...:: Nightmare ::...
Isenguard
Faith entered the gothic-styled room and her gaze immediately fell on
the White Wizard, Saruman. He stood hovering over his mystical orb
casting dangerous spells. A frown seeped on her face because she knew
she wouldn't have to inform him of the events. He already knew!
"And the world trembled at her feet.

Over the land came an evil curse;

No one dared to speak.

An illusion so fine, from thine lips: Pursed.

A time for nightmares to reign earth."
Lothlorien
"You will be leaving soon, father?" Buffy placed her hand in Haldir's,
underneath the table. "Yes, my child." Breakfast had been prepared by
Buffy, Arwen, and Aragorn. She couldn't understand why Aragorn chose
to stick around for it. The man never left Arwen's side! Ah, true
love. Buffy sighed, pleased that her sister was happy and in good
hands. Aragorn would never hurt Arwen and he would never let any harm
come to her. They would be insepperable forever.
After the morning feast, Aragorn awaited Buffy. The previous night
while everyone farewelled Angel, he left to walk through the Golden
Wood and the moon shown brightly a pathway in which Galadriel's Mirror
basked. He had glimsped the near future and this wouldn't have
anything to do with Buffy, except that he had seen her and Prince
Legolas kissing behind a mallorn tree. Assuming she had seen the same
fate, he waited for her to ask her if she knew what else might happen
to be the cause of that particular future. There! She almost walked
right past him, he was so deep in thought, but he reached out firmly
and grasped her arm.
Turning, Buffy looked in confusion to the man that held her arm so
strongly. "Aragorn?" She was dragged along as he pulled her behind a
mallorn tree, away from prying eyes and eaves droppers. "Have you seen
it?" Buffy flustered in a deeper state of confusion. "Seen what?" She
noticed his eyes shift nervously. "The mirror. Our future." Her eyes
shifted down and her mouth closed. Resolve marked her face now. She
knew exactly what he meant and obviously he knew she had seen it.
"Yes." He nodded and his grip loosened. She stayed put in her place.
"What of it?" Again, Aragorn's eyes shifted. "Do you know what
happens? I saw you ... You and Prince Legolas." An image of the
beautiful, young blonde Elf came back to her fresh and new. "I don't
understand what I saw. But I do know of this Elf of whom you speak. So
he is real? Of which kingdom is he from? Have you met him?"
"I saw you two kissing, but I do not know the story behind it. I know
that you are with Haldir of Lorien and I am not trying to disturb any
business of yours, I am just curious." Buffy nodded and waved her
hand. "Answer my questions Lord Aragorn?" A smile crossed his usually
pursed lips. "He is real, I assure you. He is of the Mirkwood Kingdom
and yes, I have met him." Buffy nodded, absorbing the information.
Indeed, a quite intriguing Elf! "Do you know anything else about him?"
Aragorn nodded, clearly seeing that she had a pure interest in him
already. "He is an excellent bowman. Very skilled. Just a bit younger
than Haldir, maybe around the same age or older than you. Very self-
conscious. Emotionless, basically, but respectful and kind to others."
Buffy nodded.
Later on that evening, Elrond came up to Haldir's talan in hopes of
finding his daughter. Buffy waited for him and was quite pleased to
see him there after having such a weird day. "I've been looking
everywhere for you! Where have you been, daughter?" Buffy smiled at
his formal tongue and asked him to take a seat beside her. "I wish to
inform you of something. It is about your mother and I." Buffy nodded,
motioning for him to continue. "You're old enough to know the truth.
Buffy, your mother and I were having problems before she died. We
couldn't handle you." Buffy's eyes fluttered in utter shock of the
words that escaped his mouth. "Me?" Elrond nodded solumnly. "Having
you. Raising you. Seeing you everyday. I mean, do you have any idea
what that is like?"
Tears were beginning to stream down her face as sorrow filled her
every bone. "What?" She couldn't believe any of this was coming true.
Her worst fears! "You do not even see what is right in front of you,
do you? Well, I cannot blame you, it's no surprise. All you ever think
about is yourself. You embarrassed us with all of the crazy stunts
you've pulled. Must I continue?" The tears made their mark clearly
across her face as she realized she wasn't dreaming. Her eyes went up
to meet his. "No. Please don't." She noticed that he had planned to
continue anyway. "You're sullen and you're rude. You're not nearly as
intelligent as I had hoped you would be. Let us be honest. Could you
stand to live in the same place with a daughter like that?" Now, only
a single tear fell down her cheek. "Why are you saying all of this?"
Elrond shrugged. "It is true." Buffy sniffled and began to weep. "I do
not think it very mature to weep while I am just being honest.
Speaking of which, I do not get any joy out of this time we spend. So
what have you to say about not spending anymore time together?"
Buffy stared at her father in shock, complete and utter shock. He
patted her leg and stood up. "I believed you would have turned out
differently." He left the room, shutting the door quietly as he left.
Buffy sat there in complete shock, unable to move or speak, just stare
at his figure leaving. Haldir entered and moved up to her side,
putting his arm around her. "What happened?" She shook her head and
wiped the tears from her face, quickly. "Nothing, just sad because of
my father's soon departure. That is all." Her voice dimmed until it
was barely audiable.
Next Night
Buffy strode through the Golden Wood, in sorrow and in doubt. That
couldn't have been her father. Suddenly, she noticed she was back in
Rivendell, walking through the hallways. She remembered this moment as
if it were happening right then and there. Walking in what seemed to
be slow-motion, Buffy edged closer to her mother's bedroom. Elrond
placed the sheer, white cloth over her face. Arwen broke down in tears
and one of the twins held her in their arms. Elrond turned and walked
out, giving Buffy a look filled with pain. Buffy stood at the entrance
of the door, but made no attempts to move in. The rest left the room
and Buffy still stood, as the sun went down. "Mother?" She moved
closer to the bed, fear seeped in her for she knew her mother's death.
A white rose rest in her mothers hands. Buffy could see this clearly
through the sheer cloth.
Haldir saw Buffy reaching out into the night air. His brow furrowed.
"Buffy?" He edged closer, hearing her weep and seeing her kneel in
front of a tree stump. She caressed it slowly and delicately.
"Mother?!" He heard the urgency in her voice as she began to cry out
for her mother. He rushed up and pulled her into his arms. "What is
going on?!" She stared blankly into his eyes. The image had gone and
she had no way of explaining what happened. "Haldir... My mother! She
was here... I saw her! It was the day she died... I remember." He
nodded trying to get her to slow down so she could understand what
exactly she was saying. "Buffy, you're in Lorien, not Rivendell."
Buffy shook her head, swearing. "I know! I was in Rivendell, Haldir! I
was!" He pulled her into a tight embrace. She collapsed in his arms,
sweat dripping from her face. Something had possessed her, he thought.

"The herbs are doing everything they can to prevent her death, but
something is in her mind making her relive or factualize her deepest
fears. It is perfectly understandable that she was brought back to her
mother's day of departure." Galadriel spoke those words with a
dreadful confidence. She stood at the end of the bed along with Haldir
and Buffy's family.
Buffy's Mind
A smile crept over Buffy's face as she moved her hand over the spot
where Angel should have been laying in. Her eyes opened, not being
able to feel Angel near her. "Angel?" She sat up, searching in the
darkness of her room for her boyfriend but he was nowhere in sight.
She stood up and put her dress on and turned to check if he was on the
bed, but what she saw was more terrifying. Blood letter's dripped onto
her white sheets as she read it. "Was it good for you too?" She
screamed a bloodcurtiling one and took off into the night.
Haldir's Bedroom
Haldir sat by her side, holding her hand in his. "Buffy, if you can
hear me, come back. We all miss you! It's the White Wizard. He is
doing this. You can make it if you try." He kissed her forehead. Still
sweat beaded down.
Buffy's Mind
Buffy made a turn onto the hallway that led to her mother's bedroom.
But she came to a hault as Angel stood holding her whimpering mother.
"Angel?" He face morphed into vampire-mode. "Buff!" Arwen ran up
beside the window. "Buffy, he's not Angel anymore!" Buffy turned in
shock to her little sister. She knew exactly what happened, because
Angel had explained what triggered his soul a while ago. "Wrong. I am
Angel." He tightened his grip on Buffy's mother's neck. "At last!"
Buffy saw her mother's face contort into fear. "Oh God!" The stiffled
cry made Buffy's bones jolt inside of her. "This can't be you." A
laughed escaped his cruel thin-lined lips. "It is, baby. Don't you
like your new and improved Boyfriend?" Buffy shook her head, grasping
the sides of her face. "Angel, there must be some part of you inside
that still remembers who you are!" His grip tightened once more and
Buffy jumped. She had to save her mother from this monster who looked
like the man she loved.
"Dream-on." Angel's face morphed back into it's "prettier" side. Arwen
grasped a cross and ran toward Angel. "Your boyfriend is dead and you
are going to join him." Buffy put her hands on her hips. "Leave my
mother out of this, deal with me!" Angel pinched Buffy's mother's
cheek. "But she is so cute... and helpless. It's really a turn-on."
Arwen edged closer, shoving the cross in Angelus's face. He turns
Buffy's mother's neck and cracks it before letting go and jolting back
in surprise. Arwen dropped the cross and collapsed beside her mother
crying. Buffy's eyes widened, but she wasn't about to let him escape.
She chased after him and he pushed her against the wall and kissed
deeply. He leaned in close enough to whisper a message into Buffy's
ear. "Things are about to get very interesting." He held her in his
hands and kissed her again, this time laying it deeply on her. Then
shoving her to the wall, he left. She stared after him, tears
streaking her pale face. Arwen rushed up. "Buffy."
Haldir's Room
Buffy's eyes opened slowly. "What happened?" Haldir lifted his head.
"Thank God, you're all right." Buffy, still a little shaken, sat up
and gave him a shakey glance. "Where was I?" Haldir caressed her face.
"You were stuck in a coma." Buffy's eyes widened. "For how long?"
Haldir's voice dimmed. "About four weeks, Buffy." Again, her eyes
widened. "You're better now, and your family has yet to depart. Do
not fear! You will have your chance to say your good-byes." Buffy
smiled, glad to know that it was all just a horrible nightmare.