Into the Light

41 | WE STILL HAVE TIME

Tyrande?

Illidan? Tyrande asked, her heart blossoming with hope.

The sphere is almost completely destroyed, it will not be long before Gul'dan has the last of your spirit, and takes what is left of Elune's Light. And then . . . his voice trailed off. She looked up at the creature before her, Illidan the demon hunter, the half-finished avatar for Sargeras. The creature's eyes still blazed with fiery light, but in them she could see Illidan looking back at her, the Illidan of the Nether who had helped her to resist the words of Sargeras; resisting the words himself, as he fought against his own corrupted soul.

And then, he will finish what he started with you, Tyrande finished, bleak.

Yes.

For a long time Tyrande said nothing. They had lost. Eleven days. She had fought Gul'dan for eleven days. She tried to connect with what little was left of her spirit in the Nether, but it was so faint, it was no more than a whisper. Yet whatever was left of her seemed to sustain her from crossing the line into the darkness. What was it she had learned long ago when she was a novice in the Temple of the Moon? Ah yes, it only takes a tiny amount of light to overcome the darkness. It seemed to be true. So long as she could keep that fragment of her spirit intact, she would be able to resist. But how much time did she have left before she became something else? Someone else? Once more thoughts of giving up and succumbing to Sargeras began to take root. She was so tired. He was so powerful, even Elune, while bound to Tyrande was unable to protect Herself. If a Goddess could not stand against him, how could Tyrande ever hope to?

Tyrande. Don't. Don't think those things. I can hear your thoughts, you know I can. When you think like that you make it harder for me to resist. We must be strong together. We still have time. Until it is over, we still have time.

His tendrils wrapped around her, tender, mournful. He knew they were finished, that they stood on the threshold of their terrible destiny, but even so, he refused to be broken. She admired him, his power, his will, his strength. She had always thought those characteristics were faults in him, now she knew better. They were what had called her heart to his the first time, despite frightening her. Once she knew how deep his passions burned; how complicated and dangerous he could be, she had run away from him, overwhelmed.

It was her fault, she had driven him to what he became by rejecting him after he bared his heart and soul to her, further twisting the dagger by choosing his brother. She could have chosen anyone, but she had picked Malfurion, because he was there, because he was Illidan's brother. Because by betraying Illidan, she believed it would make his feelings for her end.

And now, more than ten thousand years later, Illidan's love still remained the same. To the bitter end he stayed with her, protecting her, fighting for her, even when his own burdens must be staggering. She knew he could hear her thoughts; could sense it in his silence and stillness, knew he was hanging on to her every thought.

Illidan . . .forgive me. All this time I have accused Malfurion of being a coward for hiding in the Emerald Dream, but I was also a coward. I used your brother to hide myself from you. To hide from my own heart. I have wronged you so much. Everything you did, you did because of what I did to you.

Some, not all, Illidan answered. I am far from perfect, but everything I did, I did because I wanted to end the Burning Legion. Losing you only made me reckless. I didn't care anymore who I hurt or what I had to do, nothing else mattered but to stop them. I only wanted--

The sensation of a thousand knives sliced through Tyrande as the golden tendrils surrounding her ripped away, then snapped back into place. She screamed, hearing her voice for the first time since she left Azeroth. Shuddering, she looked back at Illidan. He was gone, replaced by his other self, watching her, his eyes smouldering, furious.