"It's… finally over. Well done, champions." The paladin gives off a heavy sigh of exhaustion and relief, his eyes closing for a moment, thoughts of the past and present racing through his mind as, finally, the evil is put to rest. "I'm sorry that I could not be of much help to you all, but you have all shown great tenacity, courage and strength today. Finally, the thousands of tormented have been freed thanks to your heroic efforts."
"Highlord Fordring… you praise us too much," responded Gai'vahros in modesty, his arms relaxing to his side, the point of Quel'Delar pressed against the ice of the platform around them. "But it's finally over. Finally, the fallen of Lordaeron, Silvermoon, and the unfortunate people who were slain in Arthas' wake can rest in peace knowing that their deaths were not in vain."
"No, Gai'vahros. Without all of your help, together, we would not have been able to secure victory over the fallen prince. I only wish now that Arthas will find nothing but misery in death… as well as atonement." Tirion let out another sigh as he turned his head to look back down at the shattered runeblade behind him. The sword, dark as night and evil as the hells themselves, lay shattered in pieces as the jagged blade and rusted hilt were all that remain. "Even though I know that it was ultimately this damned sword that drove Arthas to madness, I still can't help but think that something happened to him much earlier. Perhaps it was Mal'Ganis that drove him to the edge. Maybe it was the culling of Stratholme that pulled him from the path of retribution to the path of vengeance."
"It is hard to say, Tirion," interrupted a voice from behind Gai'vahros. The young human Paladin, Christoph Andrews, stepped forwards to confront the Highlord of his doubts. "It is too late for us to think about matters that we will never know the answers to. Though with his death, as tragic as it may or may not be, know that he may find respite-- as will the rest of us."
"Ehhhhh the young prince will be remembered, though ehhh perhaps for not the right reasons." A strong, heavy voice with a Mediterranean accent approached the conversation with much more light-heartedness than the others. "Ostoso, may we remember him for the good things he has done. Eh, Gai, you always reminded me of him, you know. I look-- I look into your face and I see his."
"That's not exactly the greatest of compliments you've given me, Stavros," replied the elf in sarcasm, "but perhaps you'd like to explain how I remind you of Azeroth's most vile opponent?"
"Eh, malaka, you know that is not what I meant," Stavros replied in impatience with the blood knight, waving his pointing finger at him as he reprimanded him. "I see the light in your eyes and the divinity in your heart, agori mou, just as I saw it in your father and Arthas. Katalava, you have so much more to give, Gai mou, much more than the prince. You can achieve greatness! But, prota, you must have faith in yourself, and believe in the things that you do! Only then will you know greatness the likes of which kings can hardly dream of."
"The old codger's right, Gai'vahros," the voice of a young female assured Gai'vahros, though caused some chagrin to the old priest whom she had offended. "We can all become awesome if we just believe in ourselves and in each other. We can become great just like Tirion, and Thrall, and Varian, and Muradin-- we can be like them!"
"That's not what I want, Emilia," replied Gai'vahros, his voice becoming harsh. "I don't want fame or glory or a legendary title. I don't want to lead, don't want my head stuck in politics, and I sure as hell don't want to deal with this ridiculous and petty rivalry between the Horde and Alliance. I want to travel the world, help right the wrongs of others and to defend those who cannot defend themselves, no matter how small the problem. Adventuring is my life, my blood."
"Heh. A good an answer as any that you could give, young knight." Tirion gave a smile as though he was bestowing his blessing upon a squire. The paladin patted Gai'vahros on his shoulder gently, showing his respect for him. "Like you father before you, I have no doubt that you will make an excellent knight."
A sudden groan alerted the group to another of their team, one that not all were comfortable with being around. The figure of a slender woman clad only in the most ebon of metals-- an armor of pure saronite-- stomped past them. "I did not come here so I could hear you fools ramble on about how great you are and how glorious the light is," her voice burst out in agitation and impatience as she made her way to the steps of the frozen throne. "I came here to rend the neck of the Lich King, and I have done so. I'll be taking whatever trinkets I can take before taking my leave."
"… As you wish, death knight," Tirion mumbled after some hesitation. "Mograine would like a word with you before you leave here. You can find him at the Lower Citadel."
"No doubt the Highlord wishes to congratulate me on a job well done." The death knight hefted her weapon above her shoulder before bringing it down to the side, arcing it horizontally and cleaving the top of a small wooden chest off. Inside were several items-- A small, notched sword with various dents and scrapes along its blade, a badge that bore the emblem of a silver, fisted gauntlet, a vial of frozen red blood, a small golden locket with a ruby inset in a socket, and a glinting blue gem. "Tch. Mere junk. Maybe someone will know what these are." The unsatisfied knight scooped up all that lay in the chest with a single hand, clenching them while her weapon remained gripped in the other.
"I assume you'll be taking that cursed blade with you?"
"Unless you aim to pry it from my cold undead hands, then yes, I'll be taking it with me. No objections, I hope?" She bore a wide smirk on her face as she gazed upon the disgruntled looks of those before her. However, her gaze fixated sharply upon the blood knight that stood mere feet in front of her. Her eyes beamed aggression towards Gai'vahros, which he only returned in indifference. "Remember this well that I only came here to defeat a common enemy. The next time we meet will be on the battlefield-- and not as allies, either. You have been warned."
"… If that is how it should be. Farewell, death knight."
"Hmph. Still won't address me proper? Fine, then." The knight pulled her gaze from his as she made her way to a small portal. "We will meet again Gai..."
"Gai… Gai'vahros… wake up, won't you…?"
For a moment, Gai'vahros mind became fuzzy and cloudy as the unnaturally gentle and comforting voice swept through his ears. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, making sure that what he was hearing was not still in his dreams. Of course, the voice was as real as the feel of the hoof that nudged his shoulder gently, rocking him softly from side to side like a baby in a crib. Slowly his eyes opened, his vision still blurred and distorted from the sand in his eyes and the fatigue that had still settled in his body-- only five hours sleep can do that to an elf. As his vision began to clear, to create a perfectly visible picture in front of him, he saw a pale yellow snout, bright eyes and pink hair in front of him.
"Oh… Lady Fluttershy…" Gai'vahros felt his chest tense up after looking at her, noticing that she didn't have a smile on her face like he was used to seeing. His eyes shifted away from hers for a moment, not wanting to look into hers for fear of feeling guilty. He couldn't keep this up though, knowing that he had to do something about it now. Now was the only time he may have. "I… uh… what are you doing here?"
"Um… I thought I'd come check on you," she replied. "Twilight told me that you were sleeping out here just now. Why didn't you come sleep with us…?"
"Lady Fluttershy, I…" The elf didn't know what to say. His head dropped for a moment, not wanting to look at Fluttershy knowing that she was feeling-- or was about to feel-- upset again. With a sigh, he rose his head again. "I didn't feel like I could show my face again. I upset everyone. I hurt Lady Rainbow Dash. Worst of all, I made you and Lady Pinkie Pie cry."
"Well… yes… but Twilight explained to me and Rarity about why you did what you did. She said--"
"That I was a good person inside? I know all about it. Lady Twilight came and spoke with me last night. I guess you and Rarity were asleep when she came to spoke to me."
"Oh… yes. Probably."
"Listen, Lady Fluttershy, I don't expect you to forgive me, and I don't expect you to accept it, but I want to say that I'm really sorry for having made you and everyone else upset. I wasn't thinking right, but I had to do something to make Lady Rainbow Dash understand. I know it wasn't the right way to do it, but it was the only way I knew how…"
"I understand, Gai'vahros. We know that you didn't mean to hurt Rainbow Dash."
"Well, you needn't worry about me hurting you anymore." Placing his hands on his knees, Gai'vahros hunched forwards and stood up from his prone position, swinging around and standing upon the cobblestone pavement. "I'm going to Cloudsdale later so I can hopefully apologize to Lady Rainbow Dash, and then I'm leaving."
"L-leaving? But, Gai'vahros, where will you go?"
"To the forests. I said I was going to protect you, to deal with this threat we're all facing, and I intend to keep that promise. After that… I'll go wherever the wind takes me. I'm an adventurer, after all." With that said, Gai'vahros walked past the still shocked Fluttershy, heading up north down the path. "Please tell everyone how sorry I am, won't you? But, please, don't tell anyone of my departure. It will be better if they did not know."
"Please, Gai'vahros… don't go…" pleaded Fluttershy, her voice trembling a little as she forced her words out. "I don't want you to leave us…" It was too hard for the emotional pegasus to handle. Small pools of tears formed in her eyes as she watched the elf walk further and further into the distance with no sign of stopping or even listening to her cries. "Gai'vahros… please…!"
Her cries finally reached the sullen Gai'vahros. The elf stopped in his tracks, pausing, hesitating to take another step forwards. His mind began to run circles in his head, thoughts pouring in from all sides as he began to think-- is this just one step closer to joy, or damnation? Is Fluttershy the first step back to regaining his friendship? Is this what Stavros meant when he said that he had to have faith in himself? "Lady Fluttershy…" Gai'vahros turned back to look at her, visibly hurt emotionally as he looked to see those same sad eyes that he saw yesterday. "Do you think… do you think we can still be friends…?"
"Fluttershy gave a big nod, closing her eyes tightly for a moment to hold back her tears, bearing a smile on her face-- a smile that Gai'vahros always wanted to see, all the time. "Yes. We'll always be friends."
A small smile spread across the lips of the joyful elf. He turned back to face Fluttershy, walking towards her slowly, not wanting to take his eyes away from the happy look on the pegasus' face. He just wanted to see it as much as he could, as often as he could. Suddenly, Fluttershy pounced forwards, wrapping her forelegs around the waist of Gai'vahros, much to his shock and surprised. He could feel it-- the softness and warmth of her body and coat. Or was that what friendship felt like, he thought. He wrapped his arms around the back of Fluttershy, cradling her, holding her close. "Lady Fluttershy… if I ever hurt you again, feel free to whack me in the face," he spoke humorously.
"Um… I'll try…" Feeling a bit embarrassed, Fluttershy quickly let go from the embrace, as did Gai'vahros. She could feel her cheeks heat up, forming a nice cascade of pale red over them. "Perhaps we should head inside…?"
"Do you think Lady Rarity and little Sweetie Belle will mind?"
"Oh, I'm sure they will. Twilight told us everything." Very optimistic, Fluttershy was. The pegasus made her way back towards the library, thinking that Gai'vahros would follow her close by but, when she turned her head back, noticed that he still stood there. "Come on. Don't be shy."
Gai'vahros chuckled a little at the irony of Fluttershy's words. The knight followed her back to the library, keeping a few feet behind. Even though he was on good terms with Fluttershy, he still did not feel it was okay for him to treat this rekindling as though everything was okay. Everything was not okay, and he needn't risk overstepping his boundaries.
As they both got to the door, Fluttershy opened it casually before stepping inside. "Twilight, I'm back," she called out, "and I brought someone with me…" Both Rarity and Twilight turned as soon as Fluttershy came inside, but only saw her.
Twilight's eyebrow rose as she stared out the door. "So… where is he?" she questioned while trying to peek around the corners of the frame from where she stood.
"Huh…?" Fluttershy looked back only to find an empty space where she thought Gai'vahros would be standing. Quickly, she turned and headed to the entrance, looking from one side to the other. As she turned her head, she noticed the still nervous blood knight pressed gently against the outside wall. "Gai'vahros, come in… please?"
The elf sighed. "Okay, okay…" Following Fluttershy inside, Gai'vahros slowly made his way from the corner of the entrance to the doorway before stepping inside. He felt his heart skip a beat momentarily, catching a glimpse of the hardened stares from Twilight, Rarity, and Spike. The pressure began to get to his head, feeling a rush of blood flow into his brain, beginning to feel slightly dizzy. Finally composing himself, he took a deep breath. "I know what I did was wrong," he began, gazing blankly forwards, not particularly fixated or directed to anyone but to those whose attention he garnered, "and I won't try and justify why I did it-- you all know the reason. I don't know whether or not it was a good reason, but it was the only thing I could think of given the circumstances. I need to say, whether or not you'll accept it, that I'm sorry for the trouble and heartache that I have caused you all. I don't expect forgiveness, but I'll be happy knowing that you two-- Lady Rarity, and little Spike-- would accept these tokens of apology."
Reaching into his pocket, Gai'vahros gave a moment of pause before pulling out the small jeweller's kit and opening it. The lid sprung open on its two hinges, revealing two items. One was a cut diamond, while the other was a small burlap sack. The elf placed a few fingers inside and gently picked up the glistening diamond from the kit's compartment, holding it up in front of his face while the colours dazzled as light began to pass through its facets, glistening in flashes of red, blue and yellow.
Rarity was astounded by such clarity in a gem the which of likes she had never seen before. "My gosh, Gai'vahros," she spoke up, surprised and amazed by such workmanship but also the fact that Gai'vahros had managed to accomplish such a thing. Rarity had almost forgotten entirely that she had given him the valuable jewel to begin with. "is that--?"
"It is, my Lady Rarity." The elf made his way to the dazzled unicorn and bestowed upon her his gift. "I made a promise that I would return it to you in the best of shapes, and this is what I have done." Placing it upon her hoof, Rarity looked down and marvelled at its creation. The gem bore the shape of an intricate shield, cut in a Trillion style but shaped like a top-pointed heater shield.
"Gai'vahros, I…" Rarity forced her words through her half-closed throat, almost screeching her words through a flood of emotions. She couldn't even find it in herself to be mad at the elf anymore. She was sure of herself that what she witnessed yesterday was brutal and unwarranted to which she protested greatly against, but she knew Gai'vahros better than that. She knew he was a great person and an even greater friend. "Thank you so much!"
Gai'vahros only gave a big smile upon his deterred lips. At this point he did not need to know if it was a sign of forgiveness. He didn't even care if Rarity had forgiven him. All that mattered was that he could do something to make her smile again. Satisfied with the outcome, Gai'vahros turned to the young dragon who stood beside Twilight to find a rather wide, toothy smile on his snout.
"Gai," exclaimed Spike as he held his hands together, his little fingers entwined between themselves, "does that mean--"
"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" replied Gai'vahros with a small smirk on his face as he lifted the small sack from the jeweller's box. Spike kept his eyes of it as it hung from the elf's grasp as though mesmerised by it, following it closely as Gai'vahros placed it into his open palms. The young dragon could swear that he could smell a slight hint of diamond from the sack, hovering his nose above the tied opening and taking a little sniff. Eagerly, as though he was opening a big birthday present, he untied the two laces that tightened around the top of the bag and peered inside before reaching a small hand inside. The contends were smooth, hard and a little sharp around some of its edges, but not enough to cut into his tough, leather-like skin. His claws tightened around a few of these shards before pulling them out.
"W…wow…!" Spike was more than ecstatic from the view that lay before him. In his hand held several shards and chips of equestrian diamond, but they were all shined and polished to the degree of what would be seen on perfectly cut gemstones that would be used in jewellery-- they no longer resembled discarded cuts. "Gai… did you cut all of these?"
"Kind of," replied Gai'vahros. "I had the thought that you like gems based on their value and clarity, so I thought it'd be a shame if I just gave you scratched and damaged chippings. I just smoothed them out, give them a bit of polish and buffed out all the scratches and imperfections, that's all."
"You-- you'd do all of that for me?"
"I'd do that, and much more, for any of you. You're my friends, after all."
"Dude…" The dragon's eyes began to well up with tears as he gazed up at the pure, smiling face of Gai'vahros. With such emotion, Spike leapt at Gai'vahros' leg and hugged it as close as he could. "You're so awesome…!"
"If you say so, little Spike." It really felt like a big step back in the right direction for Gai'vahros, knowing that he could do such greatness for his new friends despite emerging from such darkness. It was a great feeling for him, but he knew that this direction had a few more hurdles that he needed to jump over-- some bigger than others.
As Spike found the time to relinquish his newfound love for him, Gai'vahros looked back to Twilight to see a happy and satisfied look on her face. "I'm happy that they've found it in their hearts to forgive you, Gai'vahros," she spoke with a smile on her face. "I'm sure everyone else will, too."
"And you, my Lady Twilight? Do you still forgive me?" Even though he had heard it the night before, Gai'vahros still felt inclined to ask a second time. He needed to have that closure, to hear it from her a second time.
"Of course I do," she responded adamantly, "and I told you I did last night. In fact, I had forgiven you the moment it happened. I just… well, I just had to make sure that what you did was out of reluctance and necessity and not out of cruelty."
"I understand, and I hope that you understand that I only ask again for closure."
"I understand."
"Okay, cool," spoke Spike, "so we all understand each other now? But, what are we gonna do about Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash?"
"I'm taking my leave for the moment to head to Cloudsdale," Gai'vahros responded, "so I can apologize to Lady Rainbow Dash. I just hope I'll be able to find her and, on top of that, hope that she can forgive me."
"Um… would you like me to accompany you, Gai'vahros…?" asked Fluttershy.
Gai'vahros shook his head slowly. "No, it's okay, my Lady Fluttershy," he responded, then turned his gaze to Twilight with a small smile. " I think it would be best if I went on my own, to show my devotion as it were." Twilight nodded in response, glad that Gai'vahros had come to his own conclusion as to why it would be better if no one went with him. "Northwest of here, right?"
"That's right, Gai'vahros," responded Twilight, confirming the direction of Cloudsdale. "Have a safe flight, okay?"
"Always do, unless a flying pegasus knocks me out of the air. Let's just hope it isn't Lady Rainbow Dash."