Fi watched the battle rage on feeling helpless. Suddenly she was struck with inspiration. She emerged from her hiding place and grabbed a stone. Taking careful aim, she launched it at the midnight stallion, hitting it squarely on the hindquarters. It reared unexpectedly and Cretin lost his balance. He fell to the beach below, landing with a thud a few feet from Fi. She watched with horror as he stood to face her.

"You'll pay for that, Little Duck," he seethed. Before he could approach her, a blue flaming sphere smashed into the ground in front of him and flared above his head.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Moargan warned. She landed holding the reigns of his mount. She re-sheathed her sword and dismounted. "You will return to your master now, before I send you straight to eternity," she hissed.

He looked at her with pure hatred, fire blazing in his red eyes. "The gauntlet has been thrown." Lightning flashed and he was gone, leaving charred ground and his mount behind.

"He'll be back you know, and he'll be angrier next time," Moargan told Fi.

"I gathered that." Fi turned to Moargan and saw the black stead. "What are you going to do with that thing?"

"Keep him," she replied.

"But it's evil. Just look at it."

"Fiona, a magnificent animal such as this never starts out evil. Something must corrupt it somehow. All it will take is just a moment…" She placed her hand in the center of the creature's forehead and held him still with her other as she concentrated. At first nothing happened, but suddenly a ring of blue fire shot up around the two, blazing so brightly that Fi had to turn away and shield her eyes.

When the fire subsided, she looked back and found the animal transformed. He was now white with feathered wings like Nog's. The only difference was he did not have a horn and his mane and tail remained as black as a starless night. His eyes had also changed colors from fiery red to the most intense blue Fi had ever seen. She approached the animal slowly, fully remembering what he was just moments before. He lowered his head and nuzzled her hand much like she had seen Nog do to Moargan that night at her 'cabin.'

"He likes you."

"Why did his mane and tail stay black?"

"They'll stay that way for the rest of his life, kind of like a magical scar. Back to business. What did you decide?"

"I have decided to take you up on your offer. I want to finish what my dad started, and maybe find out who I am along the way."

"All right, I don't know whether to happy or sad about your decision, but I respect you for it. Now I need you to hold out your right hand." Fi did so and Moargan reached behind her back. She drew her dagger and quickly sliced across Fi palm. Before Fi could say anything Moargan did the same to her own hand. She then grabbed Fi's cut hand with hers and held it. Their blood intermingled and Fi felt a warn sensation through out her entire body. She then withdrew a plain silver band from her leather pouch and placed in on her finger. In a flash the Celtic design appeared, indicating that her Sight had been restored.

"The silver indicates your status as a mortal member of my family. I where gold, as did my mother and father. I've decided to let Annie keep her ring until I figure out where her gift came from. I also want you to take this." Moargan removed a necklace from around her neck. Dangling from it was a large emerald with a bearded face carved into it. "Each Gifted One wears this to warn them of impending danger. It glows, so keep it out of sight and watch it carefully. I must return to Ireland for a few weeks so I am leaving Eeiren with you. She will begin teaching you the history of our people and the importance of your position."

"What do you have to do in Ireland?"

"I will tell you when I return. Now it's time to return to the Plain of Time." Faerie dust swirled around them again and Fi found herself standing behind the snack stand again with just the cat sitting at her feet.

"Where did she go?"

You will see her again Gifted One. Now lets get back to your mother before she starts to worry. She always was that way, the cat said.

Fi nodded and retraced her steps to where her family sat. Before she could reach them Annie sidled up beside her. "What did you decide?"

Fi showed her the ring on her finger and the heavy cat leapt onto her shoulder. "Have I got a story to tell you."