Chapter 9

Avalon

Tara had never been to the lake before. She had heard the tales of course, heard about all the people who had crossed back and forth. She hadn't known what to expect from this place, but she hadn't expected this.

It was a cold place, damp and mist-covered, as if all the cold and dark and damp had been collected from all round the realm and deposited here. The whole area seemed cloaked in perpetual twilight and it chilled Tara to the bone.

She looked at Michelle, standing on her right hand side. Tara couldn't help but feel pity for her. To have come here as a place of peace only to be sent back out again had taken its toll on Michelle, she could tell. But as much as Tara felt for her new companion, it would not compensate for the bitterness and anger that tinged this whole affair.

Tara felt Heather squeeze her left hand tighter. Ever since the attack from the ravens Heather had refused to leave her side. Tara worried about what the real world would be like for her young companion. Of the three of them, Heather had the most to lose but also more chance of re-adjusting, should they lose all their memories. But she had been the only friend, the only guardian, this young girl had really known since her arrival and whilst the rest of the Coven seemed willing to abandon her, Tara would not.

She looked over at Nimue. Anger hazed her view. She understood Nimue's fear, but not her reaction. For the first time in its history, Avalon had fallen under attack and now, when they needed every hand on deck, they were sending three away.

No, that was wrong, Tara corrected herself. Not three, two. The decision to leave Avalon was mine, not theirs. They wanted me to stay, but how can I? I won't let this little one be sent away from her home with a stranger.

As if she could hear her thoughts, Heather squeezed Tara's hand a little tighter. "Tara, what is going to happen to us?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But we will deal with it, you and I. I'm sure Michelle will be with us too. Don't worry yourself." Tara's words were re-assuring, the tone motherly. It was a gift that Tara had found came naturally to her, a talent she possessed. It came in handy at times like this and Heather was in need of a mother figure now more than ever.

Michelle nodded. "We stay together. Hopefully we will remember each other once we pass through the Veil and perhaps get some of our old memories back. Anyway, we should stay together for as long as possible."

From the lake Tara could hear the sound of a small boat, its oars lapping the water as it approached. It seemed to float out of the mist, the water barely visible through the fog. The boat seemed reminiscent of old Viking longships, and as she looked closer she could even see the dragon's head at the bow of the ship.

Nimue came down now to the three of them, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I am sorry for this extreme course of action, but after talking with Lord Gawain, he agrees with me that this is our only course. I am sorry, I truly am, and I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Without turning or acknowledging the speaker, Tara, Michelle and Heather boarded the ship and sat on the soft seats that had been provided. They looked at where they would be going, their backs turned on Nimue and Karen, who were there representing the Order. As the ship left into the mist, they did not look back.

Karen turned to Nimue. "I hope this works. Are you sure she will understand the reasons why?"

"Yes, Karen, I think she will. She thinks I have hurt the child by doing this, but I may have just saved Heather's life. I think Tara will understand, when it all comes to pass, that we couldn't take the chance."

"So what do we do now?"

"We prepare for the end. Avalon has played its part in this. The real battle is in the new world. We are only here as bait for the trap. Once Morgana is defeated, Avalon will relinquish its power to the Entwined so they may use our light in the dwelling of the Master's Son."

"And if Morgana succeeds in discovering the Entwined and destroying them before they make contact?"

"Then all is lost. But we could not tell them. Our allies are few in number and the enemy is all around, dark and treacherous. We must hope that secrecy and destiny guide us here. May the mortal world forgive the interim."

A39, Devon

Giles was weary and the constant hum of the engine and lack of conversation was not helping him stay awake. The day had been long and he could feel sleep over-powering him. He had swapped places with Willow, allowing her to drive whilst he looked through his papers, notes and journals.

Buffy awoke, as if on cue to keep Giles awake, shaking some of the tiredness from her eyes. "Okay Giles, what is this Entwined business? You said something about two becoming one, what's with that?" Her demeanour and tone of voice was all business. There was no time for pleasantries.

"Its all quite vague. I found a prophecy referring to the Entwined in Joseph's journal. He was convinced that it would come to be and indeed may have died to protect it. Ah! Here it is."

Buffy took the book that Giles handed to her and read the page out aloud.

"For it shall come to pass that,

In the first decade of the third Millennium,

The Entwined shall come.

They shall hail from the new world

But will join as one in the old.

One shall be human, bathed in dark power,

The other shall be Fey, source of the eclipse.

And, having joined in heart and mind, body and spirit,

They shall inherit the mantle of Avalon.

They shall bring hope to the despairing,

Serenity to the chaos,

Light to the shadows,

And be a path to the lost.

They shall return to the new world,

To the house of the Master's son,

To protect the weak and the innocent,

From the influence and grasp of the Enemy."

"So they're good guys, these two people?" Asked Willow as all of them felt the tension rise and temperature drop in the car.

"Afterwards yes, from all accounts. But the human may very well be evil prior to this "Entwining". Also, if this prophecy is accurate, then Avalon may very well be destined for destruction and our attempts to protect it may either be futile or, should we actually succeed in protecting it, may inadvertently stop this prophecy from coming to pass and we could find ourselves left without a very powerful ally."

Buffy stared at Giles as he spoke. She had been so used to him having the right theory for the right moment and it disturbed her that he was struggling to find an equal footing. "But you think Althanea knows who these two are?"

"Perhaps. But she certainly may know exactly what Avalon's true purpose is. Right now getting to her and getting this information is vital if we are to plan any course of action."

"Then why didn't she give up the info to us straight away?" Asked Dawn, who had stirred with the voices, determined to add her voice to the discussion.

"I think I know why." Answered Giles, gesturing to the two unconscious Watchers between Buffy and Dawn. "The Coven, Joseph and Michelle, they may very well have realised that Morgana and this "Enemy" had spies within the Council. They may have decided that telling no one was safer for the inhabitants of Avalon."

"A human, bathed in dark power. That's a pretty good one-line description of me, isn't it? I mean, Morgana trying to control me, could be just her way of making sure I don't meet this eclipsing Fey and join with them." Willow's voice was shaking, but her tone was matter-of-fact.

Buffy and Dawn looked first at each other then at Giles, who nodded his head and spoke. "Yes, I haven't ruled out the possibility that you are the human mentioned in this, Willow. But it is far too early to assume anything. Once we have spoken with Althanea we will be able to formulate some proper lines of enquiry."

Dawn looked a little pale. "And this joining thing, what's that? Is that like, Willow and this Fey person become one body cos YUCK!!"

"I'm not sure. It could mean that, or perhaps some sort of mating ritual. The Entwined is only mentioned in the plural, which makes me think that it is not one entity but a collective term."

Willow looked horrified. "Mating ritual? I don't think so! Giles, there is no way I am mating with anything male. You know, Hello? Gay here! Doesn't that count for anything in prophecies?"

"As I say, we know too little to worry with idle speculation. The only thing we know is that Morgana and Avalon are very real and Miss Harkness has answers that may shed some light on this situation."

Willow turned the final corner in the road onto a small dirt road that led to an inclining valley that held the Coven's temple.

Buffy saw the temple, a murder of ravens attempting to enter every window, and a light show of magical and electrical energy, like some torrid firework display, pulsing from within the temple. "Everybody get ready! One big battle coming up!"

Coven's Temple, Devon

Gabriel Caine looked out of the window and saw the small flock of ravens heading towards him. He shook his head and sighed. Have these Bastards not given up yet? This is the fifth salvo on this window. Still, I feel like Raven Tonight. He smiled at his own inner pun and raised his MP5 machine gun once more. He squeezed the trigger and let the gun do its worst. The ravens, six in number fell quickly, falling under the rain of bullets that were fired at them. Gabe smiled, satisfied with his work, and took a moment to survey the main temple below the balcony where he stood.

The barriers were for the most part holding but the ravens were nothing if not persistent. Some of the birds had entered and were being made short work of by the Coven and the swords of the men that were there too. Gabriel slung the MP5 over his back, drew his rapier, and like some buccaneer in a swashbuckling film, leapt from the balcony to engage some of the feathered fiends below.

Althanea, from her position on the same balcony, could do nothing but give a worried smile as she saw Gabriel jump into the fray. Whilst she was glad for his help, she had seen the dark tint in his visage, and knew he would need calming later. She looked out again at the scene outside and saw that below, the battle had changed. There had been a small band of men attempting to get into the building, but now they had another problem to deal with. Althanea smiled, the Slayer had arrived. And so had Willow.

She watched intently as she saw Buffy nimbly and ably cut through the line of men that stood between her and the temple door. Equally Giles and Dawn were showing their prowess with blades. These were ordinary men, rather than demons or magically enhanced, and their skills were no match for well-trained Watchers. But she focused her attention on Willow, and saw that she was hanging back, doing the bare minimum to defend herself, leaving the bulk of the work to her three companions as she remained beside the Land Rover they had arrived in.

Willow stayed near the car, she had been given a simple task: to protect David who had hidden himself within the car. But she knew the real reason she had been told to hold back. As much as they loved her and told her they trusted her, Willow knew they wouldn't risk her dark half coming out. So, Willow sat on top of the car, using her telekinetic power to throw people away from it as they approached. She wanted to do more, much more, but was well aware of how weak she was becoming and that if she started to do something more violent she may very well tip over the edge, and she wouldn't allow that.

Buffy sliced through the last of Morgana's minions and saw that the birds had flown away, cawing and shrieking as if sending out one last jibe before exiting. She composed herself, and looked around her to ensure no one was left and that her friends were safe. Happy that all was well Buffy moved to the front door, to be greeted by a happy and relieved Althanea and an exhausted Coven and entourage within.

"Welcome Buffy, welcome all. Blessed be! Your timing is as superb as ever. I doubt we would have held out if you had not arrived when you did."

"Spare me! We have questions and you have answers. Don't think this is a social call. And don't think this was the last of the attacks either. My guess is they are re-grouping ready for another strike."

Giles always admired Buffy's ability to take command when necessary. But she was doing more than that here, she was making the line known, and that Althanea had crossed it. Her language was terse, and Giles felt like stopping her, but knew it was necessary and decided to stand by his Slayer.

Althanea looked at Buffy and Giles and lowered her head. "Yes, it is time for answers. We will go to my office. Gabriel, please join us there."

Giles noticed the man nod as he was wiping blood from his sword, his hair slightly tinged with balck that reverted to their natural brown hue as he watched. "You can't honestly expect him to stand by you, not after what he did? He has no consideration for rules and authority. He could turn on you in an instant if he doesn't agree with your instructions."

Gabriel strode purposefully to Althanea's side. "I could say something about people in glass houses, Mister Giles, but that would be stating the obvious. I owe these people, and especially Joseph and Michelle, more loyalty than you will ever know."

Althanea shook her head. "Enough! We will go to my office and settle all questions. Or at least those I know the answers to."

Glastonbury

The boat moved slowly but surely across the water. Tara had found three packs with sandwiches and apple juice in each. She had wanted to throw them overboard, in an act of defiance. But Heather was hungry and she felt the need to replenish her own strength.

"Eat your sandwiches, Heather. I don't want you to leave any and then say you are hungry later."

"Surely they wouldn't let us starve?" Asked Michelle.

"Right now I don't know what to think. All I know is if we do lose our memories we are in big trouble although I suppose if we can find a hospital of some sort we should be okay."

"I can't understand why they sent us back through the Veil. Surely it would have been better to put us somewhere safe and ensure we were okay."

"I think that is what they were thinking, that they were sending us away to be safe. But it should have been our decision to go, not theirs to banish you both. I am sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault." Michelle looked at Heather, who was once more snuggling into Tara. She saw Tara instinctively wrap her arms around Heather. "Heather must mean a lot to you, for you to go with her."

"She does. I guess I didn't really understand how much she did mean to me until now. But I couldn't let her go out here on her own."

Heather hugged Tara with all her might. She knew that Tara had been the only one to protect her, the only one to stand up for her. The only one who had ever bothered to check on her, more than was considered polite, at any rate.

Tara did love her young friend, as she looked upon her as a younger sister or daughter, and was fiercely protective of Heather for that reason. But she was worried about what would happen when they hit the shoreline. If they lost their memories, would she lose all her love for Heather as well? She shook the idea from her mind, determined to see only the positive.

"We will be at the lakeside soon. I think we will be okay. I just have a feeling somehow that it will all turn out okay in the end."

Coven's Temple, Devon

Buffy's senses kicked in and she spun around, in time to see a small portal opening, and three people step out. One she recognised instantly, and she greeted her with disdain. The other two were a young woman, adorned in a black dress and cloak, with raven hair and black eyes, and a young, well-built man carrying a large broadsword. He too was black haired and was wearing loose fitting clothes that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Pirate film.

The man attacked, sword swinging directly for Buffy. Buffy blocked it, barely, and staggered backwards under the force of the blow. He pushed home the advantage, swinging again at inhuman speed. Buffy raised her sword to block and found it easier this time, until she saw that a second blade had helped block the blow. She looked for the source. It was Gabriel.

He cocked his head towards the Slayer. "Just the Watcher in me coming out I guess, Miss Summers. Sorry to have cut in." With that Gabe used his sword and weight to push the attacker back.

Buffy saw the chance and took the initiative. She swung her sword round to the man's left hand side in blurry of speed that caught him off guard. Her blade hit home, cutting through his shirt and hitting his skin, and broke off on it. Buffy staggered back, looking at the broken blade as she attempted to duck and evade the swings as the man used the momentum to swing down again and again.

Giles stepped in, Dawn flanking him on one side, Gabriel at the other. He was nervous at having the former Watcher at his side, but he was more nervous about the man ahead, and was grateful for the moment for his aid. Giles did his best to attack but the man parried his blow as if he wasn't there and swung at his mid-rift that Giles barely managed to escape from before being caught by an uppercut that had him crashing down several feet away.

Willow couldn't believe it. "Amy? Why are you here? With her?"

Amy smiled. "Isn't it obvious. Morgana has power, real power and I want it and she is going to give it to me. All I have to do is make you one of us or kill you. Personally, I want you dead."

"Why? What did I ever do to you?"

"You left me trapped for years as a rat and then you decided to end our friendship cos you didn't want to have fun with magic anymore. You caged me and then abandoned me and that's something I'm not gonna forgive." Amy launched a bolt of energy at Willow that sent her flying almost twenty feet, landing hard against a pillar.

Willow stood up, feeling the darkness within starting to rise. She subdued it, trying to back away. But she could see Amy pointing at her, conjuring. In an instant, Willow felt herself unable to move, barely able to breathe. She tried to break free physically, to move her arms, but she couldn't. She summoned up her magic, a spell to break her free, but to her horror found she could not move her lips or arms enough to recite the words or gesticulate properly.

Morgana rose above all of them, flying around like a bird newly released from her cage. Spells flew at her from the Coven and from Althanea. Bolts of energy flew toward her along with incantations to make the air heavy or to strengthen gravity to bring her down. She swatted the bolts away and countered the spells as if she were an adult being pestered by the games of children.

Althanea closed her eyes in concentration. She called out telepathically to all her Coven. "Create the Circle! We cannot defeat her. She is too strong! We must weaken her as best we can and protect Willow. Hurry!"

Buffy grabbed a sword from one of the men who had been wounded in the previous battle. "Thanks! I'll bring it back, hopefully in one piece." She spun round, just in time to block a swing from the dark man aimed at her head. She flipped over him and landed a kick into his back that caused him to stumble over. Buffy seized her moment, but felt a sharp shock of energy hit her side as she slid across the floor. She looked for the source of the blast and saw Amy, now rising up beside Morgana, smiling at her.

Morgana smiled at her young acolyte. "It is nearly time. Concentrate on the Coven in their circle. Don't kill them just yet. Make the pain last."

Gabriel sheathed his sword and took a covering position behind the two women floating above, slipping the MP5 back round to his hand. Not the best place to try this, but we are all out of options. Gabriel opened fire, aiming directly at the heads of the two women, but they ducked and weaved his bullets as if they had advance warning of their positions. He kept firing, trying to hit them but hit nothing but the empty air and walls. One of the bullets ricocheted off a pillar, hitting the dark man on the shoulder and bounced off. Damn it! This can't get any worse. He looked back up, to see both women directly above him. Correction, it most certainly can get worse. The ground gave way beneath him as it turned to quicksand, pulling him under. Gabriel tried to grab hold of the sides, to give himself some leverage, but they too became muddy and slippery in his hands. He felt himself dragged down.

Buffy dodged and weaved from the swings and thrusts of the dark man's sword. He was good and she knew she needed to be on her toes if she was going to find a way through. She saw Giles approach, only to be rocked back by a blast of energy from Amy. Buffy rolled under another swing and caught her attacker with her sword blade in between his legs. The blade broke off as she made contact but he rocked back under the force of the blow.

Dawn was doing her best to get to the Coven women sitting in a circle. She could see, out of the corner of her vision, Amy reciting a whispered incantation and the Circle being enveloped by a strange mist. It was choking the life from them, making it impossible for them to breathe. Cuts began to appear on their bodies and they screamed in agony as the mist entered their bodies, causing them to spasm and convulse. Dawn found herself slowly enveloped by the mist. She dropped, choking and writhing in agony as it seeped through her.

Giles saw Morgana's forces storm in through the main gate. They had held back, awaiting the word of their mistress, but now they charged en masse, rage and murderous intent in their eyes. Giles swung his sword, defending and attacking in equal measure. Several of the men who had been aiding the Coven's protection now joined the fracas, the sound of clashing steel echoing around the room.

Willow could take no more. She could feel the anger rise up within her and this time she let it take hold. She cast her spell, not outwardly, but onto herself, and in mere seconds had smashed the barrier that had held her back. She floated up, dark hair billowing, black eyes full of hate. She looked all around her, at Amy and Morgan and their soldiers, including the Dark Man, attacking her friends. She focused on her targets, and began to fire streams of black electrical energy from the tips of her fingers, her vision clouding out all but her enemies. She launched barrage after barrage of energy bolts and streams as she tore through the soldiers on Morgan's side.

Buffy could see Willow rise up from the ground and take a central position, her smile cruel and cold. She had little time to consider the situation as the dark man once again came at her. Buffy moved back and away, looking for some sort of hold, some sort of leverage to use against this unstoppable swordsman that swung and lunged and parried and countered every attack with devastating accuracy. If it were not for her enhanced strength and speed and reflexes, Buffy knew she would surely be dead by now.

She flipped backwards and saw Gabriel, still trying to stop himself from drowning in the quicksand floor. She spun, somersaulting over the dark man, and pressed home her attack, driving backwards now, towards the quicksand. She went all out, ensuring that her attacks were savage and strong, pushing, pushing constantly to give her the edge she needed. It worked, the dark man soon found himself slipping and sliding in the mud and finally sinking into the quicksand.

Caine viewed the Slayer almost impassively. "Sorry to bother you, as you can see I have a lot on at the moment what with the sinking and so forth but I was wondering if it isn't too much of an imposition for you could you possibly GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

Buffy looked at the former Watcher and, getting as close as she dared to the edge of the quicksand, handed him the handle of her sword whilst she held on to the blade. As he grasped it she pulled him clear, as they both watched the dark man sink a little further, held down by his own weight and the movement, which was causing him to sink even deeper.

"I doubt that will hold him for long, especially if they see it". Caine nodded upwards at Morgana and Amy as he spoke. "By the way, thank you. I have a thing about tight spaces, and drowning." Gabriel looked up at Willow, who was now firing bolts of energy indiscriminately. "I think this place just hit Code Black. Your friend is going to need stopping, Miss Summers."

"I know, I just can't think how without killing her or hurting her. And I can't do that from here, not when she is channelling that much power through her body."

Willow rained fire down on her foes, shaking the foundations of the building and knocking over the pillars around where all within stood. Friend and foe alike were struck by falling masonry as they dove for cover. She kept up her assault, energy streaming from her fingers in waves as she targeted the soldiers of Morgana, the Dark Man, Amy and Morgana herself. But in doing so she could not see that her friends were in the path. Unbeknown to her the guards that had been aiding Althanea protect the temple were being struck by the bolts and crumbling masonry.

Althanea glided down towards them both. "Buffy, if you don't do something, Morgana will certainly re-open the portal and take Willow with her. Then everything will have been for nothing. All the secrecy and planning will have been for nothing. I will do my best to distract Morgana and her apprentice, and keep them off balance, but you must deal with Willow. Quickly, time is of the essence here."

Buffy saw Althanea make good her word, attempting to use the falling masonry to swipe at the intruders as best she could whilst dodging the fearsome strikes from Willow. Buffy spied the balcony behind Willow. It was a good spot, she could attempt to talk to her friend from there, or at least attempt to bring her down. She hadn't intended on using physical force on Willow, but saw that she may have no choice, if she was to stop the wild abandon with which Willow was wielding her considerable power.

Glastonbury

The boat pulled into the small inlet near the town. The water had become so shallow that one could easily have paddled in it, but still the boat had managed to keep its steady stroke. The boatman had kept quiet, hardly breathing as he rowed.

The three passengers now looked out over the town. There was a large meadow first, where the mist was dimmest, and Tara could hear a sound and saw a vehicle of some kind move across the road. She knew it was a vehicle, even though she had never seen one before, and wondered if this was a sign of her memories returning.

She looked now to the boatman as the ship stopped. "We get off now I take it?"

"Yes. Head out towards the road there and it will take you into town. Good luck, Miss. Be safe."

The three got out, trepidation evident with every step they took. Heather kept a tight hold of Tara's hand and Michelle remained close as they walked, step by slow step towards the road.

As they neared the edge of the mist, Tara could sense something, it was a feeling that she knew all too well but in this place it was alien to her. It was the feeling of familiarity. It seemed to envelope her as the mist faded. She could see the same expressions appearing on the faces of Heather and Michelle.

Now, as they took their step out of mist completely, they felt a wall of pain hit them. All three dropped as the nausea swept through them. The familiar feelings now came at them at breakneck speed, as if all information and memory was attempting to re-enter them in one go, rather than amassing in good order as it had previously.

Tara flinched and held her chest, feeling for the fraction of a second the sting of a bullet. The earth spiralled and spun around her. She could see the face of Willow, and all at once, she could feel where she was, and what she was doing, and what needed to be done.

"Willow?" Her voice was tentative, recognition dawning on her slowly as she felt the coldness of her former lover's temper and destructive urges. But now she felt deep within herself, and felt the connection they had made together re-establish itself. She felt the anger and pain and distress, could see the suffering of the Coven on the temple floor. Saw Giles and Buffy and Dawn jockeying for position to somehow stop Willow from hurting anyone else. And she saw the face of Morgana, through dark-tinted eyes, and the image of Amy Madison. She could see that Willow was out of control, and yet she could also feel Willow struggling for strength to pull her back from the brink.

Tara stood up against the swirling earth, making her footing sure. She stood straight up, balancing herself slowly as she rose. Her voice came from deep within her and released itself in strong tones and powerful resonance. And in that voice there was all her fear, all her love, all her anger and all her hope and now it spoke as one word, one demand, one plea.

"WILLOW!"

END OF CHAPTER