards looked at each other in confusion, and Varimathras frowned. "Is that a wise decision, my lady? If he really is a powerful mage, we probably should restrain him first..."
"I said: Get out! All of you! Now!" Sylvanas hissed.
Her guards knew better than to disobey a direct order like this. They bowed their bony skulls and slowly left the room... although one of them whispered to another: "What was that about Lady Sylvanas putting a squirrel in someone's pants?"
Varimathras threw one last glare at Ranma, then the Dreadlord followed the guards and closed the door behind him.
Sylvanas and Ranma were alone.
"Ranma..." Sylvanas whispered. "I never believed I would see you again one day..."
"Hey, neither did I," Ranma said. "We both were in luck, huh? Oh man, I can't wait to tell Akane all of this... hey, I've got so much to tell you! So many things have happened since we last met..."
"Why have you returned, Ranma?" Sylvanas asked. "And why now?"
"Huh? Hey, it's not like I decided to show up right now. I mean, I never really had the choice, remember? I just showed up, and you never complained before... what's the matter with you, anyway? Why so gloomy? And what's with the dark look? And those guys... you really need to hire a few guys without that sort of Halloween fetish. And..." He sniffed. "You should take a bath, you know?"
"BE QUIET!" she commanded. Tears of fury would have ran down her face... if she still had any tear glands. "What do you know, Ranma?" she whispered. "You are nothing but a ghost of the past... you don't know what horrors I have faced."
"Did... did something happen?" Ranma murmured, taken aback. He could tell that something was wrong. "Something with your sisters?"
"My sisters? You... you have absolutely no idea... you come here, face me like this, as if nothing has happened at all..."
She glared at him. "Yes, something happened to me, and to my sisters! And to the rest of the High Elves! And to all of Quel'Thalas! And to the entire northern part of the Eastern Kingdoms! You ask if something has happened?"
Ranma winced. Sylvanas had spoken louder by the second, and the last question had sounded like a scream, and it was sending chills down his spine. "W-w-well, why don't you tell me what happened?"
Within two seconds, Sylvanas had crossed the distance between them, and now her face was directly in front of Ranma's. "See me, Ranma?" she snarled. "See what they did to me? See what happened to my body? SEE WHAT I HAVE BECOME?"
Ranma didn't know what to say. He could see that something about her had changed. Her skin was a bit too dry and pale, and were those stitches to the right of her long ear? And the red glow of her eyes certainly did not look natural.
Slowly, it began to dawn on him. The bad smell... this stench of decay and death... there was a reason why she smelled like this.
He paled and took several steps back from her. "S-SYLVANAS!" he gasped. "You... you are... DEAD!"
She looked like she was ready to kill him.
"Yes, I am dead..." she whispered. "Undead, to be exact. You want to know what happened, do you? The Scourge happened, Ranma... the Scourge happened..."
"The... the Scourge?" Ranma muttered.
"Yes... the army of the undead... the mindless minions of the Lich King... they invaded my home country of Quel'Thalas, killing hundreds of elves... and at least half of them were raised from the dead, to serve the Lich King even after their death, damned to never find peace... just like me!"
Her fist was shaking. "At first, I was nothing but a banshee... a mindless tool of the Scourge, forced to do whatever they told me. Later, they mocked me by giving me back the decayed remains of my old body..."
"But... but how?" Ranma murmured. He had never heard of something like this before, never heard of such a horror... he had fought enemies that wanted to kill him and his friends before... but never before was he forced to face someone who could slaughter an entire race... and more, turning them into... THIS. This was more than just horrible, this was monstrous!
His hands tightened into fists as well. He couldn't believe that this was his old childhood friend. She looked like a mockery of the old Sylvanas... she was a fallen warrior, a beautiful and wonderful person who had been twisted by events that should never have happened.
Who was responsible for turning one of his best friends into this dark, pained creature?
"Who did it?" he grumbled. "Who did this to you?"
"You want to know who killed me?" Sylvanas asked. "Why would you want to know that?"
"Because I'm going to kick his ass as soon as I find him!" Ranma shouted angrily.
Sylvanas huffed. "You? You couldn't face the man who did this in a billion years!"
"Who did it?" Ranma demanded to know.
"Arthas!" Sylvanas spat. Never was she able to feel such hatred as when she spoke that name. "Arthas the Death Knight, the fallen paladin, the traitor prince of Lordaeron... and the new Lich King of the Scourge!"
Ranma's jaw dropped. "Y-you gotta be kidding..." he stuttered. "Please tell me you're kidding..."
"Kidding? KIDDING? LOOK AT ME, RANMA! I AM THE QUEEN OF THE UNDEAD! Do you really believe I would be KIDDING about this?"
'No...' Ranma thought. 'When Akane finds out about this... her heart will be broken... she told me so much about her own childhood friend...'
Then he gasped. "Akane!"
Sylvanas blinked. "Who... is Akane?"
"My fiancee..." Ranma murmured. "She... she just told me that she had a friend on Azeroth as well... and that she came here whenever I visited you... and... if I'm now back in Azeroth, that means, she must be with him as well..."
Sylvanas snorted. She wasn't interested at all in Ranma's life story. "And what's so bad about that?" she still asked.
"This guy..." Ranma muttered. "The boy she had seen in her childhood... it was the same guy! Arthas!"
Akane shivered. The freezing cold of death stabbed her body like thousands of knives. Never before had she felt such a cold like right now.
But it wasn't just the snow and ice that surrounded her. It wasn't just the blizzard she was in, and the frozen lake she was standing upon.
It was the view in front of her. The horrifying ghouls, the mummified insect bodies of the crypt fiends, and the swollen, grotesque bodies of the Abominations, which consisted of several corpses that were sewn together. And above them, in the air, the monstrous skeleton of an undead dragon, who was circling above this army of the undead.
And she was right in the middle of them all, mortal fear written in her face, as well as confusion... and betrayal.
Her eyes were on the tall figure that stood in front of her, the armored ruler of these monsters, a sinister-looking helmet on his head and a glowing runeblade in his hand.
But she still recognized him.
Arthas, the new Lich King, sneered down at his childhood friend.
"Hello, Akane!"
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(Posted Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:14)
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