Forget the Past

"You've won, Rommath!" Vareesa stood up and glared at the Archmage. "Now everything is as you wished, isn't it?"

One of the four chairs in the room was now empty; Aeridiel had slunk away, carrying heartbreaking news. His attitude had brought Alleria's plans to a standstill.

Rommath raised his head to meet Vareesa's gaze and retorted bluntly, "As I wish? Is it wrong to tell the truth, General? You've painted an overly rosy picture for Aeridiel, constantly glorifying Veronalara in front of him; that will only harm him. What will he think when he discovers that his fiancée isn't what he expected? He'll only be more heartbroken. Have you really thought about the consequences?"

"How do you know Veronalara will disappoint him? Is your concept of the Undead limited to only Abomination and Ghoul?"

Rommath was known to everyone as an aggressive and easily angered person, but he appeared quite calm in the face of Vareesa's sarcasm. "Of course I've seen Dark Ranger. I heard Aethas mention them in Dalaran. If you put them in a dark environment, they do look no different from normal people, but that doesn't change the fact that they are dead." Rommath noticed that Alleria's face darkened further after hearing this, and he sighed. "It's not that I have any particular prejudice against the Forsaken. I just want to know, how can the living and the dead be honest with each other? Take Aeridiel, for example. Before this, he didn't know what his fiancée looked like. He firmly believed she was dead and was heartbroken for her. Even if he thought of his fiancée later, it would surely be a beautiful memory. But now, think about the expression on his face after learning the truth. By the Sunwell, this is a tragedy. Aeridiel will suffer for this forever. He was a kind and gentle man. Why did he have to accept this terrible fact? Why couldn't he find another living lady and continue living, instead of..." He seemed to want to continue, but suddenly seemed to realize something, quickly ended his sentence, and looked at Alleria apologetically.

"Since we've come this far, there's no need to leave me out," the Regent said coldly. "The outside world calls him the Witherer. But the leader of the Forsaken is my beloved husband. I want him to sleep forever, and I thought I was right—that letting him truly die is far better than dragging an Undead body along. But would that mean I wouldn't feel guilty anymore? No!" Alleria retorted sharply. "Not only am I in greater pain, but I also cannot forgive myself, especially for shooting an arrow into his heart while he was still conscious."

Rommath sank with every word Alleria spoke. "Won't a reunion be disappointing?" the Archmage said bluntly. "If I have offended you, Regent, I apologize. But the one you love so deeply may only be remnants of his remains in this world. Is that what you want to see? Can you imagine what he looks like now?"

Alleria's face drained of color. She immediately lowered her head. She had asked Sylvanas about this before, but her sister had only stammered that she was alright. Alleria's intuition told her that Nathanos's situation might be dire.

"Though I have no lover, I believe your reunion will only show each other what remains of the bond between you," Rommath continued. "If you don't believe me, I can give you another example. You should know about the Knights of Acherus; some of the Sin'dorei became members after their deaths in battle. After the Lich King lost control of them, those former comrades returned. I was worried that accepting them would cause chaos. I conducted a special study on this. I asked some living people who had contact with Death Knight, and their accounts were consistent: they weren't enemies, but they still inspired fear. Later, I had the opportunity to ask a Death Knight, an Orcs living in Ebon Hold. I asked him why he didn't return to Orgrimmar, and he didn't answer me, but instead said he regretted appearing on the streets of the Horde's capital city because his people only looked at him with contempt." The Archmage took a breath and closed his eyes. "This is reality. The important thing is that you are the Regent, the Sin'dorei's only support. I beg you to stop trying. Nathanos is dead, and even if he were alive, he could never reintegrate into the world of the living. Why not maintain the status quo instead of dwelling on the past?"

The atmosphere fell silent after Rommath's words. The two advisors offered no further comment. They had said their piece. The rest was up to Alleria to decide. The Regent, her brow furrowed and eyes closed, was in the midst of a mental storm. She believed she supported contact with the Forsaken, but every time she came up with a suitable reason to justify it, another opposing reason would emerge to refute her.

She doesn't understand the Forsaken, but she understands the Sin'dorei, and her people might find that those they once loved only disgust and loathe them, so that a "reunion" would only result in violence.

There's one more thing Alleria must admit. Although the Scourge is a thing of the past, a dark undercurrent of hostility still lingers in the hearts of many Sin'dorei, who hate the Undead and want to torment the culprits who destroyed Eversong Forest.

"I'm going to disappoint Sylvanas again."

Rommath and Vareesa's eyes widened simultaneously. As Alleria spoke, the Ranger-General nodded sadly for his sister, his long silver hair falling low. "I'll send someone to secretly contact my second sister and tell her... the result."

"Facts will prove your choice wise, Regent."

"No!" Alleria stood up painfully, staring into the Archmage's eyes, her expression shifting from gritted teeth to confusion. "This is a foolish decision. My husband has always been in darkness, and one day he will be completely absorbed into it."

It was dawn, yet the fog still shrouded the land. Though the first light of day was nowhere to be seen, the night had passed. The thick fog obscured everything, hovering over Veronalara and obscuring the distant sea. Though unseen, the Dark Ranger could still hear the waves crashing against the shore, surging on the coast that once belonged to Theramore.

After Garrosh's atrocities in the Dustwallow Marsh, the Alliance lost its most important stronghold in southern Kalimdor. It was no longer of any value; no one would set foot there again, the Horde had no garrison there, and even the Forsaken's scouts stationed there had been reassigned to Ashenvale in the north.

"What a huge pit." Liana's voice drew Veronalara's attention. She crouched on the shore. What should have been a city, or rather, ruins, before her would have been Theramore without the help of the Forsaken.

"Garrosh's weapons are truly formidable. But I'm more curious about the look on his face when he heard that Theramore had escaped unscathed. He certainly doesn't know who he lost to. He never will."

"He will know," Veronalara corrected. "In the right time, everyone will experience the power of the Forsaken."

"But it certainly won't be the way we're going to do it." Liana turned to look at her superior colleague. Veronalara's wavering eyes showed that she still had doubts, but she was already standing there, like a drawn bow, hard to pull back. "Are you really sure? If Nathanos finds out... we might be branded as 'traitors'."

"I am making a choice for myself." Veronalara held a cylinder in her hand, waiting to hand it over.

"I really don't understand. We're already dead, is it really okay to go back to the past?" Liana picked up a stone and threw it into the sea.

Veronalara's eyes could see the rock tumbling and sinking beneath the waves through the sea. It was like her past, irretrievable, yet visible. "It can't be called 'rediscovering' it."

Liana glanced at her in surprise.

"It should be 'the end'."

They waited an hour before they heard the sound of masts approaching from behind the thicket. The shadow at the bow told the two Dark Ranger that this was not a cruiser from Quel'Thalas, but a medium-sized cargo ship, the work of humans.

"They're here," Liana whispered a warning.

Veronalara nodded, her gaze already fixed on the few figures on the ship. One of them jumped off the ship the instant it reached the shore, landing steadily on the ground.

"I'm glad you showed up, Veronalara." Sylvanas forced a smile onto her slightly pale face. "Where's Nathanos? Didn't he come?"

The Dark Ranger didn't answer the question, but instead spoke in a more subtle way, "Aeridiel didn't come either."

Liana and Sylvanas were taken aback. The Silver Covenant Ranger-General fell silent, then nodded dejectedly. "Your fiancé..."

Is he alright?

"I'm doing just fine."

The Dark Ranger's lips curled up slightly, making it impossible to tell whether it was joy or a cover for disappointment.

"I'm glad he didn't come."

Not only Sylvanas, but even Liana looked at her in confusion. "What nonsense are you spouting, Veronalara? Is this what you wanted? You should be expressing your anger at that coward."

"I will not find satisfaction in venting my anger, nor will I seek happiness in suffering." Veronalara held the long cylinder in her hands, her fingers lightly tracing its surface. "Aeridiel was right; he made the best choice. He should have spent his time pursuing a living lover, not flirting with a dead one. That would have been a waste of his life."

"You've misunderstood. He's just having trouble accepting it right now." Sylvanas looked at Veronalara with sympathy. Little did she know that it was precisely because of her sympathy that the Dark Ranger became even more determined in his choice. "Once he calms down, he'll realize how heartless his thoughts were."

"This isn't heartlessness," Veronalara's voice choked. "Heartlessness between lovers means betrayal, but Aeridiel didn't betray me. I was conflicted on the way here. I imagined all the possibilities. At first, I thought the worst outcome was that Aeridiel wouldn't dare to see me, but then I realized that was the best-case scenario. He wouldn't be tormented by my appearance, nor would he hate the dark spots on my face and want to attack me. I wouldn't have to face him either. My heart can no longer feel love or happiness, and we can never... have that kind of intimacy again. I am an Undead, a rotting corpse, and only the abyss of hell awaits me."

Sylvanas had always been pondering how to get the living to accept the Forsaken. Veronalara was the first Forsaken she encountered, and her sincere determination deeply moved her, while also breaking the Female Elf's heart.

"You want to... completely abandon the past?" Sylvanas stepped forward, placing her hands on the Dark Ranger's shoulders. "Why are you unwilling to believe that your reunion will be filled with joy?"

Veronalara did as she was told, though her body trembled uncomfortably. She had the same eyes as Nathanos, but lacked the rage in the red light of the Witherer's pupils. "There is no more joy in our deaths." She handed the cylinder to Sylvanas. "The only thing I can do now is help Aeridiel forget me. He must be in so much pain knowing I've become a monster. But this can ease his suffering. Please tell him that after looking at what's inside... burn it."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Sylvanas took the cylinder and immediately realized it might contain a painting. It depicted Veronalara alive, and must have been beautiful. She wanted Aeridiel to burn the painting of himself, as a way of reminding him to forget the past with her.

The Female Elf looked at Veronalara, wanting to loudly question her: Was she truly willing to do this? Willing to accept death and abandon all hope? At least, Sylvanas, as the living, felt sorry for her, and she couldn't accept such an outcome. She feared the cruel reality would shatter her hopes.

"Veronalara," she began cautiously, "What you said...was it merely your own personal opinion? Or...for some other reason?"

Veronalara gave a sorrowful smile, a smile she deliberately offered to Sylvanas. "Perhaps you should also become Forsaken, General. That way you won't have to worry about this."

Suddenly, Sylvanas felt as if she had been struck a heavy blow. The last time she met with Nathanos, they had only discussed how to resolve the Theramore crisis. The Female Elf had always told herself that Nathanos hadn't confided in her only because the situation was urgent. She had always believed this, but now, that faith had turned into hope.