"It is here that our roads go different ways," Frodo said.
Willow hugged him tightly. "I'm going to miss you. All of you." The three other Hobbits jumped on her and she laughed. "I hope we will meet again, but I know that it might not be the case. Know that : you will always be my favourite Hobbits... and Bilbo too of course." She stepped back and got on her horse.
"Goodbye Gandalf! Say hello to Tom for me!" Legolas said, waving to the wizard.
The two Elves, the vampire and the Slayerettes headed east, going deep into the woods. "Where are we going?" Buffy asked the redhead.
She smiled. "We are going to Rivendell, Buff. You are going to meet Lord Elrond, one of the oldest Elf in Middle-earth."
"The new Gondor's queen father?" Anya asked. After winning the war, they had gone back to the white city. A celebration for Aragorn and Arwen's wedding had taken place in the beautiful garden of the sanitarium.
A week after the ceremony, they all had to got back to their respective home. Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry had to go back in Hobbitton to put things back in place. Gimli wanted to see again the caves in Rohan. Gandalf had an appointment with Tom Bombadil. The Slayerettes had to go back in the futur. Willow and Legolas wanted to spend some time in Rivendell before going to Mirkwood, in the city of Thranduil. Spike had *begged* her to show the Slayerettes what was *real* music.
"How long 'till we get there?" the vampire asked, bouncing on his horse excitingly.
Xander frowned. "This is clearly disturbing. Spike acting like a giddy child on his first day of school."
They rode slowly, taking their time. They no longer worried about being chased by Orcs or Ringwraiths. The ride through the forest was a real vacation in nature. None of the Slayerettes had ever seen so many trees. Willow breethed deeply. It was one of the things she had missed when brought back to Sunnydale a month before : the pure air. Everything was polluted in the 21st century.
Two days later, they came upon a river. It wasn't very deep nor very large. They could easily cross it. The Elves smiled. They knew what they would see in about one hour. They were very near from Lord Elrond's city.
They rode in silence, each of them lost in thoughts. The vampire was the most eager to see Rivendell. When he was a young lad, his mother had told him many stories about Elves, enchanted woods, wizards and vile creatures. He couldn't wait to see what was right and what was wrong. Spike was so excited, it took him a couple of minutes to notice they weren't moving anymore. He heard the Watcher gasp and he looked before him.
Willow smiled. The city was just like in her memory. The white balconies, the green and golden leaves falling from the gigantic trees, the falls, the sun shimmering over the roof of the main room. It was exactly like she remembered. Nothing had changed. "Welcome to Rivendell, my friends."
Elrond was waiting for them at the entrance of grey rocks. The redhead was the first one to get down the horse and in a moment, she was in the elder Elf's arms. He laughed, amused by the witch's antics. He shook Legolas' hand and gestured for the others to follow them. "I am Elrond, Lord of this city. I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us. Willow, someone can't wait to see you."
In front of her, a small form got out from the room. "Bilbo!" she exclaimed.
The old Hobbit grinned at her. "My sweet little redhead. And how was your adventure?" He saw the pointed ears. "Ah, quite different than you imagined I think," he said knowingly. He winked at Legolas. "Take care of her as if she was the last flower of Middle-earth. You are a lucky one."
The blond Elf smiled. "Don't I know it."
* * *
A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Everyone was seated in the half circle facing the dancing flames. The only light came from the moon and the fire. Spike was smiling softly to himself, eyes closed and the demon in peace for the first time in years. The last time had been when he had heard a song in elvish.
The humans hadn't stopped gaping for the last hour or so. They couldn't believe the vampire had been right when he had told them they knew nothing about real music. After listening to songs interpreted by other Elves of Rivendell, they asked Willow to sing something. The song at the Bronze had been beautiful, but had been in english. They wanted to hear something in elvish.
Just like her first night in Rivendell, the redhead stood up and sang. Even Legolas was mesmerized by her voice. Every single Elf in the room couldn't leave the sight of the young elvish witch. Some were surprised to see her as one of their own, others knew what she was the first moment they had seen her all those weeks ago.
The witch sat back down next to Legolas. "I love you, Willow," he whispered gently to her. "Come with me." Without protesting, she followed him as he guided her outside.
Xander smiled through his tears. "Be happy, dear friend."
* * *
"You didn't have to leave this early."
"We do, Will," Buffy said. "It's been almost three weeks. You more than anyone else knows we can't let the Hellmouth without surveillance for this long."
The redhead sighed. "I know. I'm going to miss you all. I'll miss Anya's sex-talk, Xander's jokes, Giles' research party, going on patrol with you... I'll even miss Spike's threat... not that they were scary," she couldn't help hading.
"Hey!" The vampire yelled.
The Slayerettes laughed. Tears filled Willow's eyes. "No, Willow! Don't cry!" Xander hugged her tightly.
Each after the other, the redhead embraced her friends from the futur. She even kissed Spike lightly in a thank you for supporting her back in Sunnydale. The vampire was left speachless. "Look out for me in the futur," she told the Scooby Gang. "One day, I might knock on your door."
"We'll wait for your visit," Anya said, the voice heavy. "And don't forget to bring the elvish wonderboy with you."
"I won't." Looking up, she saw the sun setting. "You should go. Night will soon fall." She followed them slowly as they walked to the edge of the wood. "Talking of the sun, how did you manage to get the bleached wonder to bath in it without bursting in flames?"
Spike winked at her. "Isn't it you who said life wasn't worth it without a small touch of magic? Goodbye, Red."
By the time she made it back to the main entrance, the Slayerettes had already disappeared, gone through the portal that would bring them back to good old SunnyHell. "Goodbye," she whispered.
Willow hugged him tightly. "I'm going to miss you. All of you." The three other Hobbits jumped on her and she laughed. "I hope we will meet again, but I know that it might not be the case. Know that : you will always be my favourite Hobbits... and Bilbo too of course." She stepped back and got on her horse.
"Goodbye Gandalf! Say hello to Tom for me!" Legolas said, waving to the wizard.
The two Elves, the vampire and the Slayerettes headed east, going deep into the woods. "Where are we going?" Buffy asked the redhead.
She smiled. "We are going to Rivendell, Buff. You are going to meet Lord Elrond, one of the oldest Elf in Middle-earth."
"The new Gondor's queen father?" Anya asked. After winning the war, they had gone back to the white city. A celebration for Aragorn and Arwen's wedding had taken place in the beautiful garden of the sanitarium.
A week after the ceremony, they all had to got back to their respective home. Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry had to go back in Hobbitton to put things back in place. Gimli wanted to see again the caves in Rohan. Gandalf had an appointment with Tom Bombadil. The Slayerettes had to go back in the futur. Willow and Legolas wanted to spend some time in Rivendell before going to Mirkwood, in the city of Thranduil. Spike had *begged* her to show the Slayerettes what was *real* music.
"How long 'till we get there?" the vampire asked, bouncing on his horse excitingly.
Xander frowned. "This is clearly disturbing. Spike acting like a giddy child on his first day of school."
They rode slowly, taking their time. They no longer worried about being chased by Orcs or Ringwraiths. The ride through the forest was a real vacation in nature. None of the Slayerettes had ever seen so many trees. Willow breethed deeply. It was one of the things she had missed when brought back to Sunnydale a month before : the pure air. Everything was polluted in the 21st century.
Two days later, they came upon a river. It wasn't very deep nor very large. They could easily cross it. The Elves smiled. They knew what they would see in about one hour. They were very near from Lord Elrond's city.
They rode in silence, each of them lost in thoughts. The vampire was the most eager to see Rivendell. When he was a young lad, his mother had told him many stories about Elves, enchanted woods, wizards and vile creatures. He couldn't wait to see what was right and what was wrong. Spike was so excited, it took him a couple of minutes to notice they weren't moving anymore. He heard the Watcher gasp and he looked before him.
Willow smiled. The city was just like in her memory. The white balconies, the green and golden leaves falling from the gigantic trees, the falls, the sun shimmering over the roof of the main room. It was exactly like she remembered. Nothing had changed. "Welcome to Rivendell, my friends."
Elrond was waiting for them at the entrance of grey rocks. The redhead was the first one to get down the horse and in a moment, she was in the elder Elf's arms. He laughed, amused by the witch's antics. He shook Legolas' hand and gestured for the others to follow them. "I am Elrond, Lord of this city. I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us. Willow, someone can't wait to see you."
In front of her, a small form got out from the room. "Bilbo!" she exclaimed.
The old Hobbit grinned at her. "My sweet little redhead. And how was your adventure?" He saw the pointed ears. "Ah, quite different than you imagined I think," he said knowingly. He winked at Legolas. "Take care of her as if she was the last flower of Middle-earth. You are a lucky one."
The blond Elf smiled. "Don't I know it."
* * *
A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Everyone was seated in the half circle facing the dancing flames. The only light came from the moon and the fire. Spike was smiling softly to himself, eyes closed and the demon in peace for the first time in years. The last time had been when he had heard a song in elvish.
The humans hadn't stopped gaping for the last hour or so. They couldn't believe the vampire had been right when he had told them they knew nothing about real music. After listening to songs interpreted by other Elves of Rivendell, they asked Willow to sing something. The song at the Bronze had been beautiful, but had been in english. They wanted to hear something in elvish.
Just like her first night in Rivendell, the redhead stood up and sang. Even Legolas was mesmerized by her voice. Every single Elf in the room couldn't leave the sight of the young elvish witch. Some were surprised to see her as one of their own, others knew what she was the first moment they had seen her all those weeks ago.
The witch sat back down next to Legolas. "I love you, Willow," he whispered gently to her. "Come with me." Without protesting, she followed him as he guided her outside.
Xander smiled through his tears. "Be happy, dear friend."
* * *
"You didn't have to leave this early."
"We do, Will," Buffy said. "It's been almost three weeks. You more than anyone else knows we can't let the Hellmouth without surveillance for this long."
The redhead sighed. "I know. I'm going to miss you all. I'll miss Anya's sex-talk, Xander's jokes, Giles' research party, going on patrol with you... I'll even miss Spike's threat... not that they were scary," she couldn't help hading.
"Hey!" The vampire yelled.
The Slayerettes laughed. Tears filled Willow's eyes. "No, Willow! Don't cry!" Xander hugged her tightly.
Each after the other, the redhead embraced her friends from the futur. She even kissed Spike lightly in a thank you for supporting her back in Sunnydale. The vampire was left speachless. "Look out for me in the futur," she told the Scooby Gang. "One day, I might knock on your door."
"We'll wait for your visit," Anya said, the voice heavy. "And don't forget to bring the elvish wonderboy with you."
"I won't." Looking up, she saw the sun setting. "You should go. Night will soon fall." She followed them slowly as they walked to the edge of the wood. "Talking of the sun, how did you manage to get the bleached wonder to bath in it without bursting in flames?"
Spike winked at her. "Isn't it you who said life wasn't worth it without a small touch of magic? Goodbye, Red."
By the time she made it back to the main entrance, the Slayerettes had already disappeared, gone through the portal that would bring them back to good old SunnyHell. "Goodbye," she whispered.