A Villain Gets A Second Chance

As Twilight and the girls follow Winona out of Ponyville for a few hours through snow that's up to their heads, Twilight uses her magic to widen the path for them to take back when they find the stubborn stallion.

The scent gets stronger as Winona picks up her speed a bit, breaking away from the group a little as she senses herself closing in on the stallion.

She trots after Winona faster, saying, "I think we are almost to him!"

Rarity shivers as her mane is frozen backward, saying, "I should bloody well hope so, my mane is frozen solid from the wind!"

Applejack then says, "Ah know, ah lost count of how many times this blasted wind tried to take the hat off my head!"

Winona smells something just up ahead and takes off to go check it out, when she gets to the source, she finds a pony lying on the ground with a broken branch lying just in front of them, half-covered by the snow. Trotting up to the downed pony, she sniffs them and learns that the scent she's been tracking belongs to this stallion. With her target found, she barks three times loudly, then howls out to let her owner know.

Applejack hears the barks and the howl and gasps saying, "SHE'S FOUND HIM BUT HE'S HURT!"

Twilight then gasps and starts galloping ahead, saying, "LET'S GO GIRLS!"

When they arrive, they find a pony buried under snow with a broken branch just in front of them as Twilight uses her magic to clear away the snow. Once they are able to see you lying there, Applejack puts her ear to your chest and sighs, saying, "He's alive, still warm, and has a strong heartbeat which means he was only knocked out cold by that branch in front of him."

Sighing with relief, Twilight pulls out the null ring and slips it over your horn saying, "At least we don't have to worry about sneaking up on him, Applejack can you carry him back?"

Applejack nods and says, "Eeyup, just lift him up and lay him over my back."

Fluttershy and Rainbow then volunteer to help keep him from falling off either side, watching as Twilight lifts you up and lays him onto her friend's back.

When your unconscious body is securely on Applejack's back, she and the others make their way back when she feels something bumping and rubbing against her flanks and gulps thinking, 'Don't pay any mind to the fact that his family jewels are bumping into me, just concentrate on what you want to say to him when he wakes up... Though they are pretty weighty...' Shaking the thought out of her head, she thinks, 'STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! Get yer head out of the gutter cause spring is a long way away, and ah'm not looking for a foal!' As she ducks her head to the side when Rarity turns to talk to Twilight, she says, "Watch out with that mane of yours Rarity, it's liable to knock somepony out."

Jerking her head to the left, she doesn't hear the smack and thud beside her, and says back, "My mane is not a deadly weapon!"

Spike climbs out of the snowbank rubbing his cheek, saying, "I beg to differ...ow...!" which gets the other mares laughing except for Rarity.

Once the girls get back to the library, Applejack ties your three legs together while you're still unconscious so that you can't run anywhere and wait for you to wake. When you feel a minor headache return, you start to stir as your eyelids open. Everything is fuzzy for a few moments before you feel pretty warm for being outside, when your vision clears up, you realize that you are back in the library with 6 upset mares looking at you with Rarity and Fluttershy tapping one of their front hooves agitatedly. You try to get up, but you find that you are unable to with your three legs being bound. You then try to teleport away, but your magic doesn't activate and look up to see a ring on your horn blocking your magic.

Twilight then looks down at you and asks with an unhappy look on her face, "Just why were you trying to escape from us Arthas?!"

The others all look at each other in confusion, then to Twilight and ask simultaneously, "Arthas?"

She looks at the others and says, "Yeah girls, his name is really Arthas Menethil but he likes going by Blistering Blizzard because of his past." She then looks at you angrily and asks, "You are going to tell us why you tried to leave us like that, Arthas."

Fluttershy then steps up and slaps you with her wing, earning a few gasps from the others while giving you a furious scowl, shouting, "I cannot believe you took off like that because of you seeing and hearing me cry from having missed you so much since I learned what happened to you in the end!

Applejack looks at you, saying, "We aren't going anywhere until we get answers bub, and you're staying tied up and that ring stays on until we are satisfied."

Rarity then narrows her eyes at you, saying, "How uncouth, taking off in the night, and on Hearth's Warming Eve no less!"

Rainbow then crosses her wings in front of her and says, "Spill the beans already, pal."

You sigh with irritation and say, "I couldn't forgive myself for causing you so much pain after learning those bits about my past."

Fluttershy huffs and says, "You mean about the plague that was spreading around and turning citizens into undead, what you did at Stratholme, how you left your teacher Muradin for dead when you claimed Frostmourne, or are you talking about the time you died because it's hard to know what bit you're talking about? I'm too angry at the moment to hide behind my mane or even feel scared."

Everyone around you is too stunned to say anything as their mouths hang open when you hiss and turn away, saying, "Damn it Fluttershy-"

She gets up in your face and yells, "DON'T YOU DARE CURSE AT ME LIKE THAT MISTER OR I WILL SLAP YOU WITH MY HOOF INSTEAD OF MY WING! YOU HAVE FRIENDS THAT CARE ABOUT YOU, AND YOU NEED TO TREAT US BETTER AND GIVE US A CHANCE! FRIENDS HELP EACH OTHER THROUGH TOUGH TIMES AND ARE THERE WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST, AND I'M GOING TO BE THERE FOR YOU BECAUSE THAT IS HOW KIND I AM." She then hears her friends voice their own acknowledgments that they too will be there.

They all flinch back at seeing how angry Fluttershy can get, blinking in shock at never hearing her shout like that. Even you flinch back as best you can, then let out a sigh as her angry face is unrelenting. With no choice but to give in, you look to Twilight and ask, "Twilight, how much paper do you have stocked?"

Twilight grins and then summons numerous stacks of paper that are so tall, that they teeter dangerously as she says, "This is only some of what I have, do I need to bring more out?"

You groan and say, "God you're so obsessive. In one of my saddlebags is an inkwell I got from Princess Luna, who says it will never run out. Let's put that to the test, grab your quills because I will only tell this once. Oh, and you might want to inform Princess Luna that she might have her hooves full dealing with you girls' fear and nightmares after what I'm going to tell you." You then look to Rarity and say, "Rarity, I hope you have a lot of tissues because this story ends quite badly, or happily if you consider it from the side of Good versus Evil."

Rarity then summons her whole supply of hundreds of tissue boxes, saying, "I hope these are enough, darling."

She is already finishing the letter and sets it on the table saying, "Done, I'll have Spike send it when we need to rest."

Shaking your head, you say, "I don't know why you girls are so insistent to know what burdens I bear. Let's get this story started then... Do try and avoid interrupting me as Twilight will need to focus on writing down what I say." You take a moment to let Twilight ready the quill and inkwell, saying, "Just let me know when you are done writing, so I can continue, this is where things went from bad to worse... As I was on my way to Stratholme with my wounded pride, I was upset that Uther saved me at Hearthglen, a wizard appeared and informed me this land was already lost. That the shadow had already fallen, and there was nothing I could do to avoid it. He then advised me if I wanted to save my people, I had to lead them over the western sea." You then sigh and lay your head on the ground, saying, "I should have listened...but like the fool I was, I did not."

Continuing the story after Twilight lets you know she's ready, you say, "I then flat out refused by telling him my place was defending my people. He then told me that my choice was already made, he wanted me to remember that the harder I try to kill my enemies...the quicker I'll lead my people to them. When he left, Jaina cancelled her concealment spell and approached me from the woods, apologizing for concealing herself and tried to say something else when I cut her off. She then mentioned that she could sense great power from him, that maybe he could be right and did know what was going to happen. I didn't care what that madman saw, as I was determined to stay and protect my homeland because I saw as a young boy what happened when a city was sacked and its king was slain, which is how I came to know Varian Wrynn, with two n's, the Crown Prince of Stormwind and was later crowned as king. Anyways, back to the main story. I then told Jaina we had to get moving, so we continued on our way and got to Stratholme early the next morning. When Uther arrived with his men, I greeted him with an unhappy tone. He didn't care for it and told me to watch my tone, calling me a boy though I was 23 at the time."

As Twilight is still writing, you turn to the others and say, "I better get this out in the open since Twilight and the Princesses already know, but I-"

Twilight finishes writing the last bit down while saying, "He's the Crown Prince of Lordaeron and the Lich King of Icecrown Citadel."

Hearing everyone exclaim in shock, you hear Rarity faint on the floor and look at Twilight with an annoyed gaze saying, "Now who's leaving crucial details out?

Rarity eventually comes back around and blinks wearily, asking, "Y-YOU-YOU'RE-YOU'RE A-A ROYAL CROWN PRINCE!?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US EARLIER!?"

You then sigh and say, "Because I'm a FORMER Crown Prince and the FORMER Lich King of Icecrown Citadel, meaning that I am pretty much just a commoner now."

The studious unicorn then narrows her eyes, saying, "You may not be a Lich King anymore, but you were born a royal. Therefore, you still are a Crown Prince."

You roll your eyes at her and say, "Now you're just splitting hairs on technicality, I died before I came here and found myself alive again somehow."

Twilight then scoffs saying, "Get back to your story, Your Royal Pain-ness"

Blowing a raspberry back at her, you then say, "Uther then reminded me that even though I was the prince, he still was my superior as a paladin. I was annoyed by that and told him as if I would ever forget that with a little sarcasm, I then told him there was something about the plague he needed to know. We then started heading towards the city and were halfway across the stone bridge when I started to hear coughing, and realized that we were too late." Your throat starts to tighten up as you recall the painful memory, saying, "I then told them that we were too late and that the people had been infected by the plague, and it was only a matter of time until they became undead. I tried to have mercy and told them that the entire city had to be purged..."

Rarity hears him sniffle and start to sob, so she picks up a box and lies down in front of you, then pulls one from it with her magic and dabs the tears from your eyes, saying, "Keep going and I will wipe away your tears."

Forcing yourself to continue, you clear your throat and keep going, saying, "Uther was shocked at hearing that and asked how I could even consider that, and told me there had to be another way. Frustrated with Uther and anxious to save the kingdom, I used my station as the future king to order him to purge Stratholme. He reminded me in a cross tone that I was not his king yet, calling me boy yet again, and then said that he would not obey that order even if I was. He then turned and walked away from me, so I told him that I had to consider his choice as treason. Uther stopped at the other side of the bridge and turned to face me saying, 'Treason? Have you lost your mind?' I then asked if I had and used my right of succession as well as the sovereignty of my position as Crown Prince to relieve him from command and suspend his paladins of service. Jaina tried to intervene by saying that I couldn't just do something like that, but I cut her off and said it was already done. I then turned to the men behind Uther and asked for those with the will to save our land to follow me, and told the rest of the men to get out of my sight. Uther then narrowed his eyes and pointed at me, telling me that I had crossed a terrible line. When he started walking away, I noticed Jaina walking away as well and said her name in a questioning manner. When she stopped and looked back at me, she had a deeply saddened look on her face and said sorry, but she could not watch me do that. I watched her walk away and realized that two of my friends had just abandoned me right then, and shook my head before heading into the city with the 6,000 men who remained loyal to me."

As you pause, Applejack gulps and asks nervously, "U-Uhm, how many lived in Stratholme?"

You sigh and say, "Around 75,000 give or take a few hundred."

Shocked at hearing such a high number, Twilight drops the quill as a new understanding of her friend's pain dawns on her. Picking it up again, she returns to writing the last bit, making sure to include how many lived in the city before saying, "Ready."

As the others try to come to grips with what you did to the whole city to prevent Mal'ganis from turning the citizens into undead, they listen to how he escaped and lured you to Northrend.

Rainbow listens intently as the story unfolds and hears about your arrival at the Forgotten Shore in the unforgiving land of Northrend, establishing a base camp before you ran into Muradin. She starts to get into the story a bit as you tell them about the fight you had against a group of Mal'Ganis's forces just to save Muradin's camp of dwarves.

When you get to the part where the base was destroyed, you wait for Twilight to catch up before continuing to talk, saying after hearing her say ready, "After I asked what Muradin was doing here, he told me of an ancient waygate somewhere within the glacial wasteland of Dragonblight that supposedly transports you to a secret vault where a runeblade named Frostmourne was kept. They came to claim Frostmourne, but the closer they got to the waygate, the more they kept encountering undead. So I made the dwarven camp my new primary camp and went with Muradin on a scouting trip. However, while we were away, I returned to find that no guards were present and asked Captain Luc Valonforth about their absence, and he told me that my father, King Terenas Menethil, had the men called back at Lord Uther's request. Unhappy at hearing that, I commented that if my men abandoned me, I would never be able to defeat Mal'Ganis. I then made my mind up and said that the ships must be burned before the men reach the shore. Muradin then asked me if I was going too far, but I was too angry to pay attention and said they had to be burned down to the frames. I was not going to let anyone go home until we finished the job, so we took off immediately and I told Muradin that we needed more men to fight our way through the undead. He then told me he came across some bands of mercenaries up there that I could hire. So we went to go search for them, encountering a few small groups of undead along the way and found one camp of Ice Trolls and Ogres. After hiring them, we continued on our way."

Fluttershy looks down at the ground sadly as she hears how you had the mercenaries destroy the ships and then blamed the mercenaries for the destruction of the ships, sniffling as she hears you say how Muradin admonished you for your actions and asked out of concern if vengeance is the only thing you cared about.

As you pause once again, you watch Twilight write furiously for a few moments before looking up and nodding for you to continue the story, and then say, "When we returned to the base camp, we were surrounded by scores of undead abominations and other undead creatures. As a last chance to turn things around, I asked him to help me claim Frostmourne so that we could use the power of Frostmourne to survive the battle. Muradin then said he had a bad feeling about it, but he promised to see it through to the end and led the way to the gate after I told one of the captains that they were in charge of the base's defense."

They all listen to the story as you had to fight your way through direwolves and the undead, then a powerful revenant guardian who fell saying that it was trying to protect you from the sword.

You then recall that memory as if it was only yesterday and say, "Muradin and I left the men behind to guard the entrance to the cavern, and when I first laid eyes on the sword in its frozen plinth, I honestly thought I found our salvation. Muradin then asked me to hold a moment because there was writing on the dais, which was a warning that said 'Whoever claims this sword will wield power eternal. Just like how the blade cuts flesh, so too must power scar the spirit.' He realized right then that it was a foul blade and told me it was cursed, then suggested we get away from it. Willing to do anything to save my home, I told him that I would happily bear any curse if it would let me save my homeland. Muradin then turned to me and advised me to leave the blade alone, forget why I came here and lead the men home. I wish I had listened to him then because things would have been better, but I didn't listen to him. I was too eager to get revenge, so I said damn the men and that nothing would keep me from slaying Mal'Ganis, not even my friend, Muradin Bronzebeard. I then looked at the cavern around me and called out to the spirits there, telling them I would give anything or pay whatever price if they would give me the chance to save my people. Casting aside my Warhammer, I then reached out for the hilt with my left hand, which caused the blade to start trembling inside the ice encasing it. When it broke free from the ice, the ice around it went flying in all directions as the magical seal holding it there was destroyed. One of those shards must have struck Muradin because I heard him cry out in pain while I moved the sword into my right hand as I then turned around and tested Frostmourne's weight with a few gentle swings. When I saw Muradin lying there injured, I took my leave of the cavern without even checking on him or looking back. When I claimed the sword, that was the moment I turned evil because the sword claimed my soul the moment I held it." You see the others trembling violently after what you just told them and sigh saying, "The story gets even worse at this point, so let's take a little while for you to adjust a bit to the news before you get nightmares from what I'm about to tell you. You can leave the ring on my horn as long as you want to until you have adjusted to the mind-breaking news I just dropped on you, you can even guard me round the clock until you are prepared for the rest of my story. I just hope you don't keep me tied up the whole time so that I can eat and use the restroom at least."

Fluttershy trembles violently after hearing your terrifying past, steeling her resolve and gulping nervously, saying, "N-No...this story causes you pain, and we need to know why. Please continue your story."

Applejack then nods and bolsters herself, saying, "We're here to know what troubles ya, so keep goin' pardner."

Rainbow then shivers lightly in fear but half-laughs saying, "C'mon, you ain't scared us off yet pal! Keep this campfire story going!"

Twilight lays a hoof on your good shoulder saying, "True friends will never abandon a friend in need."

As you hear the others voice their agreements, you sigh in defeat, saying, "Alright...fine then, but don't say I didn't warn you..."

Continuing your story at their insistence, you say, "This is where I became evil... because from the moment I left the place where Frostmourne was kept, I began to hear a voice in my head. The voice then spoke to me about my revenge against Mal'Ganis and where I could find him, after telling the men of Muradin's death, I began gathering them and heading off to find and slay him. After having to fight through a few bases, I finally caught up to him as he said, 'You've taken up the sword at the cost of your fellow warriors' lives just as the Dark Lord said you would...You are even stronger than I realized.' I then told him that he was wasting his breath, that I only heeded the voice of Frostmourne. He then turned to face me and grinned while telling me that I heard the Dark Lord's voice, whispering to me through the sword I wielded. Then he walked past me as I was listening to the voice whisper again, asking me what he said and what the Dark Lord of the dead was telling me at that moment. When he was behind me, I answered him and told him that the Dark Lord told me the time for my vengeance has come. I heard him turn around and ask what, then understood and said he couldn't possibly mean when I cut him off by channeling a strong spell through the sword and driving through him. I watched with grim satisfaction as he fell to the ground lifelessly before he vanished in green flames, then wandered off into the frozen wastes of Northrend. After listening to the maddening voice through the day and night ceaselessly, I eventually lost the last remnants of my sanity an began following the voice's dark will and planned to finally return home to claim my just reward."

Twilight continues to write it all down, eventually dipping the quill into the inkwell again to keep going. When she is finished, she looks at him and says, "Ready."

As Applejack listens to you tell your story, she trembles more violently at hearing how you slaughtered the surviving men and recruited some cultists to accompany you as a guard detail.

With a sigh, you turn away and look into the fire shamefully with a frown, saying, "When I arrived at Capital City, all of its citizens were along the roads or looking from open windows as I made my way down the paved street. As the bells were ringing, the citizens were throwing rose petals into the air and raining down upon me. I watched a drawbridge lower at my approach, making my way across and stopping before the doors to the castle interior. I watched the rose petals flutter down around me, feeling nothing at all and caught one of the velvety red petals in my hand. When I rubbed it between my gloved fingers and looked at it again, a green spot of decay appeared from where I rubbed it and tossed it aside before I made my way inside."

Rarity's breathing hitches as she hears how you violently push the doors open, leaving them to slam against the walls while making your way to the throne. Her imagination tries its best to recreate the scene as you describe it, with her looking on as you draw your sword from its sheathe and set its tip on the floor while kneeling before your father.

Staring into the fire, you resume the story after describing the scene to them, saying, "As I knelt before him, I heard him address me, saying, 'Ah, my son, I knew you would return victorious. I didn't hear what else he said after that because I was lost in my head thinking, 'You no longer need to suffer for your people. You no longer need to bear the burden of your crown...I've taken care of everything.' With that last thought, I rose to my feet and began to approach my father with a smile on my face. Once I walked up the steps to the throne with the sword in my hand, I grabbed his shoulder and forced him to lean forward, hearing, 'What is it? What are you doing, son?' When I drew my sword back, I looked into his wide eyes and said, 'I am succeeding you, father.' then drove my sword through his chest and watched him die. Once his final breath left him, I yanked my sword free while pushing him away with my boot. His crown came off his head and bounced down along the stairs to the floor stained with his blood and came to rest as I said, 'This kingdom shall fall... from its ashes, a new order shall rise that will shake the foundations of the world.'"

With her makeup in ruins due to the torrential tears blazing trails down her cheeks, Rarity wipes her makeup off her face as she continues to sob along with the others at hearing how you murdered your own father. As she breaks down into soft wails at hearing how you spread the plague through the city, Rarity hands the others another two boxes of tissues each.

After getting through the city's fall and the survivors fleeing the city in terror at what was happening, you say, "I was then teleported to an empty area where I looked around saying, 'What sorcery is this?' When I noticed someone standing on the rise to my right and saw a demon who I took to be Mal'Ganis and told them I didn't know how he survived, but I would slay them again when he cut me off and asked me to calm myself. He then introduced himself as Tichondrius, spelled T i c h o n d r i u s. He then said he was a dreadlord like Mal'Ganis and that he wasn't my enemy, but has come to congratulate me instead. I then asked him about it and he told me that by killing my own father and delivering the land to the scourge, I passed the first test, which the Lich King was pleased with my enthusiasm. I then told him that I have damned everyone and everything I've ever loved for him, that I still felt no remorse, shame, or pity."

Twilight blinks her tears away as she has a little trouble with writing while sobbing silently, listening to you tell her what the dreadlord said about the runeblade being forged by the Lich King and empowered to steal souls, with yours being the first one it took.

Seeing Twilight having trouble keeping up writing, Spike pushes away his tears and hurries to her side. Taking the quill from her magic, he takes over for her as she thanks him weakly before curling up on herself and sobbing away. After seeing where she left off, he resumes recording the tale as you give him a few moments to catch up.

Once you resume the story, you tell them the rest of the conversation between the dreadlord and you. As you tell them what happened afterward, you let Spike catch up before telling them about your next task. Eventually getting to the point where you were sent to search for a special urn to contain the remains of Kel'Thuzad and slew the paladins guarding it, you say, "When I encountered my old mentor, Uther, he told me that my father ruled this land for seventy years, and I had ground it to dust in a matter of days. I then commented on how dramatic that was and told him that if he gave me the urn, I would make sure he would die quickly. Uther was shocked by my demand and told me that the urn holds my fathers ashes, then he asked if I was hoping to piss on them one final time before leaving the kingdom to rot. When I heard that, I laughed in amusement and said I didn't know what was inside, but it didn't matter because I was going to get what I came for."

Applejack listens to the story with tears in her eyes at the intense fight that followed when she hears you say, "Just before I dealt the final blow, he told me that he truly hoped there was a special place waiting for me in hell, and I told him that we may never know because I planned to live forever."

Still gazing into the flames, you turn your head to see Spike struggling to keep writing and look at Twilight, asking, "Twilight, if you are able, could you take over for Spike?"

Rarity dabs her eyes dry as she turns to see Twilight still sobbing away and takes the quill, inkwell, and paper from Spike, saying, "I can take over for a while until they can resume writing." Looking at where Spike left off, she dips the quill into the inkwell and taps the excess off before making a few corrections to the writing. It takes her a few minutes to catch up to the present point as she has to halt to dab her eyes a few times, looking up at him saying, "You may continue."

As tears run down your cheeks, you nod and say, "After I collected the urn and dumped my father's ashes onto the ground, I put Kel'Thuzad's remains inside when the dreadlord Tichondrius appeared near me and said I was doing excellent work, and that our journey to Quel'Thalas, spelled Q u e l ' T h a l a s, could finally begin. He then left and Kel'Thuzad's spirit appeared before me, saying to tell him nothing and that only I could hear him. He then warned me that the dreadlords could not be trusted because they were the Lich King's jailors, then promised to tell me everything when he walked the world again. After that, I marched my army of five thousand undead across the land for almost a week and nearly reached the wondrous, eternal lands of the High Elves. I was standing on a cliff with Kel'Thuzad, overlooking the land that I haven't seen since I was a boy when he warned me that the elves likely waited in ambush. I then told him that the frail elves didn't worry me, and that our forces were strengthened with every foe we slew. He advised me to not be too overconfident as a death knight, for the elves were not to be taken lightly. Not wanting to lose time searching for the path to their land, I captured some of their priests and tried to get them to tell me where it was. Unwilling to tell where it was, I slew them and decided to make my own way through the forest that was barring our path. By using the meat wagons, we forged a way through the forest and into their land. Building a new base just inside their land, I began to increase my numbers by searching for towns and villages. Fighting my way through their lands from village to village, my forces quickly grew to ten thousand, though I had come across a new nuisance that hindered my every move. The nuisance soon introduced itself as a female High Elf named Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger General of Silvermoon, capital of Quel'Thalas. She made it known that we were not welcome there and tried to get us to turn back, but I ignored her warning and told her that she should turn back, for death itself had come to their land. She then told me to do my worst, for the elfgate to the inner kingdom was protected by their most powerful enchantments, which we would not pass."

As she continues to write the tale down, leaving no detail out, she starts to hear a faint, eerie song playing just barely within earshot. Unable to hear any words yet, she continues to write it down as a faint wailing can be heard and asks, "Can anyone else hear that creepy music?"

The others nod their heads as you nod your head as well, saying, "It is a sorrowful tone, and I think that there may be words to it, though they will be in another tongue. I will translate it for you all once I get through this part of the story."

As you resume the story, you hear words being sung as you tell them of you cutting a path through their land, killing the very ground you and the army stepped on. You then blink slowly and continue saying, "When we reached the first gate, it didn't take the meat wagons very long to batter it down as I heard her order her troops to fall back and ordered my troops onward to victory. Attacking and pursuing her soldiers the whole way, a bridge was approaching as she waited by it. She faced our way and said I broke through the first gate, calling me a butcher before saying I wouldn't get through the second, saying that the inner gate to Silvermoon could only be opened with a special key and would never be mine. I then watched her run to the far side of the bridge and said she was wasting her time because she could not outrun the inevitable, which she then replied by saying, 'You think I'm running from you? Apparently, you've never fought elves before.' and then halted my pursuit by using her bow to fire a spell upon the bridge as a few of my soldier were crossing it, destroying the bridge and the soldiers in the process. I watched her run off again and damned her angrily at forcing me to look for another way to cross, which I found a couple hours later in the form of Goblin zeppelin air ships. After I got to the other side, I resumed my attacks on buildings and any who resisted me when I found a crystal. Kel'Thuzad appeared before me again and said that the crystal was part of a three moon key which would open the inner gate, so I set out to find the other crystal keys. Once I gathered the other pieces and completed the key, I battled my way to their inner gate and removed the magical barrier before blasting the gates apart and marching through them while looking forward to dealing with Sylvanas and laying claim to the inner kingdom. I watched the Ranger General retreat from on top of an overlooking cliff, cursing our ongoing march, which began to really vex me."

Rarity's body trembles fearfully as you continue the story, hearing how you continued to slaughter your way to the fields outside Silvermoon and killing her runners. She continues to write as you give her a chance to catch up, looking up with watery eyes, saying, "Ready."

You nod and look back into the flames with a heavy heart and sorrowful soul as you continue on, saying, "When I finally caught up to her, she fought to the bitter end as she tried to get her people to safety. When she ran towards me, she cast aside her bow and slid forth on her knees with her swords drawn to strike me down from my undead steed, Invincible. I was watchful and drew Frostmourne back as she froze for a second, staring up at me with either awe, wonder or fear in her eyes while I drove my sword through her chest. I held the sword there as I heard her tell me to finish it, and that she deserved a clean death. I smirked and told her in a condescending tone, 'With all that she put me through, the very last thing I would give her is death's peace.' She then looked up at me with shocked and angered eyes and started to tell me that I wouldn't dare do that, but I cut her off and tore her soul from her still-living body and transformed her into a banshee. I heard her let out a final, agonized scream and looked around to see what she was looking at an spotted a dead High Elf mother lying on the field with her dead daughter clutched in her arms tightly. Sylvanas's body fell to its side as I watched my new banshee turn to face me, waiting for orders. After strengthening my forces, I marched my forces to Silvermoon and began my attack on it, having her kill her own people." You then give Rarity a chance to catch up a bit before continuing on.

As they listen to more of the story, they are horrified at how mercilessly cruel, cold and unforgiving you were. Hearing how you were granted the ability to summon another new, horrifying creature, the Frost Wyrm, their lungs seize for a fraction of a second as their minds try not to imagine what one looks like.

When the tale continues on, you tell them about how you were sent to slaughter several groups of Blackrock Orcs to take over and use an active demon gate to summon Archimonde, who would lead the Burning Legion's invasion of Azeroth. You quickly pass the point where Archimonde ordered you and Kel'thuzad to find a special tome, the only remaining spellbook of Medivh, the Last Guardian. It takes you a few minutes to get through the attack on Dalaran and the summoning, getting to the point where command of the Scourge was transferred to the Dreadlords.

You go through the events of what happened in the months following, even telling them of the small part you had to play in the Legion's defeat. You then sigh and say, "Annoyed with being under their thumb, I spent most of my time secretly making sure there was no communication between the dreadlords and Archimonde. I was also learning what was going on in the world, having my shades and cultists be spies for me. One day, my newest banshee, Sylvanas Windrunner and the lich Kel'Thuzad were listening in on a meeting of Archimonde's pet dreadlords near Lordaeron's ruined Palace Gardens when she overheard them talking about not having heard from Archimonde for months along with their displeasure of overseeing the undead. Of course, I was listening the whole time through a shade as Another dreadlord reminded him of their reason for remaining here, being mainly overseeing the land and ensuring the scourge was ready to fight. I was amused to hear how they still didn't know of the legions defeat months ago as well as how they hadn't received orders by now, but little did they know that plans were in motion already as I was riding toward them. When I destroyed the gate leading to the area they were meeting, they were surprised to see me approaching them. As I came to a stop before them, I greeted them before graciously thanking them for looking after my kingdom for me in my absence and would not need their services any longer. They tried to tell me that the land was theirs and that the Scourge belongs to the Legion. I smiled with glee as I told them that they didn't belong to them anymore because their masters have been defeated and the Legion was undone, telling them that their deaths would complete the circle. They defied my words and said that it wasn't over just before teleporting themselves somewhere else. When Kel'Thuzad welcomed me back as Prince Arthas, I acknowledged that I had returned before telling him that he would call me King Arthas because that was my land after all. I then said that we needed to secure the land by scouring the last remnants of humanity from it when the lich told me that they had already began to abandon their villages, fleeing to the canyon passes and that we would lose the ability to hunt them down if they made it to the mountains. I countered him by saying then we must slaughter them before they escape, adding that their deaths would be a fitting tribute to the Lich King, Ner'zhul."

Fluttershy places her hooves over her head as she curls into a ball, wailing at hearing how vicious and evil you were to innocent citizens, adults and children alike. As she hears the horror story, she lightly starts to rock back and forth, sobbing, "No more...please, no more."

Looking at the state of poor Fluttershy makes your heart hurt for her, saying, "Someone please make it so that she can't hear anything else from here on?"

Twilight and the other girls put ear plugs into her ears as well as a pair of ear muffs to prevent any other sound from getting through, turning to you and say, "Okay, please continue on."

This part is in 3rd person, taking place within Fluttershy's mind and is between her inner voice and herself

As she battles with the horrors you have committed in her mind, something inside her sparks and asks her, 'Is this the kind of friend you want to be?'

Fluttershy opens her eyes to find herself in a dark place under a bright white spotlight with a pony identical to her standing in front of her with a frown on her kind and caring face, asking the other pony, "Uhm, what do you mean?"

The other lookalike closes her eyes and sighs, saying, "Is this the kind of friend you want to be? The kind of friend that runs away from something that she is too terrified of to deal with, though the other needs all the support they can get and lets them down, hereby letting them know they can't count on you for when things are much harder for them?"

She trembles on her hooves as she understands and softly says, "N-No...b-but...the things that he is telling us is going to keep me awake for many nights and might even drive me insane."

She looks at Fluttershy and sighs, saying, "That is true, but try to think about how he feels...he is the one that has to bear the memories of the very things you are hearing about. He actually did those awful things...and must suffer the shame and guilt of his past deeds. If you want to stay in the dark about what he's done, then go right ahead...but prepare to lose a potentially very good friend in the process..."

Back in Twilight's library...

Fluttershy sobs to herself as she hears her own blood pulsing in her ears, reaching one hoof to her ears shakily as her fear fights her for control. When she finally touches the base of the ear muffs around her ears, she has to use her inner strength and gains some control over her fear and starts to push them upwards.

You pause your story a little bit before the point you felt the pain through your connection to Ner'zhul as Rarity continues to write down the gory details you were telling them earlier, watching curiously as Fluttershy pushes the things off her head and gains everyone's attention when Twilight starts to ask what her friend is doing, cutting her off by saying, "Shhhh!" It takes a few moments for Fluttershy to get the plugs out of her ears as you finally ask, "Did you make up your mind as to whether you wanted to hear the rest of my story, Flutters?"

She gulps nervously and lays down on her belly, nodding her head and saying with a shaky voice, "Y-Y-Yes, and I realized that you must be feeling a whole lot worse than any of us at sharing your life story with us, so...please continue."

Nodding your head, you say, "The only thing you missed were some gory details of my quest to hunt down the remaining humans in my kingdom, which I was only telling them to stall for time to see if you were going to walk away or listen to the story. I am glad you chose the latter, now I can continue on with the rest of the story."

Rainbow's head jerks up as she exclaims, "Wait...hold up. You made Rarity and Spike puke their guts out repeatedly with all those details...JUST TO STALL FOR TIME!?! UNCOOL!"

With a smirk coming to your face, you shrug and say, "Hey, I have trust issues, what do you expect?"