A/N: I drunk wrote half this chapter. Hoping for the best. Maybe Ill have Blame the Priest edit this one….

Also, I just want you all to know that the Illidan book that is coming out in March is probably going to destroy everything I've written, so I'm determined to be done before then.

Sorry for being a day late. I have no real excuse except for laziness and this sudden urge to level a death knight. But in my defense, it's a long chapter, so there :P

...

four

The ruin known as the Tomb of Sargeras was a run down, decrepit building, made up mostly of rubble and dust and cracked pillars struggling to hold up what little remained. With the entire group of Watchers scouring the island from coast to coast, it didn't take long to find it, impressively large in spite of being almost entirely destroyed. From where they stood now a few yards away, Maiev could make out the entrance, and just as clearly she could see the naga that flanked it.

"He must be inside," she whispered lowly, leaning forward as if that alone could bring her closer to him, closer to ending this once and for all. Straightening up, she tugged idly at her armor, pushed a hand through her pale pink hair. She appeared almost nervous, not that any of the others would dare comment on such a thing.

Turning her head, she glanced over to Cordana; the younger elf caught her gaze, saw the fires burning there and wondered if it was more than a thirst for retribution that could light such a spark. "Felsong, take the others and scout the surrounding area. Take down as many naga as possible. If it comes down to it, I do not want him calling them to his side." Looking the other way, she gave a slight nod to Naisha. "We will go inside and face him head on."

Cordana nodded her understanding, taking a few steps away and gesturing for the rest of the group to follow her. "Elune watch over you both," she murmured, and there was an echoing pang in her chest because it felt far too much like a goodbye for her liking.

Maiev allowed a slight scoff to pass through her lips. "Elune has forsaken us, child. You would do well to remember that. The only person that will look out for you now is yourself."

...

Once the nagas that had been guarding the entrance lay dead, the pair of Watchers made their way carefully into the tomb. Their pace was painfully slow, each footstep carefully planned and measured and calculated, cautiously stepping over fallen chucks of rock, listening for any sign of the Betrayer. With each step taking them deeper into the ruins, Maiev felt her pulse quickening, her blood aflame within her veins. There was an eagerness, a desperate longing to put this journey to rest, because she was so, so tired of running.

But there was a lingering fear, too. The last time she had seen Illidan, she had been this pathetic little mess, sobbing and begging, throwing away whatever remained of her dignity on one final attempt to make him understand that after all this time, after all that had happened, he still possessed the sole rights to her heart. But Illidan had turned her away, had spited her, had made sure she would never be able to forget that she had never been enough for him. She could cling to her anger and loathing all she wanted now, but behind that facade, in the tomb of her armor, there would always remain a small, fragile little girl that longed for him to love her even half as much as she loved him.

Ultimately, she couldn't be sure which one drove her on more, the excitement or the fear. Perhaps it was some twisted combination of the two, because no matter how much time passed between them, no one would ever excite or terrify her like him.

It was the low sound of Naisha's murmured words that drew Maiev from her thoughts and back into the severity of the moment. "I have a bad feeling about this. Like we are walking into a trap..."

Maiev let out a short breath, lifting her feet carefully to step over a fallen pillar. "I know," she replied. "But we must press on. If Illidan finds whatever he is looking for, there's no telling what he-"

The Warden cut herself off abruptly, narrowing her eyes as they fell upon some strange and unfamiliar markings on the walls of the temple. She made her way towards them, tracing the lines with her gauntleted fingertips. Naisha appeared beside her a moment later, leaning in closely to peer at them through the darkness.

"What do you think they mean?" Naisha asked.

Maiev shook his head slowly, retracting her hand slowly as if she expected the single movement to send the whole place collapsing around them. "I have no idea," she admitted. Lifting her chin, she scanned the surrounding area only to find that the markings continued down the corridor, deeper into the tomb. Without so much as a word, she set off after them, pausing to glance at them every so often.

Naisha let out a sigh, though she knew she had little choice but to trail behind her commander. "Follow the strange glyphs," she muttered under her breath. "For all we know, it's a warning telling us to turn and run."

Maiev ignored her worries completely. Soon the corridor gave way to an open room, and in the center there was an enormous statue, somehow in tact despite the crumbling walls that held it. Its cracked marble depicted an ancient Elven woman, dressed in a flowing gown, her long hair framing her beautiful face. The Warden eyed it for only a moment before letting out a single name, so softly whispered it was nearly inaudible. "Azshara."

The word had barely fallen from her lips when they were swallowed up in a chorus of high-pitched laughter. Maiev recoiled, her hand moving so fast to free the umbra crescent it was barely a blur in the darkened chamber. The source of the giggle was revealed a moment later when the slender form of a naga appeared, slithering out from behind the statue. Her lips were curved into a sadistic grin and her tail flitted carelessly behind her. Typically, Maiev would not have hesitated to attack. But there was something different about this one, something almost...familiar in the gleam of her eyes and the hint of amusement that had laced her features.

"That's far enough, little Warden," she said, tilting her head to the side and eyeing Maiev up and down, slowly, deliberately. The night elf curled her lip back into a sneer, clutching her weapon tightly as she stared down the monster before her. This, too, only seemed to further amuse the naga, who allowed another light, almost careless laugh pass through her lips. "Your vaunted night elf justice has no jurisdiction here, I'm afraid."

"What would you know about our justice?" Maiev sneered, shifting her weight from one plated boot to the other. She couldn't shake this undeniable feeling that there was something more going on here, couldn't stop staring at the naga like if she just looked hard enough she might find it in the depths of her eyes.

The naga smirked that knowing grin, the one that sent shivers up Maiev's spine, and inched closer to the pair. From the corner of her eye she saw Naisha tense up, lifting her own weapon, ready to defend her mistress. "My master has told me plenty, I assure you," she retorted. Her voice was airy and light, as if she found this whole thing incredibly entertaining, as if this was nothing but a game to her.

"Besides," she went on, and for a moment she glanced away, over her shoulder at the massive statue, this long forgotten remnant from days long before the ancient war that had somehow managed to find a way to persevere. "The naga were not always as they are now." She looked back to Maiev, her eyes narrow and filled with malice. "Once, before your kind damned us to this existence, we were the mighty servants of Azshara herself, and I was her most loyal of all."

Maiev felt her lips part as understanding washed over her. Her own silvery eyes widened as she glared the naga woman down, her voice little more than a deadly whisper. "Vashj," she scowled. "I had hoped you of all people were killed in the Sundering."

Her expression shifting, though holding no less maleficence, Lady Vashj threw her head back and let out a musical chorus of laughter. "I'm afraid not, dear Warden. The Highborne were able to...adapt to their unfortunate circumstances. But you, well...you haven't changed at all, have you? You're still just a pathetic child chasing after a man who never even loved you."

The words tore through her sharper than any blade ever could. Many details of her past had been lost, either stolen by the passing of time or left locked away in the Barrows where they could no longer hurt her, but the night of the party at the Eternal Palace would forever be branded in her mind. It was the night that Azshara had announced her allegiance with the Legion, the night that she had opened the portals that welcomed them into their world. It was also the night that she had met Lady Vashj, who had made quite clear her own intentions with Illidan, less than innocent as they were. She wondered idly if perhaps she was not the only one that had clung onto his memories, if there was something deeper that had called Vashj back to his side after all this time…

But that was the least of her worries just then. She was far more distressed by the fact that Illidan was in league with the remains of the Highborne at all. They were the ones responsible for nearly all of the turmoil that had ever been unleashed upon Azeroth, had set in motion a long history of events that would ultimately leave the world scarred in ways that were irrepairable. He had worked alongside them once before, had sold out his own people, had stood before Sargeras himself, had branded himself the Betrayer for the first time.

Whatever was going on here, it was far, far worse than she had previously believed.

Vashj was still smiling like she knew all the secrets in the world; she knew that her words had hurt Maiev, knew that she had found her weakness. Illidan kept nothing from his closest confidant, having grown so desperate for someone to simply be there, and so the former elf knew more about Maiev and her pathetically broken heart than she would ever let on.

"Anyway," Vashj drawled on then, giving a slight shrug of her shoulder. "As much as I would love to stay and catch up, I'm afraid I have far more important things to tend to. The Highborne have waited ten thousand years to reclaim their rightful place in the world. And now, with Lord Illidan to guide us, our time has come at last."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Maiev snarled, and with that she lunged forward, the umbra crescent raised before her, ready to strike.

Vashj gave a gleeful laugh, twisting out of reach. "Your bravery is admirable, Shadowsong, but in the end, you will fail."

With that, she was gone, slithering from the chamber with an unexpected speed and grace, disappearing into the shadows and out of their reach. Maiev was fully prepared to charge after her, to demand the answers she so desperately sought. But before she got the chance, a half a dozen more of the creatures appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Warden, behind you!" Naisha cried out, her own weapon long since ready and lifted as she descended into the chaos and clatter of the fight. Maiev whirled around, using the full weight of her body to spin the umbra crescent in a wide arc, slicing one of the naga clear in half.

When their enemies lay dead before them, Maiev and Naisha fell into place at each other's side, pausing for a moment to catch their breath, though there was little time to waste now that the severity of it all had been made so abundantly clear. The younger elf stole a careful glance at her commander from the corner of her eye, swallowing hard as she thought long and hard about her next words. "Maiev," she said lowly, giving a slight bow of her head. Seldom did she address the Warden by her first name, but in that moment she was not speaking to the Warder; rather, she was speaking to a broken girl pretending to be far braver than she was. "Look, about what she said...about the Betra- about Illidan. I have served you faithfully for many years now, and I have not been blind to the way you felt- feel for him."

"If you have a point," Maiev snapped, her tone far more angry than her eyes made her appear to be, "I suggest you get to it before I lose my patience."

Naisha nodded quickly, took a slow breath and began again. "When we reach him, when the time comes to end this…" Pausing, she looked her directly in the eyes. "Will you be able to do it?"

Maiev bit down painfully hard on the insides of her cheeks, a feeble attempt at keeping her expression blank. "Yes," she replied simply. She had made up her mind long ago that if she could not have him for herself, then she would destroy him. She held Naisha's gaze evenly as a shiver danced its way in between her shoulder blades. "Illidan broke my heart," she told her, hating the way her voice shook as she said it. She hardly ever opened up, hardly ever dared to step outside of her self-created cage where she was just as much a prisoner as Illidan had ever been. "I think it's only fair that I return the favor by cutting his from his chest."

To that, Naisha said nothing, just bowed her head in silence and allowed the Warden to lead them from the chamber, each step bringing them closer to the one thing she both wanted and dreaded all at the same time.

Illidan hadn't been exactly sure what to expect in the bowels of the ruins, wasn't sure exactly he was looking for when he set off for the great artifact that would supposedly aid him in his mission. But when his unseeing gaze finally fell upon the Eye of Sargeras, he knew instantly that this was it. To him, the massive green gemstone that awaited in the final chamber was this overwhelming swirl of emerald energy, so thick that it was nearly a fog around him, drawing him in until his throat was tight and his mouth was dry and he could feel the very air around them pulsing with the pure magic.

From where she hovered at his side, Vashj leaned in almost longingly towards it. "It has been many years since I have seen such power," she murmured. "We should take it now, and leave this place."

"Frightened, Lady Vashj?" He retorted, a teasing edge to his voice that reminded her so very much of the bold and brazen boy he had been all those years ago, when she had first been drawn to his raw potential. "There is no reason to rush, so long as you disposed of the Watchers as you said."

Almost without realizing it, she spared a glance in the direction of the doorway. "I assure you, my Lord, that Warden harlot has been taken care of-"

"Not quite."

Both Illidan and Vashj spun around towards the archway, where Maiev stood with her head held high and her bloodied blade at the ready. Her gaze flickered from Vashj to the artifact she could only assume was what they were seeking, and finally to Illidan, where it lingered far longer than necessary. "And I am hardly a harlot, Lady Vashj. One would think you may have had a better understanding of the term."

Illidan stared into the space where she stood for a long moment, watching the way the bright, fiery red with which he had long since grown familiar pulsated with her inner rage. "Warden Shadowsong," he greeted, his tone laced with mocking respect that sounded far more like condescendence to her ears. "You finally caught me. I never doubted for a moment that you would." At his side, Maiev noticed the way that Vashj flinched, as though she could tell the words were equally meant for her, an acknowledgment of her failure in preventing the elf from making it this far.

Maiev's gaze bore straight into him, sharp enough that she was surprised it didn't puncture right through his flesh. "That makes two of us," she replied icily. "And now that I have found you, I have every intention of returning you to your prison where you belong."

Illidan gave a low, humming noise in the back of his throat, his wings twitching a little behind him. "I'm afraid that wont do," he said plainly, eliciting a snarl from the Warden. Beside her, Naisha took a slow step forward, waiting with as little patience as possible for the signal. "I have...obligations to see through, and I'll not let anyone, least of all you, stand in my way."

For the briefest of moments, Maiev closed her eyes, and in the darkness behind them she could clearly see the memory to which she had clung for all these years, the one piece of her old self she still carried around, when Illidan had laid her down so gently and taken her as his own for a single, perfect night. She remembered each touch of his fingers against her flesh, remembered each press of his lips against her own. When her eyes snapped open once again, she found herself facing the horned, winged, hooved creature that he had become, the demon that he had turned himself into. This was not her Illidan, not the boy of her memories that she had truly believed to be capable of loving her with all his heart. She knew this; she could logically rationalize this, and still it was so hard to keep telling herself.

Illidan tilted his head towards the glowing green orb. "With the Eye of Sargeras, I will vanquish my enemies once and for all. It only seems fitting that you would be the first to die."

Maiev tightened her grip on her curved weapon. "You're insane."

At that, Illidan let out a small, amused huff of a breath. "Ten thousand years of your company does that, I guess," he retorted harshly, and Maiev swore that if he could have broken her heart anymore than he already had, the sound would have echoed in the ruined chamber. She didn't understand what had happened to him, didn't understand how someone that had been so good, so caring and genuine could have fallen so far. He had allowed himself to become corrupted by the very beings he had vowed to annihilate.

"You aren't the boy I loved," she whispered, the words slipping past her lips so suddenly she couldn't have stopped them if she wanted.

"Perhaps you just never knew me as well as you thought you did," he retorted. "Now, you kept me trapped beneath the earth. It seems only fitting I do the same to you."

Maiev started to lunge forward, but Naisha's hand around her wrist held her back, and a moment later she realized why. The walls of the ruins had begun to tremble around them, the very ground seeming to shake under their feet. A few chunks fell free, crashing to the floor and shattering around them. The Eye of Sargeras glowed brightly, illuminating the room with its emerald iridescence, and then, in a flash, it had vanished, taking Illidan and Vashj along with it.

"We have to get out of here," Maiev said quickly. Naisha nodded her agreement, turning back towards the way they had come, and all at once the pair took off running towards the exit, dodging falling bits of walls and pillars as the tomb came collapsing in around them. At last they could see the way out, the light from beyond spilling in to break through the shadows of the corridor. Maiev pushed herself harder, faster, flinching with each loud sound from behind them. She dove towards the exit, skidding to a halt as she emerged outside.

"We made it," she rasped, her chest rising and falling with each heavy breath, pushing her trembling hand through her hair. But instead of a reply, the only sound was of an echoing crash as the tomb came down entirely behind her, and when she whirled around, the last thing she saw was Naisha's desperate, pleading face and her outstretched hand as she was crushed under the weight of the ruin.