Arthas did not know where he was, nor did he care. He was drifting to the unknown, following the current to whatever land it flows him to. It doesn't matter. He was finally dead. His soul was the first one to go all that years ago, but his body doesn't until recently. Many wouldn't forgive him for what he had committed, many still suffering from what he inflicted.
But at long last, it was finally over.
He is now free, free to replay his joyous moment in his life, lost in the sea of happy memories. He'd never feel so much freedom before, and he shall cherish it forever.
Of course, silver strands of fate decide that its time to crack its non-existent finger and thought it was funny to bring him back to the waking world.
Arthas groaned, his eyes refused to open, he doesn't want to wake up, even his maid has to make him suffer the early morning light. If it helps him get a few more hours of sleep, then he'll gladly accept such a torturous act.
Then the light became unbearable as if the sun rises throughout the morning surprisingly quick to noon. It made him covered his eye, away from the gleaming light of the sun. Even if the day itself wanted him to coax him out, then none will command him! He shall rest in his corner that he took as his resting place until boredom came willingly.
Then, there was the prodding that grew relentless as time wears on and only made him even more annoyed. Then a poke onto his cheeks, instead of feeling a hand or a finger, he felt what it seems like a hoof. His eyes snapped open in realization, his armored gauntlet covering most of his vision, but a glance over to his side reveals a pouting form of a dark blue-furred filly.
"Come on, wake up. Tia made bweakfast aweady!"
Arthas blinked as the filly hurried off out of the door with its little leg to carry her. It took him a moment to remember a day earlier.
Arthas wakes up, his weary eye taking sight upon the surroundings, noticing the lack of ice nor snow anywhere. Most importantly, the voice, the whisper of the damned, it's all gone. Arthas placed his hand over on his head, ensuring that it is indeed gone.
His eyes fixated to a distinct object that his time as a Death Knight has grown to accustomize to said object. The presence of the runeblade, Frostmourne, is not an unusual sight to him, what is strange, however, was that it doesn't hum it usually was. It just lies there on the dirt, lifeless, devoid of souls, nothing but cold metal.
Arthas staggered up. He was on his old Death Knight armor, but he doesn't mind that detail at all, the fact that the world looked, surreal is unnerving. It was nothing like Azeroth, Lordaeron, or anything similar! He could not tell the difference. He felt that it was different. Add that to the fact that the sun, for no reason, seemingly closer to the planet than it was, or was it that big?
The trees are nothing similar to the one he was familiar with, the surface looking somewhat softer in appearance, and after a quick poke, it was as hard as any wood.
'Okay, remember, Arthas, you've died. Frostmourne shattered, unleashing all of the souls it contained, and then, darkness.' He thought, scratching the back of his head as confusion ran free on his mind.
He prodded his armored form for a moment before subsequently punching himself hard on his cheeks. He did not wince nor felt the pain, thus confirming his suspicion. 'Heh, I am in a dream-like state, I suppose. If this is afterlife works, then I must say that I am impressed.'
He approached Frostmourne, picking it up from the ground, staring blankly at the runeblade. 'It may explain why I can't hear voices anymore since I was dead.' Gripping the handle firmly, Arthas weighted the blade; it was still light on his arm. He swung it around for a moment before an idea crossed his mind as he spots a lone tree log.
Walking closer, Arthas picked up the log and threw it in the air, swinging the runeblade to slice it in half. Surprisingly, much to his confusion and surprise, the runeblade only sent the log crashing to a tree, shattering into wooden chunks as it impacted the tree with a sheer amount of force, creating a large crack in the process.
'That was not supposed to happen,' Arthas thought as he inspected the damage Frostmourne had done. He manages to find a slight dent on one of the chunks, possibly the only damage given by Frostmourne as if it was nothing but a dull ax.
Arthas had to wonder what happened to the runeblade that always accompanied him. He rethought back on what happened on that faithful day from him freezing Tirion to the moment Frostmourne shattered by Ashbringer, unleashing the souls it held. Then it dawned on him.
The runeblade collects souls, consuming them to increase their power. If it was all gone, then Frostmourne is nothing but a dull sword, but still, it doesn't explain why he still had his strength as a Lich King. Arthas sighed as another question in life is left unanswered and would remain so, it seems.
Arthas looked around. He might as well explore the area first before deciding where he should venture, and if he was lucky, finding a settlement. His only hope that it spoke somewhat similar to his language. Learning a new language is an absolute pain, especially that time he spent learning Thalassian and its culture regarding its customs.
He sheath Frostmourne to his back as he walked through the forest he found himself in, the sound of his heavy metal boots accompanied him with the occasional chirp of the wildlife nearby. He saw a few rabbits passed, birds flying with a worm on its beak. It was peaceful.
It was taunting him. For all the deeds he had done. He could hear the villagers, both man, woman, and children, all pleading for their lives, all begged for mercy, and all mercilessly slaughtered by him and his men. He shuddered, the memory, even it was a long time ago, it still felt like recently. He should've listened to Uther, he was his mentor, after all, but his rage blinded him to see the truth. Only through Frostmourne, that he could see how foolish he was at that time, but he no longer cared for the living.
Here he was now, finally a free soul, yet his emotions mixed with the uncaringness of an Undeath and the regret of a Prince.
It truly is strange.
He doesn't know nor care about how long he wandered the forest, letting his memory ran free, granting his guilt to bear down onto him. He deserved it. He regretted it.
A scream breaks Arthas out of his stupor, immediately grasping the handle of Frostmourne. He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It was coming a few meters ahead of him, and he head over as quickly and quietly as he could.
"Got you!" Arthas heard a rough male voice followed with desperate screams of a little girl.
"Let her go, you jerk!" Arthas heard a second little girl voice and then a laugh of three more individuals, two males, and one female.
"And what can you do about it, hm?" the female said, sounding confident, then it turns malicious seconds later. "For all the trouble you've given us, how about a proper punishment?"
Arthas couldn't stand this anymore. He quietly moved to an elevated position, and as he prepared Frostmourne, his eyes widened of what he saw below the ridge.
Four pastel-colored ponies, two had a horn, one had a wing, and the other had none. 'Unicorns, Pegasus? I didn't know they existed.' Arthas thought to himself, turning over to the little children (or were they called fillies?) on the ponies' hooves, there were two unicorns, one was midnight blue and the other brilliant white. The former was held by the Pegasus, crying. Her tears streamed down her cheeks like a river, while the latter one was trying to get off from the firm grip of the pony whom bulkier than the rest.
Arthas watched as the female gestured over to the male unicorn, then his horn light up as he approached the midnight blue filly. Noticing the unicorn's approach, she whimpered, afraid of what to come next.
They were right below him. He could do something, but he hesitates. When he heard the filly piercing wail of pain as the unicorn touched the filly's horn, that put him into motion. He jumped off the ridge. The male unicorn didn't even saw it coming. At one point, he stood there, then the next, he was crushed with a sickening crunch of his bones as the armored bipedal creature towered every one of them over his corpse.
Arthas didn't let them recover, sweeping a firm blow to the pegasus muzzle, taking the filly on his free hand as it staggered back. Unsheathing the Frostmourne and pointing it at the rest of the group, stopping them dead on their tracks to retaliate.
The filly clung onto his armor as he held her, her eyes closed with her tears streaming freely.
The female unicorn and the bulky pony looked at each other, nodding as if their minds were the same, throwing the bounded white filly (Arthas just notice it) as they charged right at him. The female unicorn horn's light up, then a magical bolt launched from it hit Arthas' forehead, staggering him, before he could recover, a swift kick to his chest buckled him over. He didn't lose his foothold, using his other legs as support. His eyes captured the sight of the pegasus diving towards him, ducking just in time as it went over his head.
'Ugh, I can't fight with this filly on me, I need to put her somewhere safe first.' Arthas thought, then he remembered there was still the bounded white filly, he saw her on the other side across, watching the fight ensued in front of her. Arthas nodded to himself, tightening Frostmourne on his grip.
The ponies watched cautiously, then reeled backward in shock as Arthas propelled himself up with Frostmourne, slamming the great runeblade on the ground where the ponies once stood, causing a small shockwave in the process. With the ponies disoriented, Arthas ran straight for the bounded filly, stopping in front of her and kneeling.
"You'll be safe here," Arthas said, nudging the tear-filled filly onto the warm embrace of the older one. With the deed done, Arthas turned to the ponies, a cruel smile etched on his features.
"And now, the fun begins."
Celestia never has seen a creature died before, while she saw blood in some instances, but never directly. That stallion's horn touches Luna's own at one point, and then crunch, his blood splattered all over the ground. It all happened so quickly she couldn't believe what she saw. She'd never felt so weak and paralyzed before.
The creature took Luna onto its armored claw, holding her closer and firmly as if protecting her from the mean ponies. Her assumptions were correct as the creature draw its massive sword, pointing at them in a threatening manner. The ponies, however, has other plans. They charged at it; the female launching a magical bolt to stagger it while the earth pony moves in to swiftly bucked it on the chest, then a pegasus attacking overhead.
She is surprised that the creature withstand the combined attacks with apparently no visible damage, its dead-cold expression hinting that it does nothing to it.
Then it launches itself up with its massive sword, dropping into the ground with the sword impacted first, unleashing a small shockwave that disoriented the mean ponies.
Then it ran at her.
She wanted to move, to get away, but her body just doesn't want to move. It stopped in front of her, kneeling. Once again, Celestia was surprised by the creature's action, it spoke!
"You'll be safe here," it said, returning her sister onto her embrace. It then rose back to its full height as Celestia held her little sister even closer. It turned to face the ponies earlier, and, to her horror, its tone changed drastically whence before it was soft and comforting, now it was harsh and intimidating.
"And now, the fun begins."
The ponies, however, are not letting it strike first. The female unicorn once again launched another magical bolt at it, but it was deflected at the last second by the runeblade. The two males of the group charged straight to the creature, attempting to corner it with their combined attacks.
The bipedal creature found amusement of such action, allowing them to strike first before they realized their inevitable end.
The first pony shift and turn at the last second to buck the armored biped onto its chest, only for its offhand obstructing the oncoming attack at the last second. The stallion found himself dragged by the creature in the leg, spinning before being tossed to the approaching Pegasus.
The two collided mid-air, entangling themselves with each other, trying to get off one another only for the creature's Greatsword punctured through their body, both letting out bloodcurdling screams of agony. At least it had the decency to silence them from their misery.
Celestia looked away, flattening her ears from the sound of metal meeting flesh as she covered Luna's ears.
"NO!" The unicorn mare shouts in horror, realizing on her companions' death, made a mad dash towards the creature while hurling whatever spell she had. Each ineffective as the creature's armor took the full brunt of it. The creature pulled its bloodied blade out of the corpses, without turning to the oncoming unicorn mare, it stopped her mad-dash harshly by a grab to her throat.
The unicorn choked for air as it slowly turns its head to her. A bemused expression engraved on the creature's pale face, panic overtook her and tried to struggle free from its death grip, sputtering garbled incomprehensible sound. Her struggle slowed down as her eyes slowly rolled to her back before finally, she went limp.
Arthas threw the female unicorn to the ground, then turned his head to the pair of fillies. He sighed, muttering, "I have expected more from them, but perhaps it is only a wishful thinking."
He approached the filly, but the white one crawled away from him as he draws closer. He reached his hand to them, but they shied away, expecting him to do something unimaginable.
Arthas couldn't blame them. After all, he murdered others in cold blood in front of them. He would always be the monster. The fact that he, himself acknowledges. But he can't leave them alone! He at least needed to apologize for what he had shown.
"I wouldn't harm any of you, I promise," Arthas assured them. It worked as the elder one raises her head fearfully.
"Can we really trust you?"
Arthas more or less deserved to be questioned, why would any sane person would trust someone with an armor that had an engraving of skulls and apparently could kill something in cold blood.
He hesitates. Would it be wise or foolish of him to help them? Perhaps it was the last shred of optimism he had left that made him held firm on his decision.
"Yes, I swore to you that I meant no harm. May the light smite me if I do so."
She was hesitant at first but eventually believed him. She prodded her little sister to wake her up, but her sister's soft snore halted the elder from continuing. She looked up to him, "I suppose my sister wouldn't be awake anytime soon."
"Do you need help?" Arthas asked, stepping back to give them space.
She shook her head as her horn glow brilliant yellowish, the same color encompassing the small frame of her sister. It slowly levitates the midnight blue filly before settling her onto the elder's back. She then looked back at the armored biped, "Come, I'll lead you to our home."
Arthas nodded as he started to follow the unicorn filly. He couldn't fathom the fact that a child, or in this case, a foal, acted so mature even after witnessing the grim spectacle previously. Perhaps because of foals in general matured a lot faster than any human child, he couldn't know for sure. Her silence is truly aren't helping in the matter.
The only sound accompanying them are the white filly's soft clop of hooves that are overshadowed by Arthas's heavy boots. None dared to speak as they followed the forest paths.
After a few turns, and as the trees start to dwindle, Arthas found himself on an isolated meadow surrounded by the cliffside of the mountain looming high above with the sound of a waterfall on a nearby river.
There was an old, broken-down cabin amidst these remarkable views. The roof barely held itself together with an open tear at the very right edge. The walls, a dull limestone that had seen better days, it looked ready to crumble. The sight of the house is rather depressing than the wondrous landscapes surrounding the house.
"Well, this is home," the filly Arthas still hasn't learned the name of, said.
Arthas looked at her as she approached the door, opening the door with her magic, much to Arthas' fascination. "So, where are your parents?" He asked, looking around the interior. As expected, it is as depressing on the outside.
The white filly looked down as she opened another door without much focus on the world around her. She entered the room, and Arthas followed.
The room was devoid of any furniture except a single bed at the corner. Arthas witnessed the older filly as she levitates the younger to bed, tucking her with a makeshift blanket made of used cloth strapped together with stitches.
"I haven't introduced myself, haven't I?" She whispered loud enough for Arthas to hear, but not enough to wake the sleeping form of the other filly. She sighed, heading out of the room to the broken down bench sitting in the living room.
She sat down on the bench, motioning for the armored biped to sat with her. Arthas looked at her with raised eyebrows, unsure if it would be able to hold his weight. He settled down in front of her on the floor instead.
"Okay, let us start with you first," she started.
He nodded, "Very well then, my name is Arthas Menethil, hailing from the land of Lordaeron."
He avoided telling her the whole truth, as well as is his current status. He doesn't need to disclose the fact that he was a Prince of said land, nor is he the one that helped to destroy said land. She doesn't need to know that the filly currently residing with, are a heartless monster who kills for his amusement.
Whence she learned that she is in the presence of a monster, a betrayer, a deluded Prince, she would despise him. She would fear him.
"Well, a pleasure to meet you, Arthas, my name is Solaria Advantia Celest. The one that you saved is my sister, Lunaria Advantia Selene. Don't bother with our full name. It's a mouthful as it is. You may call us both Celestia and Luna."
Arthas raised his brow, noticing the strange sun symbol on her flank(?). "Somewhat strange name, but fitting nonetheless."
"The name Arthas Menethil is strange as well," she giggled.
Arthas, for once, smiled, "A fair point."
Celestia then looked down. Sorrowful expression replaced the earlier jovial and cheery attitude. "Regarding our parents, we do not have any. Not after a rampage of a feral wolf that killed them when the two of us were little."
Arthas merely looked away. It is as if he was standing in front of a child whose parents he killed not too long ago with cold blood. A child, frightened of what is happening outside as his Undeath warrior slaughter those who are living.
He quickly shook his head rapidly, banishing such thoughts to the back of his mind and locked it. It won't do much, as it always haunt him back no matter what he tried. He needed a new topic, maybe about the incident that he so gladly show to prove his delight about killing others.
"So, about that sun symbol of yours, what does it mean?" Arthas said, struggling to hold the endless onslaught of negative thoughts that plagued his mind.
Celestia giggled, "It is not 'just' any symbol. It is my cutiemark!"
"And that 'cutiemark' means?" Arthas asked as an image of himself, and his dark shadows occurred on his mind, battling in a slap fight.
"It represents not as a distinction among us ponies -while it certainly is- but as a reflection of what we are, what we are good at, as well as what fate has in store for us."
"So, you are saying you're magnificent and able to control the sun?" Arthas mentally laughed at the ridiculousness. He could not fathom how these ponies believed in such a thing.
But then again, you and your people, somewhat ironically, believed on such things as well.
It is marginally different, you dolt!
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE DIFFERENCE THEN?! Both the creature of this world and yours believed in basically the same concept!
Well, for starters, their fate is handed out for them right from the start, while we had to find our own. And we 'did' has evidence that these things existed.
Well, let us just say that both worlds share the same connection since magic existed in this world.
Fair enough. Can we just get back to the world of the living instead of arguing with myself like an insane person would do?
Hmph, we've lingered here enough, I suppose.
Celestia scratches the back of her neck, a sheepish smile etched across her feature. "Um, actually, I sort of...raised the sun. By accident."
Arthas stared at her blankly. "You, truly...raised the sun?"
"That may also be the reason why these ponies are after us in the first place," she muttered. While to the untrained, it was inaudible, but for Arthas, he could hear it.
Arthas couldn't believe it, while god-like creatures do exist, but a being as weak as her can raise the sun? Either he underestimated the magic of this world, or this is entirely a fabrication. He crossed his arms, "I'll believe it when I saw one."
"As of late, I could not replicate what I had done anytime soon. Perhaps when I'm old enough, then by any luck, I could."
"Fair enough," Arthas said, looking to the door of the room which Luna resides. "Speaking of, what makes them after you in the first place?"
Celestia rubbed her hooves nervously, "I've told you earlier, I raised the sun. Thus I am a threat to the Unicorn Council."
Arthas held the urge to facepalm as it was getting ridiculous. "Okay, now you mentioned these Council, enlighten me of what they do, please."
"Well," Celestia draws out, pondering for a moment before continuing. "All I know that the Unicorn Council once control the Heavenly bodies, both Sun and Moon, respectively. They needed six unicorns to do so, but one time, when Luna and I were out an early adventure, I raise the sun since they were late in doing so."
"And how should I know if this wasn't anything but a fabrication?"
Celestia flattened her ears, "I can't prove anything as of yet, but I know the Council sent these ponies to hunt us."
"At this point, I'm just humoring you, but do continue," Arthas urged her.
Celestia sighed exasperatedly, "I'm telling you the truth! If you don't believe me, then so be it."
Well, excuse us for being in the wrong world!
Arthas closed his eyes, rubbing his temple, "Look, I'm new to the land. Forgive me for not being informed as such."
"Oh, you're not native?" Celestia asked, genuinely interested.
"Unfortunately not, why can't you tell?"
Celestia shrugged her withers, "We've seen other creatures in our little adventure. I assumed that you were a skinny version of the Diamond Dogs."
"Diamond Dogs?" Arthas inquired with a raised brow.
Celestia nodded, "Mhm, they were bipedal, and their upper torso most times are bulky, and so are their hands."
"I...see. Does that mean Gryphon kind also existed in this world?"
"Griffon? Oh, they do exist. They had an Empire up in the far Northeast."
Arthas are completely bewildered by this revelation, "Does Dragon kind existed as well?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Celestia said, putting a hoof on her chin. "What I know about them is rather limited. According to some ponies, dragons are a rare sightings in this land."
Well, Arthas could see a familiarity between both worlds. But what makes the Elves then? Heck, does Orc somewhat had a counterpart here as well? It is fairly a lot of information to take.
Just pray that necromancy wouldn't ran rampant anytime soon. I'm sure whatever Lich or Necromancer controlling them would offer you Kingship.
Very funny.
"Are you alright, Arthas?" Celestia broke his train of thoughts before it could devolve into another state of jumbled mess.
"Ah, I'm fine, just thinking."
"Are you certain," Celestia asked with concern. "I just noticed that your skin is somewhat pale."
"Yes, and I have just noticed that your mannerism is not what I expected to be, especially if you live in a place such as this. No offense." Arthas said, changing the subject fairly quickly.
"None taken, but to answer your question. The town library offered a vast but limited knowledge." Celestia's ear perked up as her gaze shifted to the window. "Oh, it's starting, come!"
She hopped off the bench, cantering to the exit. Her horn shimmered in the same color as before as she flicks the handle. Arthas followed her outside and greeted by the sight of quickly dimming rays of light fading into orange before replaced by the clear night sky. What caught his breath was the sight of the moon, encased with a soft blue glow, slowly rising from the horizon to replace the sun on its stead.
Arthas looked down on his little entourage. She had a smile that spreads across her entire feature, which Arthas found unsettling to some degree.
"What you are currently seeing right now. Was the moon being raised by the unicorns."
Arthas looked back as the moon settled at its peak, and truthfully, Arthas never saw such entrancing sight in his life. He heard a yawn below him.
"I should rest now. It has been quite an eventful day." Celestia said, walking back to the cabin. Then she turned her head at him, her face reluctant, "Erm, I do not have a spare room for you, I doubt you'll fit the bedframe anyway. So, uhh..."
Arthas raised his hand, "It's alright. I'm fine sleeping on the floor."
She nods, "Goodnight, Arthas. Have a pleasant dream."
"Goodnight," Arthas replied. As the white filly disappeared inside, Arthas muttered to himself. "I doubt I'll have one anyway."