Disclaimer: World of Warcraft is copyright Blizzard Entertainment 2005. In fact, so is anything else that doesn’t look like it was invented by me. Gelles is my level 60 Paladin on Thorium Brotherhood. Gelki/Mnemosyne is my mage and Aoni is my other paladin. Please don’t sue me.

This story is rated R for swearing, violence and sexual references

Stand Alone

A World of Warcraft fanfic

By Kristin Renee Taylor

Part Two - Monochrome

In small, hidden glade, a human was throwing a childish fit.

"A shadow of my former self? A SHADOW of my former self!? How dare that impudent little mortal call ME a shadow of my former self! I am just as strong as I have ever been! No.. stronger!"

The soul inhabitant of this glade and the target of this tirade- a sheep with blank eyes- pulled up a tuft of grass. It chewed slowly, methodically, not really caring about the woman ranting in the grass several feet away.

Gelki stretched out on her back, heedless of the grass staining her already less-than-clean robes. The branches of the elm bobbed and swayed above her, dancing slowly in the wind. She glared at the limbs, wishing they would burst into flames. "I'll kill her. That'll show her! Heh. Heheheheh."

She rolled over onto her stomach. "No. Wait. I'll turn her into a sheep!"

"Baaaaaa...."

Gelki glared at it. "Never disagree with me."

She rolled onto her back again. "But you've made a valid point. Sheeping is so passé. Damn this stupid body! If I was still a Titan I'd just smoosh her out of existence. But nooooo... I have to be stupid, frail, weak HUMAN! ARGH!" She thrashed violently for a few seconds, caught up in the throes of a temper tantrum.

Finally, sweaty and tired, she flopped bonelessly back into grass. She tugged up a stalk of chewed on it, while she glared through the branches at the cloudless, beautiful blue sky. "The elf has a point. And yet... Just because I am a human that does not mean I am powerless. Wallowing in filth and self-pity at my fall is not becoming." Dark blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Knowledge is the key."

She sat up. "And it is knowledge that I lack. Knowledge of this world, not as it once was when I helped to shape its creation, but as it is now." Rising to her feet, the mage gestured to herself and, with a few muttered words, shed the soil and stains from her skin and clothing. "With Dalaran trapped in that bubble, and Stormwind barred from me, there's only one other repository of knowledge large enough to have the information that I might require." She continued the spell; concentric rings of power appeared at her feet, glowing red symbols revolving slowly in a magical array. The tingling begin at her toes, spreading warmth up through her body. Her skin lightened to almost pale translucence. She tossed her head and her hair, normally dark brown, darkened to deepest black, pooling down her shoulders in raven tresses. She smirked as the features of her face narrowed and sharpened, and blue eyes shifted to green and begin to glow.

"To this form, I bind a name of memory, tying it forever to my soul, as much my own as the Name of Gelki and my Name before that. I Name myself... Mnemosyne."

The Blood Elf examined herself, smoothing her robes down a slenderer waist. The sneer grew.

"Somehow, I don't think I'll have a problem fitting in."

With a final toss of her head, Mnemosyne tore a portal into the air to Silvermoon, and left the sheltered glade burning in flames behind her and the scent of burning mutton upon the wind.

End - Monochrome