Luna, Phoebe and Selene appear in the hospital room. Phoebe approaches the bed, showing the first human emotion by stroking her daughter's hair back from her forehead.
Phoebe spoke softly, "My Daughter, your victory was hard won "
Selene added her voice, "But now your true battle has only begun"
Luna continued the chant, "This injured human form we now heal"
Together, almost in one voice, "And, together, your fate we will now reveal"
The bed is surrounded by a soft green, magical light. Every wound healed, her heart beat in a steady rhythm and Skyler began to levitate. Slowly, she rotated in midair and was gently lowered to stand on her feet. Her hospital gown was replaced with a flowing white medieval style gown with a long belt riding low on her hips, similar to the ones that her mother and her aunts wore.
Skyler's eyes popped open to briefly reveal a glowing green that was indicative of her fae heritage. Slowly, the glow faded, revealing her natural, human eye color.
Confused, her gaze roamed the room before settling on the woman she now knew as her mother.
"Mom?" she asked.
"Yes, my daughter," Phoebe said, holding her arms out to her child.
Skyler launched herself into the waiting embrace that she had missed so dearly the last few years. She grabbed a hold of the familiar woman, smelling the familiar scent, and began to quietly sob.
"We don't have time for this," Selene said angrily.
"The whelps are coming," Luna said.
"Yes," Phoebe said, stepping away from the embrace. She reached out to gently wipe her daughter's tears away. "I am sorry, Skyler, but there is still work to do this night."
"What?" Skyler asked, puzzled. "What is happening?"
"The halfling children," Luna said. "They have declared war on Avalon."
"Oberon has decreed that he will not interfere in human business," Phoebe said.
"But what about Titania?" Skyler asked, somewhat desperately. "Surely she can help."
"Yes, sister," Came a snarky voice from the doorway. "Please, tell us about our queen mother."
"Puck," Selene practically snarled, turning to the white haired fae lounging against the doorframe.
"The one and only," he gave a mocking bow.
"We do not have the time for your antics," Luna said.
"Nor the patience," Phoebe added.
"Oh, come now," Puck said, hovering in the air. "We haven't seen each other in so long, let's not have a family squabble in front of my newly discovered niece."
"Niece?" Skyler asked.
Puck swooped in front of her, took her hand and kissed her knuckles in a very courtly gesture. "It's good to finally welcome you into this very dysfunctional family."
"Uh..." Skyler drawled out.
"But, as your auntie pointed out, there is no time for lengthy introductions," Puck said, releasing the hand. "We have a major problem."
"Yes," Phoebe said.
"Titania is even now pleading Oberon for his aid, but Oberon cares not what happens to the humans." Luna said.
"Hmm," Puck said mockingly. "Yet he was so interested when young Alexander showed such magical promise."
"If Oberon were to get involved," Luna said tightly, "He would dispose of the halfling children."
"All of them," Phoebe said, looping an arm around her daughter's shoulders.
"There would be no exceptions," Selene said.
"Well," Puck said thoughtfully. "That does put a wrinkle in things."
"We have pleaded our case," Phoebe said. "Oberon was angry that I had left that forsaken barge where we were to protect Avalon to begin with, let alone that I had a child and lived as a human for a while."
"I can imagine," Puck said, grimacing. He had been on the receiving end of Oberon's wrath a time or two.
"So, if there's no help coming," Skyler asked, still trying to keep up in the conversation, "What are we going to do?"
"Not 'we'," Selene said. "This falls on your shoulders, niece."
"We foresaw this event many years ago," Luna admitted. "That is why we allowed Phoebe to have her child."
"We knew you would be special," Phoebe said, "And that you would be needed."
"Why, Phoebe," Puck said, acting shocked. "This is the first time I have seen you act so.." He seemed to search for an appropriate word, but settled on, "Human."
"It is natural for a mother to care for her child," Phoebe answered, frowning.
"Oh, please," Puck waved the comment away. "You three are the most emotionless witches I know."
"Do not push us, Puck," Selene warned.
"You are no longer our king's favored offspring," Luna added.
"Thus, you are no longer under his protection," Phoebe ended.
Puck rolled his eyes. "Big shocker there."
"Whoah," Skyler said, stepping in the middle of the angry group. "Can we just call a truce until this situation has been taken care of?"
"Fine," Puck said, pouting. "Take all the fun out of a good old fashioned family brawl."
"If you're not supposed to be here," Skyler said, turning to the trio of women, "Then why are you?"
"We need you able to fulfill your destiny," Luna said.
"And that is?" Phoebe said.
"You need to end this uprising," Selene said.
"And bring those you deem worthy back to Avalon," Phoebe finished.
"Those I deem worthy?" Skyler asked, incredulous.
"If there are none worthy of the honor," Selene said, "Then you bring none."
"How do I figure that out?" Skyler asked, growing angry. "And what about those that I don't think are 'worthy'?"
"Dispose of them," Selene said dispassionately.
"Oh. Just dispose of them? Is that all?" Skyler could hear the hysteria in her voice, but couldn't seem to help it.
Puck's head whipped up, cocked to the side as if he were listening to something that only he could hear. He let out a very un-Puck-like curse. "I am afraid that the battle has begun without me."
He disappeared in a blinding green flash.
"Skyler," Phoebe stepped forward to take her daughter's right hand in hers. "Do you know what your name stands for?"
"No," Skyler said softly.
Selene took Skyler's left hand. "It means Protection and shelter. We knew that you would face hardship, and as much as we wanted to spare you, it only made you stronger."
"In the end," Luna said, taking her sister's hands in hers, completing the circle, "You are the only one who can save us all."
A faint green light began to form around the four females, growing brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. A wind blew the four women's hair, even though they were inside. Skyler closed her eyes in defense against the wind and the brightness of the light.
Suddenly, it all stopped, and she opened. She was alone in the suddenly dark hospital room.
"Mom?" Skyler called out, and received no reply.
She walked to the window, and stared in disbelief at the wreckage that lay before her. The city was a disaster. Buildings were missing pieces, windows broken out. Fires were raging everywhere, and the sky was darkened from all of the smoke and ash in the air.
Skyler turned, running for the elevators. She had to get to the castle, and find out what happened. She pressed the button once, twice, nothing.
Giving up, she ran for the emergency stairs. Up the few flights of stairs, and finally she burst through the door on the lowest floor of the castle.
She walked into a warzone. If she hadn't spent the day roaming these halls, she wouldn't have recognized where she was.
Navigating her way through all the the broken stone and rubble that littered the hallway, she made her way to the large great hall.
There, she found even more destruction. Whole sections of wall were missing, exposing even more glimpses out to the damaged landscape. After a look around, she saw nothing and no one there, so she fought her way to the courtyard.
She got to the doors in time for a loud, rapid sound of gunfire to split the air. There was a howl, a sound Skyler immediately knew as one of the Gargoyles.
Skyler put her weight into her effort, and managed to get the balcony doors opened enough for her to slip through.
After seeing what was on the other side, she wished she could go back in time and never see what lay before her.
A fae couple stood in the corner, looking dispassionately at the scene playing out before them. They were obviously very important, and very powerful , judging by the power she felt surrounding the two of them.
Puck was on the ground, injured, but kneeling before the powerful beings.
'So that's Oberon and Titania,' she thought. Turning to follow their gaze, she felt her breath catch in shock.
Goliath knelt in the opposite corner, a bleeding and limp Elisa in his arms. With great care, he got to his feet, cradling her gently to his chest.
Goliath turned in time for Oberon to call up a portal back to Avalon. Together, Oberon and Titania walked toward it.
"Wait," Goliath called out.
"Wait?" asked Oberon, turning on him. The familiar arrogant expression had returned to his features, as he stared at the gargoyle in disapproval. "You dare much, Goliath, to give orders to us."
"Elisa is dying!" cried Goliath. "Save her! You have the power to do so."
"We feel your grief, Goliath," said Titania. "But the law of the Far forbids us to interfere in the affairs of mortals."
"That's never stopped you before," Puck pointed out.
"That was true in the past," Titania admitted emotionlessly. "But we can not interfere in the destiny of the humans. If it is meant to be that this woman was to perish here, at this place and time, then that is how it should be."
"Elisa will die," Goliath spat out. "She put herself between danger and your grandchildren."
"Yes, she saved them" Titania said, sadly. "Yet no one could save the rest of their family."
Skyler felt her chest tighten. Fox and David? Dead?
"Or our son," Goliath snarled, his eyes glowing a pure white.
"For that, I am truly sorry," Titania said.
Skyler covered her mouth to stifle the sob. Liam? Something had happened to Liam?
Oberon reached for his wife's hand, leading her through the portal and away from the wreckage.
Goliath stood in the courtyard, staring in disbelief as the portal closed behind them, his love held in his arms.
Goliath bent his head, touching his forehead to hers, his shoulders starting to shake. Slowly, he fell to his knees and laid Elisa on the ground. He straightened her red jacket collar, and ran a taloned hand through her hair to smooth it back from her still, pale face.
Then he lifted his tear stained face and roared his anguish to the heavens.