Well... except for the epilogue which will follow shortly.
I hope that you all have enjoyed this little journey. And I hope that you don't think the ending sucks.
Here We Go!
____________________________________________________
Willow slammed down on the accelerator causing the van to lurch forward with increased speed. She swerved in and out of the lanes through traffic in an effort to lose their pursuer.
"Faster, Will!" Buffy cried out. "She's gaining on us!"
"If I go any faster I'll lose control", said the redhead, "the steering wheel is already shaking my arms off."
"She's getting closer", Morrigan noted calmly. Willow's shoulders tensed as she tightened her hold on the wheel.
"You're almost to the mists", Ghaena spoke soothingly. "Just get us there. We can lose her once we are inside the fog."
Willow nodded, setting her jaw in a determined line. She glanced up into the rearview mirror, but found her vision blocked by Morrigan and the slayer staring out the back window. "Where is she now?", she asked.
"She's falling back". said the priestess.
"It has to be some sort of a trick", stated Buffy, "A tactic or something."
"I don't think so", answered Morrigan, "Unless she is strategically causing her car to overheat and stall. But I don't see the point of that. Do you?"
"It could still be a trick", Buffy pouted.
Everyone in the van breathed a sigh of relief as Willow slowed their speed slightly as they entered the dense fog bank on the mountainside. The interior of the vehicle became eerily quiet as everyone looked out to the gray-white blanket enfolding them.
"Wasn't much of a car chase, was it", said Morrigan, breaking the silence.
"What?" asked Willow, perplexed.
"It wasn't anything like those 48 Hour movies", the priestess explained. "I'm a bit disappointed." She sighed contemplatively and stared off into the fog.
"For someone who doesn't say much you sure do talk alot", jibed Buffy.
Silence once again fell over the vehicle until Tara decided to speak up. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't any more intense than it was. Especially with the babies in the car."
"You better not let Emily hear you calling her a baby", Buffy smiled tenderly.
As if on cue, the young redhead stirred from her slumber. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking them a few times and squinting in the day's light, the glare increased by the bright white of the mist around them. She lazily sat up in her seat and looked around.
"Mommy?" she said in a small voice.
"Yes, sweetie", said Tara.
"Are we there yet?"
“I think that’s a question for Ghaena”, the blonde replied.
“Don’t bother”, said Willow, “she’s in some sort of a trance or something. Ever since we entered the fog bank.”
Ghaena sat, staring straight ahead, mumbling something low under her breath, her eyes so intense they appeared to be lit from behind with a great fire.
“Ceo. Oscail. Taispeáin”, she muttered repeatedly.
“What’s she saying?” asked Buffy.
“I’m not sure”, said Tara, “she’s speaking too low.”
Suddenly the van came to a halt, as it struck something head on. Everyone, save Morrigan and Ghaena, let out a yelp of surprise and alarm; Michelle awoke and began to cry.
“Is everybody okay?” inquired Willow, rubbing her nose from the painful impact of the airbag and then turning in her seat to look back into the cabin.
“I think so”, said Tara, removing Michelle from her car seat to calm her. “What did we hit?”
“I don’t know”, answered the redhead, “I can’t see a foot in front of my face out there.”
“Taispeáin”, Ghaena breathed out the word. Slowly the fog and mist began to roll back and away from the family van. The entire group looked out the passenger windows, straining to see the new landscape as it was revealed to them.
It was a lush and green countryside. Green as far as the eye could see. Great old trees rose into a forest at a distance and the sky glowed a deep, deep blue.
“Wow”, everyone whispered as they took in the terrain around them.
“Rock.” noted Morrigan.
“Huh?” said Buffy, looking at the ebony-haired woman.
“Rock”, she restated. “We hit a rock.”
Everyone now drew their attention back to the front window and to the very large boulder making acquaintance with the front of the van.
“We hit a rock”, echoed Willow, undoing her seatbelt and opening the driver’s side door, peaking out. “A big rock.” She slid out of her seat and stepped onto the dew-kissed grass. “No… we hit… a Stonehenge.”
“Stonehenge?” said Buffy, “I thought we were going to Avalon!”
“Avalon is due west of here”, explained Ghaena as she came out of her meditative state. “About ninety minutes by motor car.”
“Well that’s great except this car no longer motors”, grumbled Willow, inspecting the damage to the front end.
“It’s not that bad”, said Tara, “It should still run.”
“Yes but the question is ‘for how long’?” added Buffy.
“This place is neat”, commented Emily, taking a moment to wander around the side of the van to gaze at the monolithic structures.
“How long will it take us on foot?” asked Tara, adjusting Michelle in her arms. She simultaneously turned to keep Emily in her sightline. “Emily, stay close.”
“With the children, an entire day’s journey”, answered Ghaena. “We don’t have that kind of time.”
“Le Fay will be on our heels at any moment”, stated Morrigan. “She may even already be at Glastonbury Tor.”
“Why don’t we do that smog thingy again?” asked the slayer.
“Mist”, Ghaena corrected, “and I suppose we could try.”
Morrigan shook her head at the idea. “No, we can be too easily tracked that way. Le Fay has spies in the mist.”
“Le Fay has spies everywhere”, the elder priestess countered.
Willow stepped away from the argument, joining Tara’s side as she watched Emily curiously peek about the ancient structure.
“I always wanted to visit here”, said Tara softly. “Mom had wanted to take me. But, those plans fell through when she got sick.”
“I’m sorry”, said Willow.
“It’s not your fault”, Tara replied. “Finally made it, didn’t I? And now my daughters can see it, and my wife… everyone who I hold dear.”
“Yeah but”, the redhead hedged, “it’s not exactly the best reason for a vacation, is it? It’s not even a vacation. We’re here because we’re running.”
“Yes”, Tara agreed, “but not away. We aren’t running away. We’re running towards something. Something bigger than all of us. Forget about stopping Le Fay, that’s such a small thing in compare to what Emily’s destiny really stands for.”
“The restoration of Avalon?” Willow asked for clarity.
“And the return of the Goddess”, Tara finished. “Once Avalon is restored, the Goddess can return to her former glory. She won’t have to hide under the guise of other more ‘politically correct’ embodiments. It will take time, but once she is free the magick of the Earth will grow strong again. Darkness and light will come back into balance.”
“You know I always love it when you talk prophecy”, Willow said coyly. Tara chuckled softly at her lover’s attempt at lightening the mood, leaning in to capture her lips briefly. Michelle squirmed between the two of them, gurgling small protests of hunger. Willow pulled away and sighed, “I really should feed her.”
“Go ahead and take her in the van”, offered Tara, handing the baby to her wife. “I’ll keep an eye on Emily.”
Meanwhile the two priestesses continued to argue.
“That option makes little sense”, said Morrigan, “and hour in the faerie realm is as a day in world of mortal man and even then that rule only applies to immortals and faerie folk. When a mortal tries to journey through, an hour is as a year in passing time.”
“Unless they travel with a faerie as their guide”, Ghaena argued, “then the mortals are enchanted as though they were faeries themselves.”
“Well, aren’t you guys faerie people or whatever?” inquired Buffy.
“We are merely immortal”, explained Morrigan. “Mortals once until we were blessed and now we may travel through both worlds as we please.”
“You were blessed, Morrigan”, said Ghaena, “I was cursed. Besides, need I remind you that I am half faerie. My mother was—“
“Yes, I know”, interrupted the younger priestess, “’The King of Elfland’s Daughter’. So your mam was a faerie princess. We’ve all heard the story. But you know as well as I that is has to be a full-blooded faerie and not a halfling to work.”
“I’ll have you know that I’ve done it before”, Ghaena snorted indignantly.
“When?” Morrigan scoffed.
“The. Bard.” The brunette answered pointedly.
“Oh, yes of course”, Morrigan sighed, “the bardic warrior. Over two thousand years ago before Avalon fell when any mortal with a bit of primrose in their stomach and a flagon of ale to bribe a leprechaun could wander in as they pleased. Very impressive.”
“I’ve had quite enough of your lip”, sniped Ghaena, taking a step in.
“Oh have you now, Old Woman”, snarled Morrigan, likewise moving forward.
“Uh, guys?” said Buffy sheepishly, aware that the two were about to come to blows.
“I may be old, but I can still teach you a lesson or two”, Ghaena countered.
“Then I have a question for you, teacher”, said Morrigan, “Have you even seen any faeries around here lately?”
“Look, mommy!” exclaimed Emily, “A giant hamster!”
Both priestesses froze momentarily before simultaneously peeping around the side of the van to get a look at where the small child was pointing. A small, fuzzy, brown creature was rooting its nose in the earth, sniffing out good weeds for eating.
“That’s no hamster”, said Morrigan, stepping around the broken vehicle.
“It’s a hedgehog”, Ghaena noted, before suddenly pouncing on the small animal with almost inhuman speed and dexterity. Lifting the squirming hedgehog to eye-level, she stared into its two beady little eyes. “Drop your guise and show us your face.” She encouraged. When the animal showed no change, she increased her grip slightly. “Do it, or I do it for you.” With an audible, “POOF!” the creature reappeared as a tiny little man, dressed in leaves, wiggling and kicking and pushing against the priestess’ hand.
“Alright, here now I am”, it said in a tiny, squeaky voice. “Loosen your grip, I say. Breaking my ribs, you are.” Ghaena lessened her hold slightly. “Honestly, Ghaena of the Mists”, it went on, “why so rough you must be?”
“Wow!” said Emily, thoroughly impressed. “Is it a faerie?”
“Yes”, confirmed Morrigan, “of the pixie variety. Emily, get a small bit of bread from the lunch that your mother packed.”
“Okay”, the girl nodded eagerly, dashing back to the van.
“Knock first!” Tara called after, “your mama is nursing!”
“Fiobhadryeal Beankeeper”, Ghaena announced condescendingly, “what finds you so far from your Irish home?”
“Owl”, he said disdainfully, “filthy, stupid creatures. Mistook me for a meal, one did. Was halfway over the water we was afore it saw a mouse I wasn’t. Owls are stupid they are. But I’ll tell you this, I will, polite they are. Let me down all gentle like in the woods over yonder. Left a bit of crumb for me, it did.”
“I’ve got some!” Emily announced triumphantly as she ran back over to Morrigan’s side, a slice of bread in her hand. She quickly turned to Tara, “Mama wanted me to tell you that she’s almost finished with the baby.”
“Oh, okay, thank you, Emily”, Tara smiled.
“Emily, come here moment”, Ghaena commanded. The small redhead did as told, arriving next to Ghaena in a moment. “I’m going to teach you how to barter with a pixie.” She turned her eye to the being in her grasp. “Well, introduce yourself as though you were a proper gentleman.”
“Fiobhadryeal at your service, young human”, he said, tipping his hat of leaves.
“Nice to meet you”, said Emily.
“We need a guide through the faerie realm to Avalon”, Ghaena explained, regaining the pixie’s attention. “We would have you be that guide.”
“Oh… Well… Very much I’d like to help you. But too busy I’m afraid I am,” Fiobhadryeal stammered. “Besides, forgotten the way I have. Quite lost. Quite lost you’d be.”
Ghaena eyed the creature solemnly, leaning over to Emily’s ear she whispered, “offer him a small piece of bread.”
Emily tore off some bread from the slice in her hand. The pixie unconsciously licked his lips. “My mommy makes the best sandwiches in the world”, she said, handing the teeny man the small bit of loaf. “This bread came from one of those sandwiches. I think I even got some of the yummy spread she uses on that little bite I gave you. If you guide us through the faerie place, I’ll give you a whole sandwich to eat.”
“Emily, you’re getting a little ahead of me”, said the priestess, unaware that the pixie was quickly smacking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, trying to savor the wonderful taste of the bread and the tasty spread that was on it. “The whole point of bartering is to start low and work your way up—“
“Do it I will!” Fiobhadryeal quickly agreed. “For a whole piece of bread with that divine stuff pasted on it. Secret is it? Or the recipe you’ll share?”
“I’ll tell you when we get to Avalon”, Emily nodded, turning on her heel and marching back to her mother’s side.
Morrigan leaned over to Tara asking softly, “So what is the secret to your sandwiches?”
“Aside from love?” Tara asked playfully before explaining, “Cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.”
The ebony-haired woman pulled away, a grimace on her face. “That’s disgusting.”
“Fiobhadryeal doesn’t seem to think so”, the blonde countered.
“And neither does half the population of Sunnydale”, Buffy joined.
Willow stepped out of the van, cradling Michelle in her arms, and walked over to where the others were standing.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked.
“We’re taking a short cut through the realm of the faeries”, Ghaena answered. “And this wee little pixie shall be our guide.”
Fiobhadryeal stepped forward and once again tipped his tiny hat, this time adding a small bow. “Well, come on then you must. All day we haven’t got.”
“Take only what you can carry”, Morrigan instructed. “We must travel light to make good time.”
The group set about to gathering their things, with Buffy carrying most of the load. In fact, with the slayer dealing with the greater part of the burden, they were able to take most everything with them.
They all lined up behind the pixie, who with a wave of his hand and a softly spoken, “Oscail” caused a small rift in the air in front of them and signaled to everyone to follow him through.
The world inside the faerie realm was not much different in appearance, except that the colors were more intense and the air smelled sweeter. But as they drew nearer to the forest edge the differences became undeniably more apparent. Trees and plants moved of their own accord, occasionally stopping to converse with one another. Sprites and winged faeries zipped about the air freely, going about their business of tending to the plant life of the forest.
Fiobhadryeal kept up a fairly quick rate of speed at the head of the group, but Emily did her level best to keep up with him. Even at one point trying to start a conversation.
“So what’s it like being a pixie?” she inquired.
“Don’t know”, he answered distractedly. “What’s it like not being one?”
“Don’t know”, she replied honestly. “Have you got any family?”
“Family I have”, he nodded. “Brothers and sisters numbering over three thousand. Not to mention aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren. Know most of them I do not. So many of them there are.”
“Woa”, gasped the small redhead, “your family sure is big.”
“What happens that is when live as long as I, you have”, the pixie stated. “And you? Family have you?”
“My family is real little compared to yours”, Emily explained. “Most of them are here.” She pointed in turn to each person as she named them. “First there are my parents. That’s my Mommy and next to her is my Mama carrying my baby sister in her papoose thing. The other lady is my Godmommy…”
“You sure do have a lot of mams”, noted Fiobhadryeal.
“I know! Isn’t it great?” Emily giggled and let a large grin grace her face. But when she noted the pixie’s sudden downtrodden look, her own expression turned a little somber. “It must be tough having a family so big that no own has time to pay attention to you.”
“Used to it I have gotten”, he sighed. “So long has it been. Though…”
“Yes?”
“Though, admit it I must… sometimes quite sad am I. So many of us there are that if to see my own mother were I …know her I would not. Nor would she know me either.”
The news of this left Emily very sad. To not know her own mommy or mama was a thought completely foreign and scary to her. But she just knew she had to look to the bright side of things. “Well at least you have friends”, she offered.
“Friends have I?” he puzzled. “Who?”
“Me for starters”, she grinned.
The pixie came to a full stop. He looked way up into his young companion’s eyes. “Fiobhadryeal’s friend you are?” he asked, his voice even tinier than usual.
“Of course, silly”, she replied.
“Fiobhadryeal a friend does have”, he said disbelievingly to himself.
“What’s the hold up there?” called Ghaena from the back of the group. “We don’t have time to dally!”
“Better keep moving”, Emily urged.
“Yes”, Fiobhadryeal agreed. “Keep moving we will… friend.”
The group continued on through the woods as another half-hour ticked by.
“One thing has me stumped”, said Buffy, keeping pace with Morrigan.
“Yes?”
“Why not just do that teleport thingy?” the slayer asked.
“’Teleport thingy’?” said Morrigan, not following.
“You know”, Buffy went on, “that whole disappear-reappear thing. Like you did back in Sunnydale.” Morrigan gave her a perplexed eye. Buffy sighed. “The thing where you just ‘poof’ showed up in Willow and Tara’s bedroom.”
“We didn’t ‘teleport’”, said Morrigan. “We can’t.”
“Well, then how did you get into the house?” asked Buffy.
“The front door”, the priestess answered.
“How did you get past me?” exasperated the slayer.
“We were quiet”, came the simple reply.
Buffy let out a small frustrated exclamation.
“Language”, Tara warned.
“Sorry”, the petite blonde grumbled.
At the end of an hour’s journey, the caravan reached the exiting point of the forest. Once again the pixie stepped to the front of the group and pointed out beyond the tree line.
“There it is, it is”, he said proudly, “Fiobhadryeal has done good, I have.”
“Yes, you’ve done very well”, praised Emily.
“Glastonbury Tor”, Ghaena said, letting out a sigh of relief. “Our journey is almost ended.”
Fiobhadryeal shifted his weight uneasily upon his tiny feet, taking off his hat and fiddling with it in his hands. “Keeping to the bargain will you now be, miss?” he asked in his small, little voice. “A whole piece of bread may now I have?”
“Of course”, smiled the girl, reaching into her backpack to pull out one of the precious sandwiches inside, offering it at arms length. He snatched it from her hand and quickly divested it of the sliced turkey and lettuce, dropping these items back in Emily’s hand.
“Don’t like meat, Miss”, he explained, “only bread for me. Be thanking you kindly for such generosity, I is. Two whole pieces when promised me only one, you did.”
“That’s what friends do”, said Emily. “We help each other.”
Fiobhadryeal smiled and somehow found the courage to sheepishly ask, “Plenty of spread on these, there is?”
“Uh-huh”, Emily nodded, smiling, although looking a bit uncomfortable holding the messy deli meat in her bare hand.
“Off then I’ll just be”, he announced, then paused, “unless be needing my help you will?”
“No”, said Ghaena, “thank you, Fiobhadryeal. We’ll not ask you for anything more. You’ve done your service. Be off with you.”
“Right then”, he replied, adjusting his hat on his head. “Meeting you all a pleasure it was.” And off he scampered into the underbrush; the twin slices of bread tucked one under each arm.
The elder priestess watched him go, a curious glint in her eye. “What is it?” asked Morrigan.
“For as long as I have known him”, answered Ghaena, “and I’ve known him a long time, Fiobhadryeal Beankeeper has never once offered his help so freely.” She turned to Emily and grinned. “I think he’s taken a liking to you”, she winked.
“Nah”, Emily shrugged, dropping the loose meat and lettuce back into the Ziploc sandwich bag, “he just wanted to be treated like a person and not a magic hamster. You know?”
Ghaena kneeled down and looked the girl right in the eye. “You truly are a remarkable child, Emily Rosenberg-Maclay.” She lightly squeezed Emily’s nose between her thumb and forefinger and then returned to standing. “Alright, it’s time to leave the faerie realm. I just hope we haven’t lost too much time in the journey.”
When they stepped out of the forest, it was night. The moon hung low on the horizon, full and luminescent, lighting the earth below. In the distance, a great
tower loomed over the top of the tall hill, sending along shadow down its side.
“What’s that building?” asked Emily.
“It’s a shrine to St. Michael”, Morrigan replied. “Long ago, when Avalon fell, the waters surrounding the isle receded until all that was left was the great hill you see before you now. Still the people knew that this was a place of magic and new legends came to be associated with it.”
The group started move towards the mount when Ghaena put out an arm, stopping them.
“Do you hear that?” she said, turning her ear to the wind.
Everyone paused and listened.
“Sounds like leaves rustling”, said Buffy.
“No… not leaves”, commented Morrigan as the sound grew and the tone took on a baser note.
“Run!!” shouted Ghaena, breaking for the hill. The others took off in pursuit just as a great murder of black birds erupted from the forest behind them. There number so great that they took the shape of a low-lying cloud, ripe with an awesome storm.
“It’s Le Fay!!” cried Morrigan, trying to be heard above the wicked cawing of the swarm overhead. “Protect the children!”
Buffy scooped Emily up in to her strong arms and took off in a sprint, running for cover under a nearby tree.
“Mommy!” she screamed, trying to reach for Tara and Willow, who were quickly falling behind the slayer’s speed.
“We’re coming, Emily!” Tara yelled after her before she was struck upside the head by a diving raven, knocking her to the ground.
“Tara!” Willow shouted in alarm, crouching down to her lover’s side, curving her body to protect both her lover and Michelle who was strapped against her chest in her carrier.
“I’m okay”, Tara assured her, staggering to her feet. “We have to keep running!”
Willow nodded and took Tara’s hand, cradling their infant’s head with her other, and continued the mad dash to where Buffy and Emily were cowering for protection from the foul onslaught.
Morrigan and Ghaena tried to fight off the attack, sending magickal bolts of lightening and fire into the ravens’ clustered mass. Most scattered, a few died, but it was nowhere near enough.
Growing weary of this façade, Ghaena called out, “Morgan La Fey! Stop wasting our time! We end this now! Show your face!!” The flock continued to dive and attack the scattered group, unrelenting. “You always were a coward!” the elder priestess accused. “Always hiding behind your ignorant followers! Letting them do your dirty work for you!”
“Appear to us now!” commanded Morrigan. “Or do you fear what we already know?! That by us being here, we’ve already won and you’re finished no matter what you try!”
Suddenly, the ravens flocked tightly together and dove toward the ground, crashing into the earth and stacking onto one another in such a fashion that they slowly began to take the shape of a body from the toes up. As the birds melded together, their definition became clearer to the shape of a woman until soon the body was fully formed and a face began to appear at the top of the newly formed neck.
The small family under the tree let out a gasp when they saw whom it was standing before them.
“Honestly”, Le Fay snarked, “it’s because of one of my ‘ignorant followers’ that you made it this far in the first place. Stupid Henckle. It wasn’t until you were nearing the mists that I realized she was going to try to warn you rather than kill you as I had commanded. If she had followed my instructions I wouldn’t have been brought to such rudimentary tactics. So I had to kill her, poor dear.” The regal witch let out a frustrated sigh. “What happened to the times when stupid humans would follow their idols blindly and without question?” she said, waxing sentimental.
“They still have them”, said Morrigan. “They’re called ‘extremists’.”
“Thankfully you no longer command such fanaticism”, added Ghaena. Le Fay snorted disdainfully and rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you drop that ridiculous disguise and show your true face? Joined the ‘Witness Protection Program’, have you?”
“I was only wearing this for dramatic effect”, admitted Le Fay. “you know how I love a good entrance.”
“Hopefully your exit will be several times more impressive”, said Ghaena.
“We shall see”, she replied darkly as she began her transformation. Everyone watched as the familiar face of guidance counselor Charlotte Geary began to morph and twist into the witch’s actual visage. First the color drained from her skin, leaving her skin a pale white. Then her hair fell out of its neat braids and settled into long black locks down her back, with rich violet highlights glinting in the moonlight. The angles of her face became even sharper, and her eyes took on an amethyst hue, piercing and deadly in their gaze. Finally her clothes changed from the modest business casual attire the counselor had been wearing into long, flowing black and wine colored robes, the material billowing lightly in the evening breeze. The sorceress stood triumphant, lifting her chin defiantly for added effect, fully satisfied that her performance had been thoroughly impressive.
“Put on a bit of weight have you?” questioned Morrigan.
Le Fay instantly deflated, then re-inflated to her regal stance, only allowing herself to be ever so slightly flustered.
“She looks like the Maleficent lady from ‘Sleeping Beauty’”, Emily whispered. Tara and Willow both nodded in agreement.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” said Le Fay.
“Business?” questioned Ghaena. “Oh yes, of course, the restoration of Avalon. I’ll just have the child start to work…”
“Now, now, Ghaena” interrupted the sorceress, “let’s not be hasty. Surely we can come to some sort of an agreement that is beneficial for both parties. Yours and mine.”
Ghaena looked her opponent sharp in the eye. “The only thing that would satisfy ‘my party’ is the return of Avalon and you having a nice go at snuffing it.”
“Then I am afraid we are at an impasse, for that is simply not an acceptable option”, Le Fay countered. “It’s that pesky bit of dying you see. I’m simply not up to it.”
“You’re just going to have to come to terms with it, I’m afraid”, said Ghaena, before calling over her shoulder. “Go ahead, Emily!”
“I wouldn’t do that, Emily, dear!” shouted Le Fay, “Not if you value your life!” The witch turned her attention back to the two priestesses in front of her. “You know I can kill her with a glance if I choose.”
“Then why haven’t you”, asked Morrigan. “It’s not as if you haven’t had the opportunity.”
“Because she has something I want and killing her wouldn’t be conducive to getting it. And I always like to get what I want.”
“Which is?”
“Power”, Le Fay answered. “I want it. She’s got it. Loads in fact. More than she realizes… more than you realize and at her age she’s only going to get stronger. I want what she’s got and in trade I would even be willing to raise your precious Avalon for you once I gain the knowledge she has buried in her pretty little head.”
Ghaena paused, almost seeming to consider this as an option. She signaled Morrigan over and the two of them appeared to hold a quick conference, their backs turned to the sorceress. Le Fay looked on, her eyebrow raised in curiosity and intrigue.
Buffy, Tara, Willow and Emily kept watch from afar.
“What are they doing?” asked Buffy. From where they were seated, they could see what Le Fay could not.
“It looks like they’re playing a game of paper-scissors-rock”, said Willow.
“What for?” queried Tara.
“Maybe they’re deciding who gets to kick her butt first”, offered Emily.
Ghaena finally beat Morrigan with scissors over paper. The two shook hands, and quickly turned to face Le Fay once again, both of their expressions very serious.
“We’ve discussed it”, the elder priestess said solemnly”, and we’ve come to the decision… that you’re completely off your nutter.”
“Tá tú glan as do mheabhair”, Morrigan added in agreement.
“WHAT?!” Le Fay cried out indignantly.
“Emily?” Ghaena called over her shoulder, “do your stuff!”
The little redhead leapt to her feet and gave each of her parents a quick hug and kiss. “I’ll be right back”, she said and took off for the base of the hill.
“Emily!” Tara called after her.
“Noooo!” howled Le Fay, sending a large pulse of energy toward the galloping child, knocking her hard to the ground. Tara screamed and Willow cried out in pain at watching her daughter fall.
“You will not stop us so easily”, said Ghaena.
“She rises”, added Morrigan, pointing to how Emily slowly pushed herself to her feet and began to race for the mount’s base again.
Seeing this, Le Fay again raised her hand to strike, but found herself suddenly thrown to the ground, the double impact knocking the wind out of her.
Buffy straddled the dark witch, punching her hard in the face as she punctuated each strike with a word. “Never! Hit! My! God! Daughter! Again! You! Bi—“
Le Fay blew the slayer off of her mid wallop, sending the petite blonde flying thirty feet through the air and landing with a thud in the wet grass. The sorceress staggered to her feet, dusting her robes off and delicately rubbing her chin.
“I think that little bitch dislocated my jaw!” she complained.
“Well now maybe you won’t be flapping it so much”, bit Ghaena.
“Enough of this!” Le Fay growled. “I’ll be done with you all!” She began to work herself into a great frenzy, summoning all of the power available to her, the immensity of it causing a low thrum to reverb from the air around her. Ghaena and Morrigan were both knocked off their feet by the intensity of it, struggling to even sit up under Le Fay’s evil weight. “Now I will show you death!” Le Fay wickedly promised as she prepared to unleash her fury. But she found herself suddenly distracted by a sharp rock striking her upside of the head. “What?” she said, looking up to see where it came from.
“Hurt my friends you will not!!” Fiobhadryeal shouted from where he hung clutched by the feet of a low-flying owl. In its beak it carried a small sack full of stones that the pixie drew his ammunition, slinging several more rocks Le Fay’s way.
Morgan Le Fay could not help laugh. A wicked, cackling laugh that caused everyone’s stomach to churn. “Do you really think I can be stopped by one stupid pixie?”
“No”, Fiobhadryeal admitted. “But to a few thousand what would you say?”
And just as the sky had filled before with a cloud of ravens, now an entire storm of birds of all sizes carrying pixies and small sacks of stones began raining down rocks upon the evil woman. So enormous was the number of stones and so accurate was the pixies’ aim that Le Fay quickly found herself being buried under a mountain of pebbles. “What is this?” she cried out in frustration.
“My family this is”, announced Fiobhadryeal proudly. “Brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and somewhere in here my mother. Though know her I do not. But alright that is, because friends I have!”
Willow and Tara looked on in disbelief, unable to stop the smiles forming on their faces as they watched everything unfold.
“Emily!”, Ghaena called through the maelstrom, “the spell! You must do it now!”
Emily nodded and raised her hands to the hill before her. “Anál nathrach orth bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha!” she chanted, straining her voice over all of the noise around them, she repeated the phrase over and over.
Slowly a great mist began to appear from the earth, surrounding the hill and its base until soon the entire mass was completely engulfed and hidden from sight. Enormous eruptions of multicolored light sparked forth from the fog, filling the sky almost like fireworks.
Still trapped in her pile of rocks, Le Fay began to shake and writhe in agony as her life left her body, and her body seemingly dissolved into the ground.
“She’s melting”, gasped Tara.
“She’s melting”, echoed Willow.
“What in the world?” said Buffy as she pushed herself up onto her elbows from where she had fallen.
“Imeacht gan teacht ort”, Ghaena sneered at the disappearing woman.
As the dark sorceress became no more, the attention turned back to Emily and the amazing transformation taking place by her hand.
The small girl completed her spell and fell down exhausted, barely able to keep her head up to watch what her magick had accomplished. Tara and Willow rose to their feet and quickly dashed to their daughter’s side, Tara kneeling to cradle her in her arms.
Released from the wicked mass of the witch’s power, Ghaena and Morrigan quickly joined them at the base of the hill, Buffy reaching them shortly as well.
Behind them, the ground began to weep tears of joy, ultimately creating an island of the small hill, separating it from land once again. They all watched transfixed as the mist began to evaporate and the great balls of light hung low in the air, illuminating the scene almost as bright as day.
Before them stood smiling several dozen women of all races and ages, dressed in all manner of colored robes. The oldest looking one and apparent leader stepped forward, arms raised in gracious welcome as she happily announced, “Céad mile fáilte romhait!”
The non-Gaelic speaking members of the group turned to Ghaena and Morrigan for translation.
“She said, ‘A hundred thousand welcomes’”, explained Morrigan.
“Oh”, said Willow, “Uh…thanks.”
“Yeah, thanks”, Emily smiled sleepily, offering a little wave.
A tall, elegant looking woman stepped out of the crowd, unlike the others, her jet-black hair was cut pixie-like short, and she was dressed in attractive, form-fitting black pants and a modest, yet striking, silver colored swordswoman’s shirt and black leather jerkin. And, like a few of the others, her ears came up to a noticeable point.
She examined the weary group, her eyes falling on lastly Ghaena, a smile curling her lips. “Maith thú”, she said, clearly impressed.
“Tá fáilte romhait”, the brunette smiled, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “Dwynnie”, she said after a moment, “I’ve missed you so.” Ghaena squirmed her way free of the group and quickly engulfed her lover into her arms. “Síoraí gráim thú go”, she whispered desperately.
Everyone could not help but smile at such a deeply felt reunion. But there was still business to be dealt with at hand. Once again the leader of the priestesses stepped forward.
“Morrigan”, she said authoritatively, “long ago you defied me and the others here. You were banished from Avalon then, why do you return?”
“To seek the clemency of you and the Goddess that I may return home”, Morrigan replied, clearly making it an effort to keep her voice from breaking and betraying her desperation. “To be absolved of the crimes that I am accused of, but did not commit.” The elder stared at her silently until finally Morrigan could take no more. “Vivianne, please…. Please.”
Vivianne let out a long sigh. “Your crimes are great, Morrigan”, she began, noting the slump that suddenly formed on the woman’s shoulders. “But I will consider it.” Now Morrigan’s head snapped up in hopeful surprise. “In the meantime”, Vivianne went on, “you are welcome to the Isle. Today is for celebration. I trust you all will join in the festivities as you are the guests of honor?”
“We beat the bad guys”, said Buffy, “I say we party.”
“Excellent”, Vivianne smiled.
“Can Fiobhadryeal and his family come too?” Emily asked sweetly. “After all, he did help.”
“What friends do, that is!” he called out from where his owl hovered.
The priestess warily eyed the enormous crowd of pixies filling the air. “Quite a lot of them, aren’t there?” she said, mostly to herself. After a moment's consideration she announced, “Of course! All are welcome on this great day of commemoration!”
“Be sure to have a lot of bread”, Emily whispered knowingly.
Vivianne nodded, sending the young girl a wink, letting her know that she would.
*****************
Coming next... the Epilogue
"Promise me you'll never be linear." "On my trout."
Edited by: DarkWiccan at: 12/29/02 10:31:13 am