A/N~ Yes dear hearts, this is nearly over. The next part posted will be the Epilogue. I hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please continue to review and enjoy my work and thank you all so much for your continued support. Take heart, the creators behind Lost Girl may have ended the series, but the characters live on in the hearts and minds of the fans. Continuing to have new adventures through the imaginations of fan fiction writers like myself. ~A

Chapter 16

Lauren woke up in time to realize they were headed into the dark fae compound. She also realized that apparently without her intervention, as the light fae had had, the dark fae had not fared nearly as well against the recent epidemic of Theris Flu. Several dark fae lay scattered about the grounds and in the halls. A few were still moaning and groaning, other were either unconscious or already gone.

She didn't even want to guess how many of each there were. She also figured that Vex had either been hit a lot harder than her or was still recovering from the flu as he was still unconscious.

When she and Vex were taken before Evony, she had actually begun to notice at least from the underfae carrying her, the temperature was lowering at an alarming rate. A sure indicator that her kidnapper was succumbing to the Theris flu. First there was the temperature drop. Followed swiftly by the other symptoms and a raging fever.

Lauren takes one look at the usually cruel yet pulled together Morrigan and immediately offers to help. "I know why you've brought me here and I will of course be honored to assist the Morrigan and dark fae in any way that I can. I was not made aware that the circumstances were so dire… that the flu had spread so far as to encompass the dark fae as well as the light." she said respectfully, her eyes lowered. She had already seen the hectic color on Evony's face as well as the fevered glitter in her eyes.

"Assist us? Assist us?!" The dark fae leaders voice rose dangerously. "You think we need the help of a mere human?"

Lauren sucked in a breath quietly, trying not to panic anymore than she already was. Some fae, most fae were very loud in their dislike of the human race. Even those who were for lack of a better way of putting it, vegetarians. Still disliked the humans for what they were doing to the planet and thought that they should be eliminated all together. To admit you might need a human for anything other than a food source, no, none of them would ever do that. Especially not the Morrigan, she would probably rather pull all her hair out and paint pagan symbols all over her body, than admit to needing the help of a mere human.

"The I must confess my confusion to having been summoned before you, milady in such a hasty fashion." Lauren said respectfully, still keeping her eyes lowered. Which was a good thing as she saw Vex stirring and managing to escape the sloppily tied knots he was bound with.

"Hasty? You think me hasty?" The Morrigan said sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh no, not you my lady. The guards though gave me no time to change into something more appropriate for meeting someone of your station."

That drew all of the still living and conscious dark fae's attention to her sleepwear. Namely her ducky pajamas, arguably the least attractive, silliest pajamas she owned and because of her hectic schedule of the past few weeks the only clean set of pajamas she owned.

She risked a glance up to notice the still confused expression on the dark fae leaders face, "Are those chicks?"

"Ducks, actually my lady," the lady doctor offered meekly, as the Morrigan actually sounded amused. She could deal with amused, amused was better than deadly, any day of the week. "Not that it will affect my work, I can still work on the cure in my pajamas. Although some shoes might be helpful," she said curling her pale pink toenails into the rug."

"You would still help us even after we had you taken from your home," a strange dark fae said out of turn and it was a sign of how sick she really was that the Morrigan didn't have him killed outright for his impertinence.

"Of course she will, because she created it." Evony replied in a dangerous tone. Before Lauren could deny the accusation the Morrigan continued. "I would rather kill my own people before I let this human scum anywhere near them." The pronouncement considering how many dark fae were already dead and dying around her in her own throne room, was not well received.

It was already rather apparent that the connection with the earth for the fae leader was probably strong enough to help her survive this epidemic. Unfortunately it was also apparent that most of the rest of the dark fae weren't going to be so lucky without some kind of dramatic magical or medical intervention. Her statement though showed very clearly that the Morrigan didn't care about the dark fae or their survival as much as saving her own skin. Further proof is given when she tells the dark fae, "Guards, kill this human."

Luckily for Lauren though by the time she does this, the dark fae who weren't infected now are. By this time Vex has managed rather slowly to crawl to his feet and is standing supportively next to Lauren.

The Mesmer announces in a surprisingly strong voice to all the assembled dark fae, "Oi I'm taking over. Clearly the Morrigan is incapacitated at this time."

"Traitor. This is your fault," the Morrigan screamed. Before launching herself at Lauren, Vex is waiting for her though. In his most charmingly hypnotic voice he says, "Now Evony you don't want to do that when the doc here has jus offered to save us all. Do you?"

The Morrigan freezes mid-strike, suddenly not remembering why she wanted to attack the other woman. She weakly sat down on the step she had been standing on and said half-questioningly, "Um, no."

"And here you were worried." Kenzi's voice says jovially to Bo. "Yay, our side!" she said raising her arms above her head and pumping both fists in the air. Suddenly a light exploded outward from her body, spreading out to touch every dark fae in the room and continues to spread outward to envelope every dark fae in the compound in its encompassing glow.

"Whoa," she said wrapping her arms around her torso as though she felt incredibly vulnerable, "was that me?" she asked her friends in a whisper.

Trick watched from a side entrance of the dark fae audience chamber. The former weakened and dying dark fae all suddenly began recovering thankfully. However all the former Blood King saw was a former human who suddenly had almost God -like healing ability and he knows from what he remembers of the prophecy that this is only the beginning.

Although the prophecy also talks about the good that the Phoenix can bring into the world, all Trick can focus on is the shattering of the world with flame and darkness and the death of the Morrigan.

The changes in his young friend followed so quickly by the voiced gratitude of all the dark fae assembled in the audience chamber. Surely this was the sign of an apocalypse.

Trick sees Kenzi in this new and rather depressing light considering everything that he has been reading, especially her new abilities and figures she is the harbinger of doom, spoken of in the prophecy instead of the bringer of light that the prophecy also talks about, and decides impulsively to release the thing in the scroll, that was supposed to be able to defeat it.

~O~

The blond teenager glared threateningly at the detective. Dyson could admit it, that glare may have been slightly intimidating for the bad ass werewolf. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to the doctors treatment." When the werewolf continued to stare right back at her, arms crossed impressively over his chest. She actually managed to amp up the glare to an actual glower.

Dyson was impressed he hadn't seen a glower since Winston Churchill's day, the man himself had actually perfected that move and used it on the werewolf himself on a number of occasions. Winston could actually take a few lessons from this girl. "We're not going to the compound."

Hands on hips now the little blond ground out, "No one said you had to come along wolf. Humans have these wonderful things called taxis and Uber cars, very useful for getting from Point A to Point B."

"Taxis also usually require coin of the realm, cash in this case." Dyson informed the Librarian gently. "Something I don't suppose you've ever been paid working for the dark fae as you do."

It was a bit ruthless perhaps but the reminder did the trick. Or did it, the calculating look that entered her eyes after that pronouncement for some reason had him feeling even more intimidated, not less. "Fine." she said with a pout. "I was merely concerned about your mate and her friends. Obviously, this is not an issue for you, so we will stay here in this very small apartment, and hope and pray for their eventual safe return from the Morrigan's lair, shall we?"

Dyson rolled his eyes at the obvious ploy of the teen. Playing on his emotional attachment and protective nature to his beloved little one. It was a very low blow, especially for one so newly mated as he. The very idea that he wasn't concerned about his sweet mate was ludicrous. He snorted that this youngling thought this ploy would work on him.

He studied the still glaring blond. That sunflower nightgown really was impossibly cheerful, it would never do on the back of his bike. Nor would the bare feet. He growled and said, "Fine but you're changing."

They raided Lauren's closet and dresser. Boots, jeans, a white t-shirt and Dyson's jacket, and a ponytail holder and the memory of the eye-bleedingly happy sunflower was a thing of the past.

Needless to say having a teenager screaming on his bike as he's driving down the streets at the posted speed limit, is a new experience for the werewolf. This girl thought 35 mph was exciting. He can't help the infectious grin that spreads across his face at her enthusiasm though. He'd really have to work out with Vex a way for the girl to get out more.

~O~

They arrive at the compound, just as Trick unknowingly unleashes the Darkness. The ensuing noise is a cacophony of screams of terror, a great howling wind and a million voices speaking, screaming, crying all at once. "Someone's been mucking about in the forbidden section of my library again, without my permission." the teen shouted scoldingly amongst the chaos.

The Darkness manifests itself as a dark oily looking cloud. Which spears itself down and lances into the meekly sitting Evony who convulses repeatedly for a few seconds. Then the dark haired Morrigan sits back up, she had looked ill before. Now she looked mad, her dark eyes were now completely black, her hair wild and unkempt and her formerly fever flushed face was chalk white, her blood red lip stained lips the only color there.

The creature that possessed her hadn't quite figured out what it was doing so Evony's movements were very much like a marionette in the hands of an amateur puppeteer. The Morrigan sat up and it's head fell to the side and glared in Kenzi's direction and it said, "And now the reason for my summoning is revealed. Someone believed that foolish prophecy I gave them about your coming "My Old Enemy."

In a move no human or fae should have been able to make, the dark fae leader was suddenly standing. There was no rising to her feet, she was simply upright. "Oh yeah, like that's not freaky at all." Kenzi said as she stepped around Lauren and Vex protectively. "You know lady, it pains me to say this but you definitely need a spa day."

"Submit, you know the Light, must always fade before the Darkness." the odd hollow voice said. The dark eyes like chips of volcanic glass as they continued to glare at her coldly.

Kenzi doesn't notice Bo, Dyson, the Librarian, or any of the dark fae being guided out of the chamber. At least the ones that could be guided some were still too weak to move. "Submit and perhaps I'll let the rest of these lost souls remain alive."

Kenzi stared at the possessed fae disbelievingly and said, "You'll let them go?"

"Of course not, but I will need toys to serve me, to play with. I get bored so easily and I've been trapped in that scroll for centuries."

Kenzi was already shaking her head, her dark hair waving in the air as she said, "Nope sorry. That sounds a little too much like slavery or worse for my taste."

"Because it is," came the Darkness' hollow voice again and suddenly Evony raised her hand and a spear of the dark shape came out directed at Kenzi.

"No," roared Dyson as he lunged in front of Kenzi and in the path of that darkness. She and the others watched in horror as it touched him and he too shook and his back arched so far Kenzi thought it would snap for sure.

The darkness couldn't seem to enter Dyson though as it had the dark fae leader. Oh it fought mightily and the werewolf did seem to weaken but he never succumbed. Lightning seemed to emanate from his very body and fought back against the formless cloud that was the Darkness.

Then Kenzi managed to grab his hand and the Darkness was quickly repelled by the lightning storm that arced from the pair. Vex stepped up then, still weakened from the flu, the Mesmer nevertheless hissed at the possessed Morrigan. "Aren't you still feeling tired from the flu. Aren't you feeling weak from being cooped up for so long. You should rest, shouldn't you?"

Lightning arced from Kenzi's fingers to block the darkness that was headed towards Vex's face. "Try and play with my mind, little Mesmer. Try looking there and see what you find. Darkness, only lovely darkness in which do lose your little mind. Better, stronger, older, wiser than you have tried and are still there inside. Come join them," said the entirely too enticing voice.

He nearly did, just that, until a fairly familiar voice shouted at him, "Don't you dare Vex. I did not use up the last of my strength to keep you from dying from the flu to see you turn yourself into a vegetable just because some bitch tells you to." Lauren screamed.

"Yes ma'am," Vex whispered as instead he did something he hadn't had to do since he was tested like all other fae. He began putting layer upon layer of mental shielding around their small group, and extra layers around the Librarian who he could make out chanting.

The Darkness quickly loses interest in the Mesmer and focused back on Kenzi and by proxy Dyson. "How is this possible. There has only ever been one Light, and you were never this strong before."

Kenzi smiled proudly as she holds up the werewolf's hand like he were a prizefighter. Saying, "And in this corner my soul mate and always Champion."

Then the Darkness finally notices the chanting from the child-like Librarian and howls as it is slowly but inexorably forced back into the scroll from whence it had been summoned. A scroll the Librarian is holding, she goes to one of the open flames that the dark fae leader insisted on keeping in this chamber and burns the scroll. Another scream is heard from the scroll and a cry from Trick as his last chance to defeat the thing that has possessed Kenzi is lost.

Lauren is checking on Vex who is sitting on the floor shoulder hunched around his head. Kenzi joins her as soon as she is reassured by her mate that he's fine. "Glad you called me back there doc, I was about to go in and see why she wouldn't fall for my charms."

"Cause you're not as charming as you think you are?" Kenzi offered.

"Oi now, no need to be nasty. That's a low blow considering I was trying to help and all," Vex said tiredly.

"Vex that thing wasn't lying," Kenzi offered. "You're not the first that's tried and you would have burned yourself out on something that's not exactly mind involved. If you get my meaning."

"What was that thing," Bo asked, as she noticed that the Morrigan still hadn't moved from where she had dropped like a puppet with its strings suddenly cut. She moved very cautiously toward the dark fae leader.

"Would you believe the devil?" came the Librarian's soft answer.

"No," the succubus said as she pushed Evony's body with the toe of her boot.

The young blond shrugged her shoulder as she sat on the floor beside the Mesmer and took his hand in her own as she said, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was making the world believe it didn't exist. It'll be back though maybe not in this form," she said indicating the ashes that were already dissipating in the air, "But it will be back. It always comes back." she said tiredly and she suddenly sounded every one of her two thousand years.

"Lauren, we may have a little problem here," Bo said her tone mildly concerned from where she knelt beside the Morrigan. "Well maybe more than one."

Lauren scuttled forward to where her girlfriend was trying to find a pulse on the dark fae leader. Lauren too began checking for a pulse and then started CPR on the fae. The doctor gives up after a few minutes when her best efforts get no results from Evony. "She's gone." Lauren admits, clearly distressed over losing the woman even if the Morrigan had her kidnapped and had intended on putting the human doctor to the death.

"Not to push you babe, but we still have a problem," Bo said regretfully.

"What now?" Lauren said and under the circumstances no one there begrudged the slightly whiny tone of her response. Not even Bo.

"We gotta fix Kenzi," Bo really wasn't expecting the glares she got from nearly everyone in the room. Trick being the only holdout.

"Bo there is nothing wrong with me," Kenzi explained patiently. Ok so her teeth were gritted when she said it and she was glaring at her bestie. She thought she was being extremely patient after what had just happened the succubus should have been glad she hadn't gotten her ass fried with lightning.

The fact that the former Blood King chimed in with, "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Oh for heaven's sake," said the Librarian and suddenly the air around the blond fairly crackled with energy. "The Phoenix, the Light, whatever you want to call her as always been considered one of the best good luck chars, omens, whatever you want to call it for the fae since before you were born Blood King. You should have known better. Kenzi couldn't be dark if she's the Phoenix. The Phoenix is fire and fire is light…duh." said the blond with an eye roll for the ages.

~O~

Several days later when the Council finally all agree that there is no coming back for the Morrigan even with her connection to the earth. It is decided to sever her connection and create a new Morrigan. The problem is who. Evony had ruthlessly eliminated any who might take her place.

At first, the knee jerk reaction was to offer the position to the doctor who had offered to help them, but Lauren was still human and that simply would not do. They would probably end up with a civil war on their hands. Then they had actually asked Kenzi. Only to be reminded that as the Phoenix she was the epitome of Light, for her to be the dark fae leader…would possibly also incite a civil war among the fae.

However both Kenzi, Lauren and Bo all suggested someone else for the position. Someone eminently qualified and mature enough to hold the position. Namely the Librarian.

"Aria," The librarian finally named herself, became the new Morrigan as soon as the connection between nature and the old Morrigan was severed. As soon as the connection snapped into place for the new Morrigan. The blond seemed to age and took on the appearance of a twenty something.

Her first act as the Morrigan was to offer Lauren a job, telling the woman that no one who worked as hard as she did, was as devoted to her fae patients as she was should be paid such a pittance that she lived in what amounted to the hovel of an apartment, the light fae were making her stay in. As soon as Bo started to open her mouth, the new Morrigan glared at the young fae.

Bo shut up and the Morrigan added, "The feelings, thoughts and affairs of the Succubus have nothing to do with the offer and do not affect it in anyway. It is in fact an offer from a grateful Morrigan on behalf of the fae you have helped and we hope will continue to do so, whether they be light, dark or unaligned."

Lauren agreed to consider the offer. When things were settling down after the ceremony Dyson managed to get a moment with the new dark fae queen and asked if she would still die once her child and replacement were born. The young woman cheerfully told him, "I will still remain the Librarian until my replacement is born, as well as the Morrigan. As the Morrigan though my connection to the earth will keep me alive after the new Librarian is born.

The werewolf is so happy to hear this he actually hugs the girl who had helped give him hope after Kenzi's sacrifice and had helped him find the ritual to get her back when everyone else told him it was impossible. He was glad that even though there would still be difficulties, this young woman would at least have more of a semblance of a life than she might have had in the past.

Then his eyes met Kenzi's across the way and their eyes both sparked a little heat as he tilted is head offering and she smiled seductively back at him. Speaking of life…