A/N: I wanted to give a huge shoutout to everyone that has followed/reviewed this so far. Keep it coming, guys! My readers are the reason I'm still pushing through this whole thing. I've been looking forward to giving you the conclusion for a long time, and it's so nice to see so many that have been waiting just as anxiously as myself.

There was a question left in regards to Naisha, so I'd like to quickly post an answer to that. Yes, Naisha is a canon character who was frequently mentioned in Warcraft 3 as Maiev's second in command. She was lacking a last name so the one that I use for her came from a WoW name generator.

Last thing, I swear. I apologize for the shortness of these early chapters. I just moved and got engaged (yay!), and Statistics is literally killing me. I figured I would rather have shorter chapters than go on hiatus.

Anyway, enjoy, lovelies! xx -Skye

...

two

In all the time that he had spent in darkness, Illidan had found little to occupy his time except the incessant replaying of a thousand memories, some of which he clung to with a fierce desperation, and some of which were far better forgotten.

As such, he had created in his mind an intricate and elaborate map of the lands that had once been his home. He could recall the towering trees, their protective canopy offering passage only to the moonlight that trickled through, the warm glow of their goddess smiling down upon them as they ran wild and free in the days of their innocence. He could recall the columns of the temple, its stone walls impenetrable- or so they had believed, until the forces of the Legion had proved them wrong. He could recall the distant sight of the Eternal Palace, where Azshara and her Highborne had watched over those they would one day condemn with their greed and their lust for power.

More than anything, he thought, he could recall Tyrande. In the days of the childhood, he had so sincerely believed their bond to be eternal. But now, so many promises had been broken, so many lies had been told, and twice as many obstacles had come between them. Illidan was no fool; he knew better than to cling to that blind, innocent faith. Tyrande had chosen her side, had proven just how much their bonding had meant to her.

Still, a lack of blind faith did not mean a lack of optimism. She had defended him before, had fought for his liberation, had shed the blood of her own people all in his name. Perhaps now she thought of him as little more than a demon, a monster, but only because of Malfurion's hold on her heart and influence on her thoughts. If he could just prove to her that she could trust him, that he was, as he had always been, doing only what was best for them all, then he had to believe that she would return to him, just as she had done when she had come to free him from the chains that had bound him for so many years.

Besides, the great demon Kil'jaeden's words still echoed in the back of his mind. Destroy the Frozen Throne, and he would be granted his deepest desire. Even if Tyrande did not come to him willingly...

"My Lord, we've made port."

At the sound of Lady Vashj's velvety familiar voice, Illidan blinked away his thoughts and gave a sharp nod. A thousand years in darkness had allowed for him to archive and remember Suramar as it had been, but even without vision he could undeniably tell that the islands that lay before him were nothing like the homeland that he remembered. There was a shadow lingering over this place, thick and heavy like a mist or fog, and the emerald green stain of the demon armies tainted the lands even still.

"Instruct some of the naga to remain here and secure the ship," Illidan instructed. "The rest of you, come with me. We haven't time to waste if we wish to secure the Eye of Sargeras."

Vashj gave a slight nod of understanding. She knew better than to question his commands, or his vast knowledge of things he should have had no way of knowing. He had explained to her once the transcendence that had occurred when he had consumed the skull of Guldan, and she had been equally fascinated and terrified of the creature that he had become. Illidan had always been irresistible to her, a caged whirlwind of potential, a great source of power just dying to be unleashed, and so seeing him in this new form captivated her in ways she couldn't deny.

Just before turning away, she spared him one final glance. "My Lord," she called out, her voice low and meant only for him. "What of Warden Shadowsong? Do you believe she would pursue us all this way?"

Illidan drew his brows together, scoffing at little at that. The last time he had seen Maiev, she had been begging on her hands and knees for even an ounce of his affection, clinging to an imagined hope that never should have been there in the first place. He had hurt her, he knew, with his harsh words and cold demeanor. But then, she had hurt him too, by turning on him and trying to keep him locked away and all to herself. That kind of madness wasn't love.

"I doubt that she is still searching for me," he said eventually. "I made it clear to Maiev that she could search all she wanted but there would never be anything to find."

...

As planned, the Watchers regrouped a ways down the coast. Everywhere they went, everything they saw, the same waves of destruction assured them that Illidan and whatever forces followed him had already been there before them. Everywhere they went, Maiev was reminded that Illidan was always two steps ahead.

As soon as Naisha and her band of followers spotted Maiev and the others, the young lieutenant fell into place at her commander's side. "He has certainly left his mark," she muttered lowly, not wasting any time waiting for a prompt to speak. Her gaze shifted anxiously around the others. The wounds that had been inflicted on the Watchers from Tyrande's treachery were fresh, and she knew how eager they were to be finished with this task, to leave this entire part of their lives behind them. But she also knew that Maiev would see this through to the end, and as long as she was on the run, so would they all remain faithfully behind her.

"He is not working alone," Maiev retorted. "Many of the tracks we saw did not belong to him. Besides, I doubt even Illidan could inflict this manner of destruction on his own. No, he has summoned some malicious source of aid." A mistake on the part of his allies, she thought silently. They would fall just as he would. She would make sure of it.

"So what is our next move?" Naisha asked uneasily. But before Maiev had any real chance to reply, one of the others was calling out to them, her voice heavy with distress. She whirled around so quickly she nearly lost her footing, and found herself staring down a new manner of beast. This was no demon that she had encountered before, but rather a lithe and scaled monster, all clawed hands and bared teeth from behind a twisted smile.

"Well," the creature hissed, dragging the word out into far too many syllables to sound natural. "A wretched little night elf. No matter, you will prove no match for the naga."

Some combination of a frown and a scowl drew Maiev's brows together, but not before she had freed the umbra crescent, holding it up before her. "Naga?" She repeated with disdain. "Many vicious creatures have tempted our wrath over the centuries, and none have lived."

The naga woman curled her lips back in a snarl, tightening her hold on her long spear. "It is only a matter of time before we put an end to your race once and for all, as we should have done ages ago."

After that, there was no more to be said, or at least, not with words. The only sounds that remained were the echoing clashes of weapons as Maiev wordlessly ordered the Watchers to attack. The naga fought well, but the Watchers fought better, and soon managed to overpower the beasts.

But even when the band of naga lay dead at their feet, the struggles were far from over. Always a new obstacle, that was what this whole thing had taught her. Every time she came closer to Illidan, whether to bind him in chains or to try and steal his heart, there was always a new obstacle.

This time, it came in the form of pillars of smoke, rising off the nearby boats that had been stationed at the docks. Maiev narrowed her eyes as she watched the flames licking at the rolling waves. Her attention was drawn away only when Cordana limped over to stand beside her, Naisha hovering dangerously close.

"Cordana," Maiev said, glancing at the younger girl. "You're hurt."

The emerald haired elf gave a slight shrug. "Just a twisted ankle," she assured her. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Be that as it may, Illidan has much to answer for," she retorted. The wounds of losing so many of her followers were still far too fresh. And even if Tyrande was the one to fell them, she held Illidan accountable just as much as the High Priestess. She would not allow anyone else to be taken from her so easily. A scowl overtook her features. "When I am through with him, he will wish he was still in chains."

Naisha's own gaze strayed to the fires blazing brightly against the distance. "But why would they burn the ships? Surely there must be a method to their destruction."

Maiev shook her head. "I don't know," she murmured, trailing off. A moment later, her eyes widened, her chin jutting out as a look of defiance filled her eyes. "Unless...Illidan must have taken to the sea." Nodding as if to confirm her own thought, she glanced at her two companions. "There is another port to the north. If we hurry, we may be able to catch him still."

Naisha and Cordana exchanged an uneasy look. "Perhaps," Naisha stated. "But even if he did, we haven't the slightest idea where he may have gone. And if there are more naga, we cannot hope to overcome them all on our own. I hate to say it...but I think we need to request backup."

The reply that fell from her lips was instant. "No. Shan'do Stormrage would not provide aid when I asked for it the first time, and I'll not go crawling back and begging for his assistance."

Cordana shot the Warden a pleading glance. "Mai- Er, Mistress Shadowsong," she quickly corrected. "Would you truly risk losing more of us than we already have? We are too few in numbers as it is. There is no harm in trying, is there?"

Glaring off at the rolling flames and the grey clouds of smoke that streaked the sky, she barely resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest like a petulant child. The last thing she wanted to do was request reinforcements from Malfurion and Tyrande; holding a grudge was somewhat of a specialty for her. But, much as she hated to admit it, Cordana and Naisha had a point. She was not willing to sacrifice any more of her Watchers to Illidan and his path of destruction.

"It seems I have little choice," she muttered, turning her back on the flames and the others and everything all at once. "Very well. Prepare a runner to send to Darnassus. I will write a letter to Shan'do Stormrage. But..." Pausing, she glanced back over her shoulder, her gaze flickering between the two of them. "Regardless of their answer, we must carry on. Illidan has gained too much ground as it is."

Naisha let out a slight sigh, giving a short nod. "Of course," she said softly. She would have been a fool to assume otherwise. Sparing one last glance at the Warden, she gestured to Cordana and made her way back to the others without so much as another word. The younger of the two winced slightly in her struggle to keep up, far from eager to put much weight on her ankle but knowing fully well that Maiev would hardly count it as an excuse not to keep going.

Easing an arm around her waist, Naisha allowed for Cordana to lean some of her weight into her. "You need to rest that up," she insisted. "I'm sure one of the others can heal that."

Cordana huffed a little at that. "Please," she retorted. "Anyone who remains on this quest has long since abandoned their faith in Elune. Or perhaps she's abandoned us. Besides, Maiev wouldn't have allowed any priestesses to accompany us, not after what the High Priestess did. No, I can manage my pain just fine."

Naisha knew better than to try and argue with her, especially considering she was probably correct. "Fine," she said instead. "But I still want you to take it easy until we depart in the morning. I'll not have anyone falling behind on my watch."

In spite of herself, Cordana smiled a little at that, but she was quick to bow her head as a faint blush crept into her cheeks. "You are good to us, Lieutenant. Mistress Shadowsong is lucky to have one so loyal as you."

"As loyal as we all are," Naisha corrected.

Cordana was certain she had not imagined the edge of warning in the words, so she was quick to nod. "Of course. We would not all still be here if we did not wish to follow her." Pausing, a frown creasing her brow, she added softly, "Still, to what end? How far is she willing to go over this?"

To that, Naisha had no reply. She didn't know the answer, and if she was being completely honest, she was scared to find out. But something told her that in the end, it would come down to Illidan and Maiev alone, and nothing and no one could come between them.