The Boy who Lived
By Jerle Shannara
Chapter 14: The Restoration of All Things
When Harry came awake again, the first thing he registered was the darkness. A moment later he became conscious of the surface upon which he lay, a comfortable sofa. He stirred slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position, but even a slight motion caused his joints to protest quite noisily. This in turn caused him to swear savagely.
"Language, my friend." Said an amused voice from nearby. "There are ladies and children in the house, you know." Harry went cold, recognizing the voice all too well.
"You survived?" he breathed.
"I see I've some explaining to do." The speaker replied. He waved a hand and a lamp on a nearby end table flared to life and Harry, disbelieving, stared into the blue eyes of Avatar Alpha.
"So it was all for nothing." He whispered.
"On the contrary." The Avatar replied. "Your efforts have reversed the effects of my greatest failure." Even as shocked as he was, Harry did not miss the note of eons-old sorrow in the other's voice.
"I don't understand." he said.
"You will." The Avatar assured. "Did you sense anything at all after you unleashed the Shadow?" Harry hesitated.
"I thought I felt…I don't know, despair." He finally admitted.
"You would have." The Avatar replied. "In that instant the entire order was made aware of the terrible misuse to which they've been subjected for eons beyond counting." He paused, clearly attempting to gather his thoughts. "First you should know that my name is Edaemus. I was the true lord of the Avatars. We were the finest mages and warriors in the universe, at least when it comes to those in the service of light."
"So you're good?" Harry asked.
"We were," the Avatar replied, "although there may be some question of that after all that's happened. To cut a long story as short as possible, we were tasked by Elynthia, goddess of light, with guarding this world and its inhabitants, as well as teaching them to harness the power of magic. This was a time when magic was known to all, and though not all humans were practitioners there were many more than there are these days."
"Why don't our histories tell of this?" Harry asked.
"I'm coming to that." The Avatar replied mildly. "During this time we founded both the orders of Mystic Knights and the Whitelighters. The Mystic Knights, Paladins if you prefer, were pure warriors, while the Whitelighters were healers and in many cases teachers. For many thousands of years our work proceeded smoothly." He sighed. "Unfortunately I grew careless. We are every bit as flawed as mortals. It had never happened up to this point, but I was about to learn that even an Avatar could fall prey to greed. One of our finest warriors was known by many as Kylan the Ruthless, as he had earned himself a reputation over the centuries that made all but the most powerful demons flee at the mere mention of his name. Unfortunately, he felt that we were selling ourselves short, making our job more difficult by allowing humanity free will. Little did I know that he had been serving another master for quite some time."
"The Source?" Harry asked.
"No." the Avatar replied. "This particular being makes what most people know as the Source look like an ordinary mortal. Even the most powerful demons hesitate to speak her name. She is Akasha, queen of darkness." The Avatar smiled as he registered the shiver that travelled along Harry's spine. "Akasha, unlike Elynthia, ruled her domain through fear. She also forced those who served her to bind themselves to her in mind and spirit even if not body."
"A collective." Harry mused.
"Indeed." Replied the Avatar. "It actually proved her undoing. She underestimated Kylan's mental fortitude. I found out after it happened that when she tried to subdue him he was able to turn her own will back upon her, tearing her from her own collective and taking her place as its leader. Then while she was reeling from that he banished her to the Abyss." Harry's eyes widened. Edaemus smiled and continued. "It was then that I began to realize what was happening and confronted him. Unfortunately he'd become so powerful that I was unprepared to face him. I barely escaped with my life. In fact this is the first time I've assumed physical form in more than ten-thousand years. I knew Kylan would have taken on my appearance and subjugated the rest of the order."
"Are they free now?" Harry asked. The other nodded.
"We lost a few." He replied. "They'd given into despair long ago."
"What were those shadows?" Harry asked.
"They were the spirits of the Avatars." Edaemus replied. "How they did it I do not know, but somehow they must have kept a part of their minds free from Kylan. Somehow they bound their powers in such a way that Kylan failed to notice. Perhaps it was the magic inherent in this house that did the job, but they sent a portion of their essence to hide here in the form of what became the Nexus and the Shadow. Then I would guess that over the centuries they absorbed trace amounts of magical energy from members of the Halliwell family, so that by the time events got around to where we are now they had regained enough power that they would be able to destroy Kylan if they were ever unleashed."
"So then why don't we remember all this?" Harry asked.
"That would be the Whitelighters' doing I'm afraid." Edaemus sighed. "Over the centuries they too had grown rather arrogant, mostly the Elders. After our fall they stepped in to fill the vacuum and decided that the knowledge of magic was too dangerous a thing for most mortals to handle. They erased that as well as all memory of what we once were, making it seem as though it had only ever been them in charge."
"what happens now?" Harry asked.
"We return to Avalon, our homeland." Edamus replied. "We need to reestablish our true bond and come to terms with all we've endured." He smiled. "Then if you are amenable we will need your help to set things right again."
"Can I ask you something first?"
"By all means."
"Are the others all right?" Harry asked.
"They're all quite weak," Edaemus replied, "but they're all well on their way to full recoveries. My invaluable brother has been tending to them in the week you've been unconscious."
"A whole week?" Harry asked incredulously.
"You needed it." The Avatar remarked. "A few more moments and you would have been beyond our aid. Mr. Turner got you out just in time, though he insisted afterward that we strip him of the powers we gave him."
"He survived?" Harry asked in alarm.
"His human half did." Edaemus replied. "He implored to let him aid you however he could. His human half, you understand, genuinely wished to become good and atone for his sins. When he realized the danger you were in he was prepared to sacrifice himself to see that Paige didn't lose you. He'd have fought Kylan himself if Cho had not restrained him. She released him after you set loose the Shadow. He took the opportunity to bear you out of Malfoy Manor and back here, then supplied you with a great deal of his own life force in order that you might survive."
"Where is he now?" Harry asked. Edaems smiled.
"Having a little chat with Phoebe I'd imagine." As if in answer, two figures entered the room. Harry saw Phoebe first, then the familiar figure of Cole. Cole met Harry's gaze and didn't look away.
"I'm sorry." He said simply, his voice barely more than a whisper. Harry continued to stare into the haunted eyes of the former demon for a long moment. Then he nodded. Cole sighed with relief. He turned then to meet the eyes of Edaemus.
"May I come with you?" he asked. "I don't think it would be wise for me to stay here."
"Whoa wait a minute!" Phoebe objected. Cole held up his hand.
"I know you understand what's been going on," he said, "and I appreciate that. But your sisters aren't likely to be so accepting."
"And how do you figure that?" a new voice asked. Cole whirled around in alarm and his face paled upon seeing who it was.
"Piper?" he asked.
"We all know the truth of the matter." She said. "Does that undo what you've already done?" Cole started to speak but Piper held up a hand. "Nothing can change the past. But none of us is likely to overlook the fact that if it weren't for you we wouldn't be here. I know that it was you who persuaded Cho to warn us about what Alpha was really up to."
"We were both wallowing in self-pity." Cole remarked. "The main difference was that her continued inaction would have destroyed the world as we know it and probably the universe as well." He paused. "I suppose the same could be said about me." He finally acknowledged.
"I'd say that's earned you the chance to make a better future." Paige said. "I wouldn't throw it away."
"They are correct." Edaemus replied. "Your place is here."
"If you're sure." Cole said dubiously.
"Your services are going to be needed fairly shortly I'd imagine." Edaemus remarked.
"I'd forgotten what a good cook Piper was." Cole remarked some time later, leaning back and pushing aside his empty plate. Harry grinned at him. He still found the other's presence disconcerting, but his alarm bells weren't ringing, so he was doing his best to relax.
"I've known only a few other people who came close to matching her in that department." He remarked.
"Do I know any of them?" Piper asked.
"Molly Weasley?" Paige suggested.
"Oh right." Piper said. "Maybe we'll have to take a trip over there so we can all judge her talent." She smiled. She had met the Weasley matriarch only a few times but they'd liked each other right from the beginning.
"Where the heck is Darryl?" Phoebe asked. "If he doesn't hurry up I have a feeling our friend here will steal the rest of the food." She grinned at Cole.
"There's plenty for everybody." Piper assured her, serving Harry yet another helping despite his objections. Not that they were all that genuine. Two more people came into the kitchen just then. These were the Avatar formerly known as Beta, whose true name was Elana. She was in what the Halliwells recognized as her true form, that of a young woman with long, flowing black hair and brown eyes. She was lending her arm to an obviously weak Gideon.
"How did you manage to survive?" Harry asked in amazement. "I thought you'd burned up all your energy attacking Alpha."
"Apparently not." Gideon replied. "Of course I'm mortal now, not that there's anything particularly wrong with that."
"You could still take Sigmund up on his offer you know." Elana replied in her soft voice.
"Maybe in time." Gideon replied. "But for now I want some peace."
"You've certainly earned it." The Avatar smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I'd best get back. The Malfoys are still dangerously in need of our aid. When we recalled Lucius from the Underworld it took him quite a while to realize what had happened. Narcissa was even worse off."
"What?" Harry asked.
"It seems the Malfoys had been planning to turn against Voldemort even before you killed him." Elana explained. "Then the usurper got hold of them and they never got the chance. But once they'd seen just how far Voldemort was willing to go in order to seize power the dark order didn't hold much appeal anymore. Narcissa was more concerned with protecting Draco at first but she soon caught on as well. Draco was already on the path but he was unknowingly drawn into the same trap as the rest of his family."
"I never would've imagined." Harry remarked.
"Nor did Lucius want you to." Elana agreed. "If even one hint of what he was planning had gotten back to Voldemort-" she left it hanging.
"Will they survive?" Paige asked. "Draco did save my nephew's life after all."
"We're certainly going to do our best to insure that." Elana assured her. "It's only the first step on the road to undoing the damage that's been done."
"Let us know if we can help." Harry said.
"You will," Elana said, "and soon. We'll be calling on you as soon as we've taken time to reestablish our bond. The only reason we've waited this long is because of the wounded who need our attention."
It was a short while later that Darryl came downstairs, leaning heavily on the arm of his wife. He was quite obviously as stiff as Harry had been, and he seemed to be having difficulty standing up straight, as though he had a crick in his back. Every time he tried he let loose with a string of expletives that made Harry cringe. Cole took one look at him and stood up.
"Lie down." He ordered calmly.
"I've been doing nothing but that for the past week thank you very much." Darryl growled. "And what the hell are you doing here?" Cole said nothing, only met Darryl's gaze with his own. It was only a moment but it clearly conveyed all that needed to be explained. Darryl's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Lie down." Cole said, indicating a clear space on the thickly carpeted floor. He paused. "Unless of course you'd prefer to have me kick your feet out from under you?" Darryl slowly and painfully lowered himself onto his stomach. Cole removed his shoes and approached Darryl. "Don't move." He ordered. Then he started to walk on the other man. There were crackling noises and loud pops as Darryl writhed beneath Cole's feet. Finally Cole stopped, probing thoughtfully at a stubborn spot between Darryl's shoulder blades. Then he calmly took a few steps forward, rose onto his toes and then came down quite firmly. The shriek that came from Darryl's lips was strangled, the air having been driven out of his lungs. It did not, however, mask the noise that came from his back. It sounded, Harry thought, like the sound that might come from a tree trunk being snapped in two. Everybody except Cole winced.
"Get up." Cole ordered calmly.
"Can't." Darryl wheezed. "You've killed me." Cole reached down and hoisted Darryl onto his feet.
"Walk around a bit." He said.
"Are you kidding me?" Darryl asked, still sounding breathless. "I can't even breathe!"
"Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?" Cole asked pleasantly.
"Don't have a heart attack!" Darryl exclaimed hastily. "I'm walking!" He slowly began to walk around the room.
"Swing your arms back and forth a bit." Leo suggested helpfully. "You've got to loosen up those muscles." Darryl did as he was told. A few minutes later he grinned.
"I hate to admit it," he said, "but I do feel better."
"I figured you would." Cole remarked calmly.
"I don't know that you had to be quite so rough though." Darryl remarked.
"You know," Cole said pleasantly, "I could easily put you back into exactly the same condition you were in when you came down here. Ask and ye shall receive as the old saying goes."
"No thanks." Darryl replied hastily. Cole grinned.
"I believe there's still some breakfast in the kitchen." He said. "You might want to help yourself before someone steals it all."
"Must you?" Piper asked with some annoyance.
"There are some people here who haven't eaten in several days." Cole reminded her pleasantly. "It's been several months for me."
Time passed as time does. Then on a night in early spring, Harry awoke, thinking he had heard a voice. He listened for several moments and it came again.
"The time has come." The voice was that of Edaemus. "With your aid, magic shall again be returned to the people of this world." Harry jumped to his feet and held out his hands. Two swords appeared in them. One was that of Godrick Gryffindor. The other was the legendary blade Excalibur. Paige, having also awakened, gave him a questioning look.
"I don't know." Harry said. "I just know we need them."
The moon was high in the sky as the large gathering surrounded the glowing stone. Harry stared at the spherical object from which emanated a steady blue glow.
"The time has come." Edaemus exalted. "Place the blades in the stone. By your actions shall their full power be restored and magic returned to the people of your world." Piper suddenly stepped forward, Wyatt in her arms.
"Go on." She encouraged. Wyatt's eyes fixed on Excalibur, which hovered in midair beside the sword of Griffindor. Then he made a motion with his hand and the sword slowly drifted towards the stone, settling gently into one of the two slots carved in its smooth surface. A brief flare of white light came from the stone when the blade slid home.
"Your turn." Paige said to Harry. Harry stepped forward and gestured at Gryffindor's blade, which slowly drifted over to take its place beside Excalibur. The flare of white that erupted from the stone made the one that had come before seem as nothing. In the same moment a triumphant organ note seemed to come from everywhere as the two Cleaners stepped forward to raise their hands over the swords, which began to glow with a bright, steady radiance that merged with the glow coming from the stone in which they were housed. Then every Avatar raised his or her voice in a triumphant song in a language that had not been heard in thousands of years. The very air seemed to thrum with the energy the song of the Avatars unleashed. It ended after several minutes, but the light from the stone did not diminish. Edaemus stepped forward to remove the swords from the stone. They came away seated in scabbards of such magnificence that everyone stared in amazement.
"It is done!" the lord of the Avatars exalted. "Go now with our blessing."
"Will we meet again?" Harry asked. The Avatar laughed.
"Soon." He assured. "For now, return to your homes, and may peace be yours."
"And yours as well." A familiar voice said. They all turned to see Aedrus, clad now in the armor of an Avatar.
"Thanks in large part to you, my brother." Edaemus said soberly.
"I never lost faith." Aedrus assured him. He turned to the Halliwells. "I can send you home now." He said. "The rest of the world will be asleep for a few hours, during which time magic will slowly seep back into their consciousness. That should make your lives a teensy bit easier." He smirked. "You can stop trying to come up with new family emergencies every time you have to put the smack down on a demon."
"I'm not particularly keen on still having to deal with that," Piper remarked, "but you're definitely right about this making things a bit easier to explain."
"What about Wyatt?" Harry asked suddenly. "Have we done enough to change the future?"
"Yes." Gideon said with decision. Then he turned to Aedrus. "If the offer's still open I will take you up on it. If my knowledge can help the next generation then so be it."
"Then let it be done." Aedrus said with a broad smile. He made a casual gesture and a portal appeared before the Halliwells. They each cast one last look back at the smiling faces of the Avatars before stepping purposefully into the portal, which silently closed behind Harry, who was the last to enter.
Author's Note
Finally! Yeah I know it's been about six years, but real life and writer's block, not to mention several computer deaths got in the way. But I never abandoned this story and here's the latest chapter.