Chapter 9
~~~~~~~
Duncan and Richie raced to centrality of the Quickening. Amanda stood in the center taking all the power she could handle and more because it wouldn't let up. She screamed until her voice went hoarse and then screamed again. Finally, after what seemed an eternity the Quickening was over and Amanda fell flat onto her face.
Richie stood guard as Duncan ran to Amanda's side and checked her over.
"Amanda, speak to me" Duncan begged with tears in his eyes as he shook her gently.
All of a sudden, MacLeod and Richie stiffened and turned searching for the other Immortal they felt. Richie swore when he saw three swordsmen step out of the bushes adjacent to where they were standing. Muttering under his breath, MacLeod took off his coat and draped it over Amanda, praying she would wake up very soon. Taking up his katana he challenged them.
"I am Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Leave now or face the consequences!" he said loudly.
"You'll not have our names Highlander. You and your friends there will die shortly," the man in front spat. He was tall and lanky, but from the look of his rusted blade not a warrior of any caliber.
"This is the Gathering, and we will have your heads," said the short blond man behind him. He then pulled out his gladius and charged Richie.
Richie stood patiently with rapier in one hand and dagger in the other. The man got to where Richie stood and slashed broadly from his right to left which Richie turned away with the dagger in his left hand which was only slightly shorter than the gladius. The short blond gasped in pain as he felt the rapier slide through his gut and scrape his spine.
"Go ahead, Mac. I'll be ok," he said as he wrenched the blade free and swung down and to the left, severing the man's head. He stood waiting for the Quickening to begin.
MacLeod was pleased just then to hear Amanda moan and stir about behind him. Stepping away from her he spun his katana and settled into one of many flexible fighting stances that he knew with katana at the ready.
"Well, who's it to be boys?" he taunted. "Just know, that if you touch either of them while they are down, I'll have your head before any Quickening starts."
"Don't worry about me MacLeod, I'll defend Richie," Amanda said. She got up and dusted herself off, feeling more alive than she had felt in her 1000 plus years of Immortal life.
"Good," he said and attacked. Blow after blow he rained down upon the first Immortal in line. Stepping to the side of a sloppy overhand chop he sliced open the young man's gut. Stupidly, his companion decided to break the rules and lunged for MacLeod with his rusty broadsword.
"One on one you fool," growled MacLeod as he sidestepped the clumsy lunge, swung backwards and took the man's head. In the remaining few seconds before the first man could recover, he stepped over him with katana raised.
"There can be only one."
The screams of Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod and Richie Ryan strangely were not heard that night. The Quickenings of the three dead Immortals quickly combined and drilled into MacLeod, Amanda and Richie. The joined Quickening, as recorded by Amanda's Watcher was awe-inspiring. They were lifted simultaneously into the air and suspended as power flowed into them. The lightning utterly destroyed the power grid in a three block radius as the Quickenings joined and were distributed across the three.
~~~~~~
MacLeod and Amanda stumbled into the apartment they were sharing. Completely aroused by the power of the combined Quickenings they slammed close the door and finally slept at a time just before dawn after hours of passion.
Richie on the other hand was completely exhausted and collapsed on the couch in the living room where he slept like the dead until late the next morning.
~~~~~~
The small two-seater plane touched down at the small municipal airport of Sunnydale. After taxiing to the front of a hangar the pilot collected his baggage and stepped down into the bright sunlight. With a sigh, the eldest Immortal walked to the small terminal to find a cab. Methos did not relish the news he had to offer to his friends.
~~~~~~~
At the Magic Shop, Buffy broke down into sobs and Richie stood there holding up his wife and staring up at the ceiling in frustration.
Startled, he looked at MacLeod, Amanda, and Methos because in their moment of grief they could see each other's thoughts. The combined Quickenings they had taken had given the four Immortals some kind of psychic link.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the extremely long delay and the really short chapter. I make no excuses. - The Author
Note: Methos and MacLeod shared a combined/"double" Quickening in the episode in Season 5, "Revelation 6:8".
~~~~~~~
Duncan and Richie raced to centrality of the Quickening. Amanda stood in the center taking all the power she could handle and more because it wouldn't let up. She screamed until her voice went hoarse and then screamed again. Finally, after what seemed an eternity the Quickening was over and Amanda fell flat onto her face.
Richie stood guard as Duncan ran to Amanda's side and checked her over.
"Amanda, speak to me" Duncan begged with tears in his eyes as he shook her gently.
All of a sudden, MacLeod and Richie stiffened and turned searching for the other Immortal they felt. Richie swore when he saw three swordsmen step out of the bushes adjacent to where they were standing. Muttering under his breath, MacLeod took off his coat and draped it over Amanda, praying she would wake up very soon. Taking up his katana he challenged them.
"I am Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. Leave now or face the consequences!" he said loudly.
"You'll not have our names Highlander. You and your friends there will die shortly," the man in front spat. He was tall and lanky, but from the look of his rusted blade not a warrior of any caliber.
"This is the Gathering, and we will have your heads," said the short blond man behind him. He then pulled out his gladius and charged Richie.
Richie stood patiently with rapier in one hand and dagger in the other. The man got to where Richie stood and slashed broadly from his right to left which Richie turned away with the dagger in his left hand which was only slightly shorter than the gladius. The short blond gasped in pain as he felt the rapier slide through his gut and scrape his spine.
"Go ahead, Mac. I'll be ok," he said as he wrenched the blade free and swung down and to the left, severing the man's head. He stood waiting for the Quickening to begin.
MacLeod was pleased just then to hear Amanda moan and stir about behind him. Stepping away from her he spun his katana and settled into one of many flexible fighting stances that he knew with katana at the ready.
"Well, who's it to be boys?" he taunted. "Just know, that if you touch either of them while they are down, I'll have your head before any Quickening starts."
"Don't worry about me MacLeod, I'll defend Richie," Amanda said. She got up and dusted herself off, feeling more alive than she had felt in her 1000 plus years of Immortal life.
"Good," he said and attacked. Blow after blow he rained down upon the first Immortal in line. Stepping to the side of a sloppy overhand chop he sliced open the young man's gut. Stupidly, his companion decided to break the rules and lunged for MacLeod with his rusty broadsword.
"One on one you fool," growled MacLeod as he sidestepped the clumsy lunge, swung backwards and took the man's head. In the remaining few seconds before the first man could recover, he stepped over him with katana raised.
"There can be only one."
The screams of Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod and Richie Ryan strangely were not heard that night. The Quickenings of the three dead Immortals quickly combined and drilled into MacLeod, Amanda and Richie. The joined Quickening, as recorded by Amanda's Watcher was awe-inspiring. They were lifted simultaneously into the air and suspended as power flowed into them. The lightning utterly destroyed the power grid in a three block radius as the Quickenings joined and were distributed across the three.
~~~~~~
MacLeod and Amanda stumbled into the apartment they were sharing. Completely aroused by the power of the combined Quickenings they slammed close the door and finally slept at a time just before dawn after hours of passion.
Richie on the other hand was completely exhausted and collapsed on the couch in the living room where he slept like the dead until late the next morning.
~~~~~~
The small two-seater plane touched down at the small municipal airport of Sunnydale. After taxiing to the front of a hangar the pilot collected his baggage and stepped down into the bright sunlight. With a sigh, the eldest Immortal walked to the small terminal to find a cab. Methos did not relish the news he had to offer to his friends.
~~~~~~~
At the Magic Shop, Buffy broke down into sobs and Richie stood there holding up his wife and staring up at the ceiling in frustration.
Startled, he looked at MacLeod, Amanda, and Methos because in their moment of grief they could see each other's thoughts. The combined Quickenings they had taken had given the four Immortals some kind of psychic link.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the extremely long delay and the really short chapter. I make no excuses. - The Author
Note: Methos and MacLeod shared a combined/"double" Quickening in the episode in Season 5, "Revelation 6:8".