A/N I've corrected the issue with chapter 6! I'm sorry for any inconvenience or confusion!

The Seer Awakens

"She's not here," Tina said, when she opened the door to Kurt and Blaine early the next morning. "We were just about to call your dad. She must have slipped out when we were all sleeping. She left a note." She handed Kurt the slip of paper.

I don't want to be your Queen, I want to live my life, I want to be a star on Broadway, and fall in love, and be loved in return! I'm sorry. -Rachel. She even remembered to affix a small gold star next to her signature.

"We need to find her," Blaine said, reading the note over Kurt's shoulder. They gathered the others, and formed groups to search, but stopped as they reached the hotel lobby, when they saw the brunette girl sitting sullenly in a corner.

Kurt signaled the others to wait as he approached her. She refused to look at him as he sat down.

"I was going to leave, but the night concierge is one of your Society members, and she did something to make the doors refuse to open for me."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at that. He'd have to find the woman and thank her. "Rachel-" he began, but she cut him off.

"Don't say it! I am not your Queen! I don't want to be your Queen! Please, I just want to live my life, and star on Broadway, and fall in love and be happy."

Kurt let out a little sigh. "That's pretty much what she said, too. I've remembered a lot more about her since last night. Do you want to know what I remembered?" Before she could refuse to listen, he continued. "I remember that she hated being Queen, but you know what she hated even more? The fact that we were twins, and that I was older than her. She thought it was unfair that I couldn't be king, since I was older. She hated that The Court expected her to sit still and look pretty and make decisions.

"But you know what else I remember? I remember that she loved to sing, and her voice was magic. She could calm the seas, tame the wildest beasts, and comfort the most frightened of animals, all by singing a song. When she danced, wildflowers sprang from the ground, and trees would bear fruit.

"And I remember that our people loved her very much. They would do anything for her, just to see her smile. She loved them, too, and was fiercely protective of them. That was why she stayed and took on the responsibilities of being Queen."

Rachel sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. "She sounds nice," she said. "She seems like a kind and caring person. But I'm selfish and determined. Why would you think I was her?"

Kurt put an arm around her. "You can be selfish, yes, but I've also seen you be kind. When my dad had his heart attack, it was you who kept reminding me I needed to eat and take care of myself so I could stay strong for him. And even if I didn't approve of your methods, you were determined to help my dad in the only way you knew how. And there is nothing wrong with being determined. It's actually one of your best qualities. If there is any task that needs to be done, I know I can count on you to see it through and get it done."

She sighed and wiped her nose on the tissue he handed her. "What was her name?"

Kurt studied her for a moment. "Are you sure you are ready to hear it?"

She sat up straighter, lifted her chin high, and nodded. "If it means protecting the world as we know it, then I guess I can't run away from it, can I? I'm ready."

Kurt smiled and stood up, and bowed at the girl. "Nireailema, Maiden of Stars Glen, Queen of Spring, Queen of Fairies, and Light of the Land, I call you to reveal yourself."

Once more they were blinded by the explosion of gold and silver sparks. When they faded and they could see again, Rachel stood before them in a shimmering gown of palest pink. Delicate, glass-like butterfly wings with the barest blush of pink edging the bottom and a chocolatey brown veining the top, spread from her back. Her hair now reached the floor, and white roses, pink peonies, and purple orchids literally grew from the tresses. Elegantly pointed ears could just be seen through the length. A tiny gold star dangled over her forehead from a delicate diadem that circled the crown of her head and disappeared into the braids of her hair.

"You look beautiful, Rach," Finn murmured.

"Still no antlers," Santana complained.

"So, why did Quinn and Rachel get the formal treatment, and Dave just had to say Santana's Queen name?" Artie asked.

Dave blushed. "I didn't just say her name."

Santana was glaring at him. "He called me 'Rowenna, Crone of Green Hills, Queen of Autumn, Queen of Elves, and Hammer of Justice.'"

A few people had to hide their smirks at that. It was an apt description of the girl.

"So," Carole said. "We've found all three Queens. Now what?"

Dave was frowning. "There was more to my dream. Something about The Three calling forth Winter…"

Another voice broke in, and everyone turned to look at Brittany, who was staring, glass-eyed, as if in a trance. "And The Three shall call forth Winter on the eve of battle, but only the wish of a child-like heart shall guide them to forsake the blood and choose the path of light."

"Quick!" Lord Tubbington said, "Someone write it down! The Seer has awakened and given us a new prophecy!"

Pam, Quinn and Lizel all searched their purses for a pen and paper. Lizel was the first to find the items and quickly wrote down what Brit had said. She made several copies to pass around, so that everyone could read it.

"But what does it mean?" Finn asked.

"I'm not sure," Jeff said, looking at it as if it were a puzzle to solve. "I think it means that there is a fourth Queen to find."

"That does make sense," David said, and Blaine and Artie both nodded in agreement. Each of them had wished for computer-like intelligence, and processed the information quickly. "Why only name three of the four seasons? We should have realized sooner there was another."

Kurt frowned. "But who is the fourth Queen?"

"I think Santana, Quinn, and Rachel will figure it out. It says 'The Three shall call forth Winter,'" Blaine said.

"Yeah, 'on the eve of battle,'" Sam pointed out. "But when is that? Do we have any idea how long we have until Faerie's return?"

"I can answer that," said a voice none of them recognized. They all turned, searching for the speaker, but no one spotted him. "Up here," the voice spoke again, and they all looked up to see a tiny man sitting on the light fixture that hung from the ceiling. "Sorry, I wasn't certain if your animals were friendly or not," he indicated Teddy and the two cats.

"They won't hurt you," Kurt assured him. "At least as long as you aren't evil."

"I assure you, I am not evil. I am Rory, messenger of the Seelie Court."

Lord Tubbington was glaring at the tiny man, who was only about six inches tall. "He's a Brownie, and he is the reason I am trapped in the body of a cat!"

The tiny man, Rory, looked at him in shock. "Lord Tubbington! Oh Danu, I'm sorry, sir! I was only following your instructions!"

The cat looked like he wanted to argue, but Grandpa Chang interrupted. "You said you knew how long until Faerie returned?"

"Oh, yes!" Rory said, jumping down from the light fixture and floating softly to the ground. "You have until the moon has waxed and waned once more, before Faerie is within range of Earth, and The Shadow Queen will unleash her forces."

Kurt frowned in confusion, but Blaine provided the answer before he could voice his question. "There is no moon tonight, which means we have twenty eight days, one full cycle of the moon, until Faerie's return."

They all looked at each other in silence for a moment.

…

"Should we cancel the rest of the trip?" Sam asked as they were eating breakfast a short while later.

Blaine shook his head. "The rest of you can leave if you want. Kurt and I, Dave, and Quinn, Santana, and Rachel are the only ones who have to fight."

"No," Mercedes said emphatically. "We're all in this together." She frowned. "Did I just quote 'High School Musical?'" She seemed horrified by her own words, but shook it off. "Whatever. I'm just saying that there is no way you're going into battle without all of us."

There were nods and words of agreement from the rest of the group. Kurt looked around at their friends, a feeling of pride filling him at their support.

"Thank you all, we appreciate your faith in us," he said, smiling at each of them.

Blaine nodded in agreement, but his eyes were on the tiny man who was sitting on the table, nibbling a jelly smeared scone. "What else can you tell us about The Shadow Queen and her forces?" he asked.

Rory swallowed and looked up at him. "I can tell you that she will not be easily defeated. Several millennia spent in The Realm of Nightmares has only strengthened her powers, and her minions are even more insane than before. Many of the Seelie folk who remained in Faerie have chosen to throw themselves into the void, hoping to be reborn on Earth, rather than face her once the last protections fail and she and her army are unleashed."

David was frowning as a thought crossed his mind. "What exactly can we expect when the Faerie Realm collides with Earth again? I mean other than the battle with the evil Queen? Are we talking about massive destruction on a global scale?"

Grandpa Chang and Lord Tubbington shook their heads. It was the elderly dragon who spoke. "Most people won't even notice anything at first. Only those with ties to Faerie will feel it. Perhaps collision is the wrong term. Both Earth and Faerie will occupy the same position in the universe, but not in the same state of being."

"You mean it will be in a different dimension?" Blaine asked.

"More like a parallel dimension," Lord Tubbington corrected. "Those born with magic in them will be able to pass between the realms. Humans cannot enter Faerie, however. They would go insane."

"Do we know where The Shadow Queen's army will cross over to this realm?" Artie asked.

Rory, shrugged. "They will crossover where Danu rests."

Kurt's nose scrunched up in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"I think he means where she's buried," Blaine said, but Grandpa Chang shook his head.

"Danu didn't leave behind a corporeal shell when she passed. There was nothing to bury. When you are ready, you will know where to look."

Kurt's frown deepened. "Grandmother Ailis said the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Carole asked.

"When I spoke to Grandmother Ailis on my birthday, she said I would know where to find her when I was ready."

"I thought your grandmother died," Finn said, as confused as Kurt.

The pale boy shook his head. "Her letter said she wasn't dying, that she was just ready to move on, and I spoke to her on the phone on my birthday, even though the lawyers told dad she'd passed away weeks before."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Kurt's phone chirped a reminder that they had to leave soon to meet the lawyer and inspect the tunnels they hadn't gotten to inspect the day before.

…

It was near dinner time when Kurt, Blaine, Burt, James, and Lizel returned to the hotel. They inspected the tunnels, as well as two other properties, including Allee des Sphinx, which Society records claimed was once home of the true Sphinx. The other property was a home on the outskirts of the city that had survived for centuries. Like the tunnels at the Valley of the Kings, there were no references as to why The Society had purchased the home, just that they had been purchased by The Society sometime around two AD.

They would inspect the final property the next morning on the way to Alexandria, after breakfast.

They joined the others at a nearby outdoor cafe for dinner, although there were two notable absences. "Where are Lord Tubbington and Rory?" Blaine asked.

"Lord Tubbington said something about undoing a mistake," Brittany said, trying to balance her fork on its tines. The girl hadn't spoken much since delivering the prophecy earlier that morning, and seemed distracted, but not in the way she usually seemed distracted. Normally she seemed like a magpie who got distracted by shiny objects, but this was more of an introverted distraction. She seemed more lost inside her mind than usual.

As if sensing his concern, she looked up and smiled at him. "Her eyes look like yours." She had spoken so softly, Kurt didn't think anyone else had heard.

"Whose eyes?" Kurt looked confused.

"Your daughter's. Or your Grandmother's. I get mixed up sometimes."

Kurt would have asked her for more information, but was distracted when Quinn asked Blaine a question.

"So, if I'm the Mother, Santana is the Crone, and Rachel is the Maiden, what is Winter?"

"The Tapestry," Blaine replied. "The end of the story. Death."

Several people around the table frowned at this. "You sound so sure," Mercedes said.

Blaine shrugged. "It makes sense. Think about it. Spring is hope, the anticipation of rebirth. Summer is life, birth, and growth. Autumn is the knowledge that life is fragile and short. Winter is the completion of life's cycle."

"Do you think Winter is one of us?" Tina said, glancing at the women among them.

It was Brittany who answered. "She isn't with us, but she is always near." As she spoke, her eyes were focused on a crow sitting on a nearby table. "She hasn't decided yet if she will stand with us in the end. If she stands with us, we shall prevail, but if she chooses the blood, we will fall."

Kurt was frowning. "Um, should we write that down? Is that another prophecy?" It didn't have the same feel to it as when she had spoken that morning.

Brittany just shook her head. "The decision hasn't been made yet. There are still two possible paths. One of them is beautiful, and happy. The second is cold, and still, and lonely."

The crow let out a loud caw, and flew away.