"Say goodbye to your lover Balthazar!" Morgana screamed as she sent a powerful blast of fire towards Elaine.

Balthazar was about to shove Elaine away, but she jumped out in front of him, into the oncoming flames. They were both surprised when the flames went around them, and around the vacuum sphere Elaine was holding out instinctively.

"No way," Elaine said in awe as she strained to keep the sphere up.

"It is you," Balthazar said with a knowing smile on his lips. He had known all along that she was the one.

Elaine looked down and remembered that she wasn't wearing the ring anymore. She had acted on instinct alone, and the magic had responded. Balthazar had been right about her since the beginning.

"The Prime Merlinean?" Morgana said with venom in her voice. She stopped the torrent of flame and turned her full attention on Elaine. She conjured a large plasma bolt and sent it flying at Elaine, who brought up a shield to defend them.

Bolt after bolt hit the shield and tore pieces of it away. Morgana was throwing bolts stronger than anything Elaine could have ever imagined.

"You have Merlin's power, but not his strength nor his skill. You're still weak," Morgana taunted as she blasted away the rest of Elaine's shield.

Elaine sent a few bolts back at Morgana, but they just went right through her.

"She's not alone!" Balthazar said as he stood next to Elaine and shot a bolt at Morgana that sent her back a step. It wasn't much, but it had done something.

"You fool!" Morgana screamed, and hurled a powerful bolt that slammed into Balthazar, knocking him to the ground. He lay there, unmoving, as Drake ran up to them.

Elaine turned and was moving to Balthazar's side when Drake looked up and shouted out a warning. "Behind you!" He cried out in alarm as another large bolt came flying at Elaine.

Elaine spun and managed to shield just in time. She strained to hold the shield as Morgana unleashed a flurry of plasma bolts at her. She wanted to go to Balthazar, but she couldn't do that until she stopped Morgana. Tears mixed with sweat as she looked back and forth between the unmoving Balthazar, and the unrelenting Morgana.

When Elaine's second shield dissolved Morgana stopped her attack. She decided to play with her prey a bit. Give the Merlinean a chance to attack, not that it would do anything.

"My turn!" Elaine said viciously as she formed a plasma bolt in each hand. She sent them flying, but both of them missed Morgana by a few feet.

"You'll have to do better than that," Morgana said with a smirk. She didn't notice Elaine moving her hands subtlety as she coaxed the wires she had blasted with power to snake around the lamp posts nearby.

"Come on, just a little further," Elaine whispered as the wires moved into place. To distract Morgana she sent another bolt at the evil sorceress. It went through her again, but it had done its job.

"Forget it little sorceress. You're all alone, and you can't beat me!" Morgana said with a laugh.

"I'm not alone," Elaine said with confidence. "I brought a little science with me. NOW!" She shouted the last to the broom in the shed she had blasted. It was alive and under her command. It pulled the power switch for the lamps.

With the cables she had coaxed into place the lamps became large Tesla Coils, attacking the nearest source of electrons, Morgana. The bolts from the coils weakened her, and caused a small blackout in the general area of the city.

When the power failed and the coils stopped firing, Elaine sent a torrent of plasma bolts into the charged electrons that comprised Morgana. They ripped into her and scattered the electrons to the winds, destroying the most powerful evil the world had ever known.

For a long moment there was nothing but silence. Elaine was thrilled she had succeeded, but then remembered Balthazar's crumpled form. She turned and rushed to his side.

"No! No! No! No," she said as she ran over to him and dropped on the ground beside him. Drake was on the other side of him, shaking his head sadly.

"He's gone," Drake spoke softly.

"He can't be!" Elaine cried. Her tears streamed down her face as she grabbed Balthazar's lifeless hand.

Drake came around and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He completed his quest, he found you. He's at peace now," Drake tried to comfort her.

"That's not good enough!" Elaine answered as she stood up.

Drake backed up as Elaine called a circle around her and Balthazar. A circle of red flame sprung up around the two. He watched in mild awe as she effortlessly pulled power to her. Part of him was jealous, and part of him was impressed.

"If Morgana can stop his heart, then maybe I can start it again," Elaine spoke with conviction, and hope. She called electricity to her hands and slammed them down on his chest, trying to start his heart.

"You, with all your rules!" And again, "Your old-person shoes!" And again, "and always following me around and saving me with that look on your face!" And once last time, "You are not going to die on me without me getting to tell you that I love you!" She finished with a cry of pain. He didn't stir at first and her heart dropped.

Then he blinked at her.

"I had this dream," Balthazar said his voice hoarse. "You were insulting me repeatedly." He added once he took a few breaths of air.

"Weird," Elaine said gently with a shrug. She wiped the tears from her face and leaned down to smile at him.

He looked into her eyes and smiled back. "Yeah, but then you told me that you love me," he said quietly as he took her hand in his.

"Doesn't sound like such a bad dream after all," Elaine laughed.

"No, not bad at all," Balthazar said as he sat up. He pulled her to him in a hug that was almost painful for him in his weakened state, but he found it worth it.

Elaine gasped as she was pulled into the hug, but then she relaxed and let him hold her. His lips were next to her ear when he whispered to her, "I love you too."

Elaine pulled back enough to see his face. When she did he was holding the necklace he had given her, a vivid smile warmed his face.

She had put the necklace in her coat pocket, back at her lab, but now he had it. He held it out and she moved her hair, so he could put it on her. "I wanted the chance to give you this," he explained.

"Thank you," Elaine whispered as he fastened the clasp. He brushed her cheek as he pulled his hands back. Then he moved forward and kissed her with all the passion of a man who had been dying of thirst, and had just found water again. Elaine kissed him back with equal passion.

When they pulled away from each other Elaine gave a sly grin. "So, how about some breakfast," she asked, "In France?"

"France?" Balthazar questioned back, eyebrow raised.

"France," Elaine confirmed as the steel eagle landed behind them. "I got us a ride."

"Why not? I haven't been there for years," Balthazar said as he put a hand around her waist and spun her around with joy. They were alive, and Morgana was defeated. His new life was shaping up to be a good one.

"Um, what about me?" Drake asked from behind them. They turned to look at him with thoughtful expressions.

Elaine broke away from Balthazar and walked over to Drake. She held her hand out to him, and he took it tentatively. She gave it a firm shake, and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you for helping," Elaine told him.

"I didn't do anything," Drake said as she let go of his hand.

"Yes, you did. You helped more than you think. You're one of us now," Elaine spoke with warmth. "Now, go take my roommate on a date she'll never forget!" She tossed him the keys to the Phantom.

"I want that back in one piece!" Balthazar added as he got onto the eagle and pulled Elaine up behind him.

Drake gave him a salute and watched them fly off into the night sky.

Epilogue:

Balthazar and Elaine had a good breakfast in France. When they returned Horvath was missing, but his cane and the rings on it were still in Battery Park. The couple took the cane and went home to Elaine's apartment.

Sarah and Drake went out on the town, dancing. When Elaine returned with Balthazar Sarah talked her ear off about how she and Drake were meant to be. Elaine didn't know if it would truly work, but she was glad her friend was happy.

Balthazar went to stay with Drake, until he could get a place of his own again. He is currently trying to open up another Arcana Cabana. This time he will be the co-owner of it, along with his girlfriend Elaine Stutler.

Karen and Elaine passed their physics final with ease. Karen is currently going for her doctorate in the subject.

Elaine is continuing her study of Archeology, which she figures will come in handy once the shop is up and running.

Abigail Smith was never seen again, but when Elaine went to give Drake his ring back, she noticed the pentacle amulet was missing from the cane.

((I want to give a huge acknowledgement and thanks to all the reviewers of this story. Thank you all so much for your kind words, and most importantly for reading and reviewing! I honestly could have never gotten through this without you guy! You're the best!

Thanks again! Yours,

Katterina VanWie))