Seven

Epilogue

"I was much too lenient on you last time, I see," mused the Morrigan. She arose from her golden throne and moved to the edge of the dais and the steps where the beautiful sorceress awaited her sentence. She placed a cold hand beneath the sorceress' chin and lifted her face up toward hers.

"I should have known better than to leave you a means of escape," she continued with half a smile. "That poor mortal fell for your charms so easily and was so eager to forgive and forget. It's a testament to your cunning and beauty. I've taught you well."

The sorceress lifted her eyes to meet the gaze of the goddess and smiled, but only briefly as the goddess went on.

"Unfortunately for you, Mistress of the Half Moon, I do not forgive and forget as easily as your pathetic mortal. Twice you have stolen from me, and now you will face your ultimate judgment."

The sorceress remained silent as the Morrigan circled her, surveying her with an icy blue stare.

"Have you nothing to say for yourself?" the goddess asked her. "No defense?"

"No," answered the sorceress. She lowered her head and stared down at the marble floor. What could she say? She had been once again caught stealing magic from her Mistress. She had known it was a risky endeavor, but had done it anyway. The Morrigan possessed the spell she needed, a powerful spell, one that could undo all other spells and break even the strongest curse. She had bribed and flirted and charmed her way into obtaining it, only to be found with it in her possession by the goddess herself. She had no defense other than the fact that she simply had to have it.

The goddess moved away and reseated herself on her shining throne. Her face took on a stony solemn expression as she studied the woman before her.

"Why, Sarah?" she asked softly. "Why would you take the Key spell? What doors are you wishing to unlock? You've already won your freedom from your binding. What curse were you intending to break?"

Sarah held her tongue, but a tear slid down her ivory cheek. The Morrigan saw and sat back in her throne, amused.

"Ah, I see," she said. "It's the mortal, isn't it? The one you fooled into thinking you loved him. Only you didn't fool him, did you? You do love him and you were going to release him. How...noble. Foolishly noble, but noble nonetheless."

"Please," Sarah whispered at last. "I only wanted to right the wrong I had done to him. I never intended..." She paused and looked up at the goddess with fury and anguish in her eyes. "It isn't fair that he should be held under that curse. He should be allowed to-"

"Silence!" cried the goddess, rising majestically from her throne with her arms raised. Her eyes flashed fire as she stared down at the sorceress. "You, a thief and a liar, dare to tell me what is fair? I am the goddess and judge. I decide what is right and fair. I decide life and death, blessings and curses. You charmed him and chained him, and he, stupid mortal that he was, believed you. He deserves that curse as much as you deserve your punishment."

The Morrigan pointed a long finger at Sarah and sneered. "You shall be stripped of your magic and given a mantle of mortal flesh. You will live powerless in the mortal realm and die amongst the pathetic humans. You will have no memory of who you were, except in the dreams that will haunt you every night of your brief and pitiful existence. You will feel pain and rejection and loss and you will have no magic to buffer you, only the dismal reality of human flesh and the sharp sting of their emotions."

Sarah closed her eyes as she listened to the judgment of the goddess upon her. She had known this would be her fate if caught. It was the ultimate punishment for her to have her magic taken and to be forced into humanity. Her memories would be erased, her former life swept away like a spider's web, leaving only thin fragile strands to dance in her dreams.

She had taken one precaution. There had been one more spell, one so small and insignificant that the goddess did not notice it: the book. Although it was nearly impossible that it would work, Sarah was grateful for her foresight. She had crafted the little book and cast a simple spell over it before sending it ahead of her.

"Find me," she had whispered to its soft red cover. "Help me remember. Lead me back." She had sent the book though the veil between worlds and now it waited for her somewhere in the mortal realm.

She said a silent prayer to every being of power she knew as the Morrigan's judgment rained down upon her. Darkness enshrouded her and the walls closed in tight, crushing her thin delicate frame. She was pressed on every side, tumbled and tossed by the contracting walls. Sarah cried out as the pressure around her built, squeezing out the memory of who she was and leaving only dark uncertainty in its place. She sensed herself spiraling downward, falling headlong into nothingness. Her magic leaked like blood from her skin, dissolving into vapor as she fell. Finally, she burst forth from the suffocating darkness into dazzling light and felt herself being lifted up and enveloped in warmth. The world around her was a brilliant blur and she closed her eyes against the glare, whimpering. A voice spoke from out of the haze.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, she's beautiful."

Sarah wriggled against her bindings and let out a sharp wail. She opened her eyes as she was lowered onto soft warmth and a gently thudding beat. The fleshy heat and the thrumming pulse calmed her and she nestled deeper against it, exhausted.

"What will you name her?" asked the bodiless voice.

As she drifted off into a deep sleep, she heard another voice, feminine and familiar answer.

"Sarah. Her name is Sarah."

A/N:

And so it ends. Or does it? I have some thoughts in mind for a sequel picking up some time after the original film story ends. I'll see if I can make some rabbit stew of the plot bunnies that have been hopping through my head.

Special thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, commented, faved and followed. Muah!

A super special thanks to Ellen Weaver for her ideas, guidance and for this amazing prompt in the first place. Kiss-kiss, Dahling!

*For anyone interested, I have now posted a link to my playlist for this fic on my profile page. Enjoy!