A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter...I thought it would be interesting to pick out little parts of Abby's revelations and tell you what people thought of them. I put Abby's part in italics so that you know what each person is reacting to. These are only their thoughts—nothing is said outloud, as Abby is still talking while they're thinking.
CHALLENGER
I do not know how long they would be able to hold it together. Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"Absolutely fascinating...I always knew this had something to do with the energy surrounding the Plateau! But could it possibly be true that all of these legends are real? Yet it must be because I'm seeing it before my very eyes."
Challenger, you were chosen based on your intelligence. You truly are the greatest mind of your time, just as the magician, Merlin, was the greatest mind of his time.
"Perhaps that's getting a bit carried away...I mean, I know I'm intelligent, but the greatest mind of all time? And comparing me to Merlin?? Preposterous! He was a magician...and I am a scientist. There is simply no comparison!"
Challenger, you needed time to learn to accept that science is not the be-all, end-all. That there are some things out there that cannot be explained or fixed with science—that there is magic in the world.
"I can't imagine what the members of the Zoological Society would say if they knew that I'd taken even a slight belief in magic...but she's right. Science cannot explain everything. And this Plateau is the most magnificent mixture of magic and science."
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
"Summerlee!! Great Scott! He is alive. And all this time he's been here. My old friend!" Then, an unusual event occurred—tears came to Challenger's eyes at the thought of seeing Summerlee again.
MALONE
Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"The stories are true! All of those stories from my childhood are true. I can't believe I'm living in the middle of an Arthurian legend! I used to dream about this when I was a boy. This is unbelievable!"
That is why Veronica was able to invoke the power of the Triple Goddess. It is in her blood—part of her heritage. Veronica, you represent the present time.
"Veronica is a descendant of Arthur! This is amazing! Wait a minute...if all of the women are somehow related to Arthur, what if we are too...does that mean Veronica and I could be..."
As for the men, none of you are part of Arthur's bloodline.
"Thank God!"Ned, you were chosen because of your courage, just as Sir Lancelot was courageous.
"Oh great...I embody the traits of the knight who betrayed his king with the Queen."
Lancelot had faults, but his bravery made him one of the most celebrated knights ever to sit at the round table. Until recently, you didn't realize your bravery, but it has always been there. You proved yourself in the Great War. Though you were just a correspondent, when you were put in a dangerous situation, you did not run from it. You accepted the dangers in order to deliver important information to the British.
"I guess I can't deny that I've finally found the courage somewhere inside of me. I'll just have to take care not to make the same mistakes that Lancelot made. He and Guinevere lived a tortured existence apart. I won't let that happen to Veronica and I....we will always be together, I'll make sure of it."
Malone, you needed time to realize your inner courage.
"That journey was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It was like everything happened for a reason—the poison darts bringing back the memories of the war. It was like the Plateau was calling to me—letting me know that I needed to discover my courage to prepare for this day."
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
"Summerlee! I knew he was alive! This is where he was contacting us from—when he said he was in the botanical gardens. He's been here all this time!"
VERONICA
Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"I'm a descendent of King Arthur? How is this possible? My entire life, I thought I was just the daughter of botanists...now it turns out I'm part of some kind of royal line?"
The prophecy said that we would know when it was Arthur's time again when Morgaine's life force and the Protectors' blood line met up with the Child of Hope. Finn and Marguerite have transcended time, while Veronica has maintained stability.
"Marguerite is Morgaine reincarnated? And all of this was set up! We were supposed to meet. This isn't just my destiny....it's everyone's."
Ned, you were chosen because of your courage, just as Sir Lancelot was courageous.
"Ned. I have to admit, when I first met him, I didn't know he had that kind of strength and courage in him. I thought he needed to be protected. Now, after his journey, he's been the one protecting me."
Veronica, you needed to learn to trust these people. You had been on your own for too long. You had to learn to work together with others, instead of in solitude.
"But I was only alone because you and Daddy were taken away from me! I had to learn to depend on myself for my own survival!"
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
Veronica openly wept at the thought of Summerlee being alive. He had been like a second father to her, and she loved him dearly. It was almost too much to hope for that he was alive and in Avalon.
FINN
Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"I can't believe it. All of the crazy theories that everyone has been tossing around are all true!"
Finn, you are a child of the future...a future descendant of Arthur. Technically, you do not exist in this time, but by a miracle, you are here. That means that you take Elaine's place as the maiden.
"That is definitely the first time that anyone has ever referred to me as a maiden. This place is so amazing...so different from where I grew up. I can't believe that I'm the descendent of some king...I had to fight for my life in my own time."
Finn, you needed to be found, and once you came here, you needed to adjust to this world—to overcome the horrors that you experienced in your own time.
"I can't believe this was all a set up. I am supposed to be here and Professor Maple White's theory that I caused the shifting planes of reality are all wrong. I didn't cause it! I'm here to help save it! That is such a relief! I was so scared that my being here was hurting the people who saved me."
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
"Arthur Summerlee? The guy they named the beetle after?"MARGUERITE
Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"The Triple Goddess theory was right! This is absolutely amazing......please don't let me be the crone!"
That is why Veronica was able to invoke the power of the Triple Goddess. It is in her blood—part of her heritage. Veronica, you represent the present time. You, like Morgause, are the mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Finn, you are a child of the future...a future descendant of Arthur. Technically, you do not exist in this time, but by a miracle, you are here. That means that you take Elaine's place as the maiden.
"Blast! That makes me the crone."
As for you, Marguerite, I should tell you that Morgaine was the most powerful of Arthur's sisters. She has been reincarnated many times through the years. Marguerite, the body of the Druid priestess in the cave was not you...not exactly. It was Morgaine in one of her previous lives. Each of her incarnates has one similar trait—a birthmark. Marguerite, you have that birthmark. You are Morgaine reincarnated. And whether you realize it or not, you are the most powerful of any of her previous lives. You represent the past, and are therefore the crone in the Triple Goddess.
"Reincarnated? No...it's not possible...is it? I mean, it does make sense. All my life I've had these really strange feelings of déjà vu, and dreams that seemed so real...like shadows of past experiences. Is this why my mother abandoned me? Does it have something to do with my destiny...the power that I have?
Roxton, you were chosen because you are pure of heart, just as Sir Galahad was pure of heart. Galahad was the knight who retrieved the Grail for Arthur—he could only do so because he was pure of heart—he would do anything for God and country. You embody that kind of loyalty, that purity of heart, Roxton. You would have given your life in exchange for your brother's if you had the chance.
"My sweet John. He has no idea how pure his heart is. He thinks it is tarnished because of what happened to William. He thinks his very soul is tarnished. But he is the best one of us all. He is the most honorable person that I know...and I love him with all of my heart."
Marguerite, you needed time to learn the art of selflessness. Morgaine has always been a very powerful woman, able to depend only on herself. You needed to overcome that and soften your heart towards others—learn to act with feeling and not just on your natural, self-serving instinct that is a centuries-old part of your character.
"Is this why I've had problems trusting people my entire life? Because of who she was—who I was back then? Well no more. Lord John Roxton broke down that wall that she put up around herself all those centuries ago. I trust him, and I always will."
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
"Summerlee? He really is alive??" Marguerite was overwhelmed with emotion as she thought of the scientist. She hadn't been close to him, as the others had, and she'd always regretted it.
ROXTON
Only Arthur can restore the balance. It is his time to reign again. Only this time, he will not reign in Camelot. He will reign in Avalon.
"The stories are true. Fantastic! I bet old Neddy boy can hardly control his enthusiasm...he lives for this kind of adventure. And the Triple Goddess is real...please let Marguerite be the crone!"
That is why Veronica was able to invoke the power of the Triple Goddess. It is in her blood—part of her heritage. Veronica, you represent the present time. You, like Morgause, are the mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Finn, you are a child of the future...a future descendant of Arthur. Technically, you do not exist in this time, but by a miracle, you are here. That means that you take Elaine's place as the maiden.
"Ha ha! That means Marguerite is the crone!"
As for you, Marguerite, I should tell you that Morgaine was the most powerful of Arthur's sisters. She has been reincarnated many times through the years. Marguerite, the body of the Druid priestess in the cave was not you...not exactly. It was Morgaine in one of her previous lives. Each of her incarnates has one similar trait—a birthmark. Marguerite, you have that birthmark. You are Morgaine reincarnated. And whether you realize it or not, you are the most powerful of any of her previous lives. You represent the past, and are therefore the crone in the Triple Goddess.
"Marguerite is reincarnated? I wonder how she's taking this. It can't be easy for her...especially given her past. She probably has so many questions."
Roxton, you were chosen because you are pure of heart, just as Sir Galahad was pure of heart. Galahad was the knight who retrieved the Grail for Arthur—he could only do so because he was pure of heart—he would do anything for God and country. You embody that kind of loyalty, that purity of heart, Roxton. You would have given your life in exchange for your brother's if you had the chance.
"I would have given my life for William's...that's true. But I doubt that I'm worthy of being compared to one of the greatest knights to sit at Arthur's table. I still can't believe they really existed...that there really was a round table, and a grail."
Marguerite, you needed time to learn the art of selflessness. Morgaine has always been a very powerful woman, able to depend only on herself. You needed to overcome that and soften your heart towards others—learn to act with feeling and not just on your natural, self-serving instinct that is a centuries-old part of your character.
"Hopefully I've helped her to learn that. She always put on that tough exterior, but I always knew there was a scared little girl inside—there is a part of her that hasn't been touched by Morgaine's iciness."
Roxton, you needed time to overcome your guilt, and to realize that you deserve happiness.
"Yes...now all I want is a life of happiness with Marguerite. I know that William would have wanted me to go on with my life. And he would not want my guilt to keep me from being happy...especially when it comes to a woman as remarkable as Marguerite Krux."
He has been here for a little over two years now, and is completely healthy again. The man who is destined to reign over Avalon is Arthur Summerlee.
"Summerlee's alive? Why, that old rascal...I always knew he had it in him to surprise us."