Chapter 146: Swords and the City

A knock came at the door just as Buffy was coming down the stairs. She went to open it and found Willow standing there, tears flowing down her face. "Will?" Buffy asked with concern.

"Tara left me." Willow said. "She said I was using too much magic."

Buffy sighed and remembered the day before and Willow's use of another personal gain spell thinking she was helping Buffy. It had taken some time before she had fallen asleep last night. "Come in."

Willow stepped through the door as Buffy closed it behind her before they went into the living room.

"She left you?" Buffy asked.

"Well more asked me to leave." Willow said. "But it's the same in the end. She broke up with me."

Phoebe came down the stairs heading for the kitchen when she received an empathic feeling. She immediately turned and walked into the living room. "Willow?"

Buffy looked up at Phoebe and sighed. "Tara broke up with her."

"Oh I'm so sorry." Phoebe said, she turned and headed into the kitchen to give Willow and Buffy some privacy.

"Why don't you stay here for awhile." Buffy said.

"Where would I sleep?" Willow asked about the already crowded sleeping arrangements.

"I'll talk to Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Dawn and we'll figure something out. Don't worry about it, okay?" Buffy said as Willow nodded. "Is your stuff still at Tara's apartment?"

Willow nodded, "Yes she let me leave it there till I found someplace to stay."

"Okay I will flame over and get them." Buffy said. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap."

Willow nodded and went upstairs and into Buffy's room where she saw Dawn getting ready for school.

"Hey Will." Dawn said.

"Hey." Willow said and went and laid down on the bed.

Dawn looked at Willow confused for a moment before she picked up Celia and took her downstairs shutting hers and Buffy's door behind her.

In the kitchen Richard has just fixed the garbage disposal magically.

"He fixed the garbage disposal. " Piper said.

"Really?" Phoebe asked as Buffy walked in.

"Mm-hmm. Magically." Piper said.

"Good Piper and Paige are here also. I need to talk to you guys about Willow." Buffy said before noticing Richard. "Hi Richard."

"Really?" Phoebe looked at Richard who looks away awkwardly. "Can you help me with my earrings out here, please?"

"Sure." Piper said.

Phoebe turns and leaves the room as Piper grabs her tools and follows her out the kitchen as does Buffy.

"Ok, listen, was that weird?" Phoebe moves into the main hall as Buffy and Piper follows her.

"Why are you so dressed up?" Piper asked.

"Because I have a date with Jason, but that's besides the point. Didn't Richard lose it the last time he used magic? I mean, like, really lose it?" Phoebe said.

"Richard used magic?" Buffy asked.

"Uh, I can assure you that he stayed in complete control over the garbage disposal. It's 7:00 in the morning, how can you have a date?" Piper said.

"Oh, 'cause it's 7:00 here, but it's evening in Hong Kong. Ok, so you're not concerned about Richard using magic?" Phoebe said.

"Yeah, I am, but I'm more concerned with Paige being really pissed off because we've butted into her business again." Piper said.

"Yeah, I know, but we're sisters. That's what we're supposed to do." Phoebe said

Buffy sighed and shook her head.

"Back to your date: I don't understand. Is Chris orbing you to Hong Kong?" Piper asked.

Phoebe shook her head, "No. We're video-conferencing. We just open our laptops, and there we are, in color."

"Mm-hmm. In each other's laps." Buffy said.

"So do you think we should talk to Paige ... about ... Richard?" Phoebe asked.

Piper sighed, "We don't really know him."

"I know. We don't, and neither does she. That's the problem." Phoebe suddenly realizes that Piper is leveling her a 'look'. "What? Can't I worry?"

"From afar, yeah. Now, excuse me. I have to go unclog a sink." Piper said.

"Uh before you go." Buffy said as Dawn came down the stairs.

"Why is Willow in our room on our bed?" Dawn asked.

Buffy sighed, "That's what I needed to talk to you guys about. Tara dumped Willow."

"Oh, no." Dawn said.

"I said she could stay with us." Buffy said. "For the time being."

"Where is she going to sleep, Buffy?" Piper asked.

"I figure Dawn and I could probably double up with Paige and Phoebe for now." Buffy said.

Piper shook her head, "That might work with Phoebe if she's alright with it. But Richard obviously stayed the night."

Buffy nodded, "What if we put a bed in the attic? Willow could sleep up there for now. I don't want Willow by herself. Remember when Oz left?"

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other and nodded remembering Willow's first personal gain spell. "Alright." Piper said. "We'll put a bed in the attic and Willow can sleep up there. We're going to have to talk to her you know. That memory spell she cast was personal gain."

"I know." Buffy said. "but not right away. I'm going over to Tara's to pick up her stuff. Then I will stop by the store and get a bed to put in the attic."

Piper nodded as she takes her tools and heads upstairs as Buffy flames out and Dawn heads back up the stairs as she follows Piper.

"Do you think we should worry about Willow? I mean her living here and all." Dawn said as they walked into the bathroom. "Especially after her latest personal gain spell."

"Maybe." Piper said as she puts her tool kit aside. As she stares at the clogged sink, the water beings to bubble and the image of a woman rises out of the sink.

"Help me!"

Piper looked to Dawn as if to ask do you see that? Dawn nodded.

Later Paige orbs Phoebe and Piper as Buffy flames with Dawn to the park. Piper and Dawn starts to look around the area.

"Ok, so watery lady pops up from the sink. You sure she's not a demon?" Paige said.

"I'm sure she needed help." Piper said.

"What else did she say?" Phoebe asked.

"That was it: Harding park, pond, and poof." Dawn said.

From the center of the pond, the water begins to bubble and surge. Out through the center, the tip of two swords rise up toward the air.

"Over there." Buffy said as they watch as the swords emerge, then the Lady of the Lake rises out of the lake.

The Lady of the Lake glides through the water and moves toward them. She's made out of the image of water. As she reaches land, the water transforms into flesh. She approaches Piper and Buffy. Off to the side, the Dark Knight appears out of nowhere. The Lady of the Lake rushes toward Piper and Buffy.

"They're coming! Take these. It does not belong to them." The Lady of the Lake said as she rushes forward toward Piper and Buffy, The Dark Knight unsheathes a knife and throws it at the Lady of the Lake. It hits her square in the center of her back. She releases the swords and they fly through the air and fall into the thick trees.

The Dark Knight gasps as Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe, Paige and Piper rush to check on the Lady of the Lake on the ground. The Dark Knight turns around and two executioner demons appear each carrying their own axe. They step forward, past the Dark Knight.

Buffy and Dawn stand up to fight them leaving Piper, Phoebe and Paige to attend to the wounded Lady of the Lake. They each power up a fireball and energy ball as the Dark Knight holds out his hand and a sword materializes in his grip. He starts to swing his sword with practiced ease.

The executioner demons rush forward as Buffy throws her fireball at once vanquishing it. Dawn throws her energy ball at the other vanquishing it. The axes drop to the ground and Buffy and Dawn stoop to pick them up to face the Dark Knight.

Meanwhile, Piper, Phoebe and Paige kneels next to the Lady of the Lake as the Dark Knight steps toward them and swings his sword around. He points the sword at Piper and she blasts him, hitting his shield. He takes a couple steps backward from the brunt of the blast.

Buffy and Dawn step forward to face the Dark Knight.

"I'm liking these odds." Phoebe said.

Reconsidering the odds, The Dark Knight shimmers out as Buffy and Dawn drop their axes.

"Wuss." Paige said as they turn around to check on the Lady of the Lake.

"The swords. The swords are ..." The Lady of the Lake dies as her body glows white and dissipates into water.

"Where'd she go? What did she say?" Dawn said.

"She said something about the swords. Where are they?" Buffy said.

Paige looks around and sees them. "They're in the stone."

"The sword in the stone?" Phoebe asked.

Paige rolls her eyes and nods her head.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me, right?" Piper said exasperated.

Later back at the Manor in the conservatory Piper sweeps up the mess on the floor around the huge bolder with the swords protruding from it. "Ok, could you, maybe, miss the table?"

"Um, I'm sorry." Buffy said. I've never flamed anything that heavy before or that ... historic."

Richard stares at the sword, it glows gold. "Is that glowing?"

Dawn turns to look at it, the sword stops glowing. "No. It's the sun room. There's a lotta light."

"What part of this reality aren't you getting - Sword, Stone, Lady in Lake?" Paige said.

"It was a pond." Piper said.

"Besides there are two swords." Buffy said. "Both can't be Excalibur."

"You think she's from Avalon?" Richard asked.

Paige nodded, "Yeah. I think she was flushed out by whoever's after Excalibur, the maker of kings."

"But there are two swords. And there weren't two Excaliburs." Buffy said.

"Look, we're not talking about Camelot, right? Because that's not real." Piper said.

"So you're saying you never believed in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, I did when I was 7, and then I grew up." Piper said.

"Yeah. You grew up to be a witch that fights demons and silly-looking dragons." Paige said.

"That's different. That's real." Piper said.

"And this isn't real?" Dawn asked.

"What is real are those hooded freaks." Buffy said.

"Who are not gonna give up, now that both sword's out in the open." Richard said.

"How do you know?" Piper asked.

"Whoever has Excalibur is unstoppable." Richard said.

Phoebe walks down the stairs carrying the Charmed Book of Shadows as Richard looks up at her warily. "Ok, there's definitely nothing in the book –" She looks up and sees Richard. "Oh, hi! How you doing?"

Willow walked down the stairs, her eyes red from crying. "What's going on?" Then she sees the swords. "Is one of those Excalibur?"

"Phoebe, please, put a stop to this nonsense." Buffy said.

"Didn't realize you were still here." Phoebe said.

"That's ok. You can talk freely in front of him. Lord knows, he' been through enough." Paige said.

Dawn looked to Willow and nodded, "Some of us believe so. Though we don't know what the other one is."

"No, not really." Phoebe muttered.

"Phoebe." Piper warned.

"Look, guys, I should probably go." Richard said.

Phoebe smiled, "Ah! Don't be ridiculous. It's great."

"Ok, anyway, Book, Excalibur ... ?" Paige said.

Phoebe shook her head, "Yeah. Nothin'. Nada."

"Really?" Dawn said.

"Excalibur, like those dragons that you told me about that Wyatt and Celia had conjured, probably pre-dates your guys Book of Shadows." Willow said.

"Well, we have run across these guys, executioner demons, lower-level bad asses for hire." Phoebe opens the Book and looks at a page about the executioner demons.

Everyone looks at the page in question and reads it:

Minions of a low order. Demonic mercenaries incapable of original thoughts or deed. Usually found in the employ of higher level demons or mortals proficient in dark arts.

Vanquishing with own weapons or a spectrum of valerian potions.

"Who hired them?" Buffy asked.

Phoebe flips to another page on the Dark Knight. "Uhh! This ... higher-level bad ass.

"A power-mad paladin of destruction." Piper read.

"Huh. Maybe-you know, maybe we should just kinda hang out later." Paige said to Richard.

"Yeah. Ok. Bye." Richard heads for the door.

"Bye." Piper said.

Paige gives them a look, then follows Richard to the door.

Phoebe cranes her neck and watches Paige and Richard while Piper, Buffy, Dawn and Willow continues to read from the Book.

"So he's an upper-level demon, which means, you should be able to make a vanquishing potion." Piper said.

"Ok." Phoebe realizes what Piper just said. "Wait. Me? Why me?" She goes back to looking at Paige, but Piper interrupts her.

"Because ... hello! ... I have a few hundred things to do around here, in addition to raising a small child." Piper said. "Buffy asked to be eased back into things remember. Willow well she has her own issues she is trying to deal with. And Dawn has been taking care of Celia."

"I know. You have so much to do. You're my hero, but I can't. I have to go to work. I still don't have an assistant, and I'm swamped." Phoebe beelines it for the front door.

"But - Phoebe?" Piper said.

Paige walks into the Conservatory and heads back to the rest of the house when Piper calls out to her. "Paige, potion?"

Paige turns around to look at Piper, Buffy, Dawn and Willow.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. The temp agency's already got me a new job." Paige said.

"But that hardly compares with –" Piper motions to the swords ... and the boulder.

"Come on. You know there's a magical reason that I've had every one of these jobs, and who am I to interfere with Destiny?" Paige said. "Besides Buffy, Dawn and Willow are here."

"I'm already late for school, Paige." Dawn said.

"And Buffy is wanting to ease back into everything." Piper said.

"Hey I can do it guys." Willow said.

Piper turned to Willow. "Are you sure you can make a potion right now? You know after…"

"Tara leaving me. Yes I can. It will help me get my mind off things." Willow said.

"Ok." Piper said. "By the way you do know you and I are going to have a talk later about personal gain spells."

"I know." Willow said. "Just not right now, please."

Paige turns to leave the room, then something occurs to her. She stops and turns around considering the possibility. Piper, Willow, Buffy and Dawn watch her, puzzled by her behavior. She walks over to the sword, gets a good grip on the handle and gives it a firm tug. And a pull. And another tug for good measure. She grunts with exertion before letting lets go of the sword's handle. "Well, you can't blame a girl for trying." She leaves the room.

Later in the utility room the washing machine is running ... and thumping ... loudly. Soap suds seep out from the cover and run down the side of the machine. Piper stands in front of it with her arms crossed, looking down at it. Finally, she puts the wrench down on the dryer, reaches behind the washing machine and pulls out the plug.

"Perfect." Piper said as she dropped the plug, turns around and heads into the kitchen to check on Willow and the potion.

Willow stands over the potion and turns it off the stove just as Piper walked in. "Should be done."

"Hey, Ladies!" Piper and Willow look at each other and then step around the cluttered table where they find a Dwarf standing in her kitchen. "We could really use an authority figure out there."

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked.

"What am I doing here? I'm getting pushed around. I just lost my place in line." Dwarf said.

"What line?" Willow asked.

The Dwarf turns around and walks out of the kitchen as they follow him into the conservatory. There is a really long line leading up to the boulder.

"But-what's going on here?" Piper said. "Buffy!"

Standing in a line waiting for their turn to pull out the Swords from the really big rock are magical creatures of all shapes, sizes, gender and varieties.

"What is this?" Buffy said as she flamed in from upstairs.

"Natural selection. Naturally, I hope the sword selects me to be king, finally get a little respect around here." Dwarf said.

The magical creatures laugh at the thought.

"Oh, you people, you creatures, whatever, you can't be here. You gotta go." Piper said.

"We have a divine right to try our hand." Ogre said.

The breath. The stench.

"Phew! Wow." Willow said.

"Yeah. Ten feet's pretty much the distance." Dwarf said.

"Eh, back of the line, please. Hoof it, sister." Satyr said.

"Chris? Chris?! Get down here." Piper called out as Leo orbs into the room. "Where's Chris?"

"Busy." Leo looks around and sees the commotion. "What's going on?"

"Busy with what?" Buffy asked.

"Other charges. I took him off your account again." Leo said.

"Our account?" Willow asked.

Leo sighed and looked at Willow. "You know what I mean. By the way Willow my apologies about Tara."

"Thanks." Willow said.

Leo finally sees the huge boulder with the swords sticking out of it. "Whoa. Is one of those what I think they are?"

"No! No, they're not!" Piper said. "Ok? Now, look, you've gotta get all these people outta here because I can't do this right now."

Leo steps forward, however, it's the Satyr's turn at the swords, who takes exception and stops him.

"Get-hey! Hey! No cuts, buddy." Satyr said.

Leo looks at Piper and shrugs.

"Hey, Leo. Can you tell us what the other sword is supposed to be?" Dawn asked.

Leo looked at the two swords and his eyes went wide. "I'm not one hundred percent certain. It looks like Chrysaor."

"Chrysaor?" Buffy asked. "The one Zeus supposedly had when he battled the Titans?"

Leo nodded, "The very one."

Piper sighed, "First Excalibur and now Chrysaor."

Later up on deck is a fairy. She pulls, she tugs, she flutters and grunts. After a moment, the Ogre slaps the fairy away and she flies across the room - past the line and past Willow, Buffy, Dawn and Piper – hitting the door glass with a thud. She slides down the glass with a whimper.

Piper, Buffy, Dawn and Willow sit back in chairs watching the line, too smart to try and get rid of it.

"Pest." Ogre reaches down both hands to pull at the sword.

Leoorbs in with Paige and Phoebe. "Oh, my!"

Paige mutters under her breath. "I was afraid this would happen."

"You think you could have mentioned that?" Piper asked.

"And they won't leave?" Phoebe asked.

Willow shook her head, "No, more show up every minute."

"But no bad guys yet, right?" Paige asked.

Phoebe sniffs the air and grimaces at the smell. "What is that stench? What is that stench?"

"Ogre." Dawn said pointing at the Ogre. "Best to keep a ten foot distance."

"We've got to get these things out of the manor. Leo refuses to orb them." Buffy said.

"Hey, the Lady of the Lake came to the Charmed Ones for help. I'm not messing with that." Leo said.

Piper and Buffy both have had it. "Oh, for god's sakes. If you will not get rid of them, then I will." She and Buffy stand up and walk over to the boulder.

Buffy swooshes the ogre away from the swords, she grabs the one Leo said was Chrysaor as Piper grabs the one they believe is Excalibur and slips them easily out of the rock.

Phoebe and Dawn gasps loudly.

Everyone gasps in shock as a murmur ripples through the room as the magical creatures realize that Piper and Buffy have just pulled both swords from the extremely large rock.

"Wow." Piper and Buffy said as they look at the swords in their hands.

One by one, the magical creatures bow their heads before Piper and Buffy. A powerful gust of wind blows through the room as a whirlwind descends from the ceiling and a man, Mordaunt, dressed all in gray materializes in the room. He looks at Piper and Buffy with the swords and walks toward them.

"I bet you two didn't expect this when you got up this morning." Mordaunt stands behind Buffy and Piper and puts a hand on each of their shoulders. "The swords have chosen. You are the new saviors, the Champion of Good, and Masters of Excalibur and Chrysaor. Welcome to your new destinies."

"Oh, crap." Piper and Buffy said.

Moments later in the sitting room Phoebe walks in having chased everyone away. Piper and Buffy are holding and admiring Excalibur and Chrysaor. Leo and Dawn stands behind them watching them.

"Is it just me, or does it still smell like ogre in here?" Phoebe sits down in the chair.

Piper puts Excalibur down on the table and sits down on the sofa as Buffy rests Chrysaor on top of Excalibur. Mordaunt stands in the middle of the room.

"I'm telling you guys, this is all a big mistake." Piper said.

Even on the table, the swords glow, then slides across the table toward Piper and Buffy. They hold their hands out in front of them to stop it.

"Stop that." Buffy and Piper said.

"They're drawn to the both of you, just like you both are drawn to them." Mordaunt said.

"Do we look like we're drawn to it, pal?" Buffy asked.

"You both will be in time." Mordaunt said.

Piper shook her head, "No. I don't have time to play Queen Arthur."

"And I already have too many destinies as is." Buffy said.

Paige walks into the room carrying Wyatt and Celia. She hands Wyatt over to LEO and Celia over to Dawn, then takes a seat next to Phoebe. Leo sits on the piano bench with Wyatt in his arms as Dawn sits next to Buffy with Celia in hers.

"Oh, come on, Buffy, Piper, have a little fun. Don't you two realize what this means?" Paige said.

"Hey. One more thing on my to-do list?" Piper asked.

Paige shook her head, "No. It means you, my dears, are The Chosen Ones, the first in centuries to have power over the swords. Tell them all about it, Merlin."

Mordaunt turns and looks at Paige. "Oh, actually, the name's Mordaunt. Merlin was just a fairy tale."

"Ha!" Buffy said.

"But Camelot was not." Mordaunt said.

"A-ha!" Dawn said.

Mordaunt smiled. "And, thanks to the both of you, it can rise again."

"So what are you, a wizard, a sorcerer?" Paige asked.

Mordaunt chuckled. "Oh, actually, I'm neither. I'm just a humble teacher in service of the swords, and we must begin instruction immediately, before your enemy attacks."

"The Dark Knight." Dawn said.

"You know him?" Mordaunt asked.

Phoebe nodded, "Yeah. We've already kicked his ass."

"And if he shows up again, we have a vanquishing potion ready and waiting." Piper said.

Mordaunt nodded, "What's in it?"

"It's a mandrake variation with a little bit of griffin's blood." Willow said.

"Good ... if you're going up against a pustouous knave, which you're not. If you want to fight the Dark Knight with magic, this is what you need ..." Mordaunt holds out his hand and a piece of paper appears magically out of thin air.

"I thought you said you weren't a sorcerer." Leo said.

Mordaunt hands the recipe to Willow. "I picked up a few things along the way. The Dark Knight is no trifle. You'll have to hit him with everything you have."

Willow looks over the potion recipe. "I've never even heard of half of these ingredients."

Phoebe gets up and looks at the recipe and Willow points out the ingredients she doesn't recognize, "Neither have I."

"It looks like you picked up quite a bit." Dawn said cautiously.

Leo looks at Phoebe. "What do you think?"

"Can't get a read on him." Phoebe said.

"Distrust is expected, but don't let it blind you. If I haven't taught Buffy…" Mordaunt started.

"Payson. I reserve Buffy for friends and family who know me. Which you don't yet." Buffy said.

"Understandable." Mordaunt said. "Payson and Piper how to master the sword before the Dark Knight returns, your survival depends on that potion."

Piper and Buffy picks up the swords and looks at them.

Willow and Phoebe looks down at the list. "Ok, so where are we supposed to get the ingredients?" Phoebe asked.

"I think I know a place. Leave it to me, your trusty assistant." Paige said as she orbs Phoebe and Willow out of the room.

"All right, I guess I will go check with the other Elders and

see what they know." Leo said. "You want me to take Wyatt and Celia?" Neither Piper nor Buffy answer him. "Piper? Buffy?"

Dawn shook her head, "I'll watch them Leo."

Leo nodded, "Alright. If anything happens you shimmer them out, okay?"

Dawn nodded, "I will take them straight to Tara's."

Leo hands Wyatt to Dawn and he orbs out.

Mordaunt Piper and Buffy for a moment. He holds out his hand, a large long-blade sword materializes and he starts swinging it around. "En garde!"

Dawn sighed and shimmered up to her and Buffy's room with Wyatt and Celia and closes the door, turning on some music to drown out the swords clashing.

Mordaunt attacks as Buffy and Piper blocks him. Piper instinctively uses Excalibur to stop every one of Mordaunt's blows. Buffy wields Chrysaor expertly as only a Slayer can.

Mordaunt smiled. "Not bad. Better than Arthur's first time." He takes a step back, his sword ready.

"Really?" Piper asked.

"Your surprised, Piper?" Buffy asked. "How many times have you and I sparred since I moved in to the Manor?"

Mordaunt swings his blade again. "Now, I'm gonna come in low. Believe in Excalibur and Chrysaor. Just let them flow through the both of you."

At Richard's house, Richard walks into a hidden pantry and turns on the light. "I think we've got everything you need: Plant roots, fungi, herbs, creature parts, insects –"

"Creature parts?" Willow asked.

Phoebe looks around the room, her back toward Willow, Richard and Paige.

"Uh, fairy wings." Richard said.

"Wait. Fairy wings?" Phoebe said warily.

"Well, I didn't kill them, if that's what you're wondering." Richard said.

"Then how'd you get 'em?" Phoebe asked.

"Uh, Phoebe." Paige warned.

Willow shook her head, "Paige it's a fair question. One I'm curious to know the answer too as well."

"Actually, I'm not sure. My family's been stockpiling this stuff for years because of the feud." Richard said.

Paige nodded.

"Yeah, but the feud's over, right?" Phoebe asked.

"Hey, you know, I think we're gonna need a mortar and pestle for the potion. Do you have one?" Paige said.

Richard sighed. "Yeah." He turns and left the room.

"What are you two doing?" Paige asked.

"What?" Phoebe asked.

"You both don't have to treat him like he's evil." Paige said.

"I'm not…" Willow started.

"Paige, Willow and I are just reacting to what we see. I mean, how many guys do you know that stockpile gremlin ears?" Phoebe said.

"Ok, first your not-so-subtle column and now this. Why don't you just come out and admit it? You hate him." Paige glared at Phoebe.

"Paige, I don't hate him. I'm just worried." Phoebe said.

"Well, don't worry 'cause I know what I'm doing." Paige said.

Phoebe sighed, "Ok, so are you telling me that it doesn't bother you at all that he's using magic again or that he has this - this room hidden?"

"What part of "This is not your business" are you not getting?" Paige asked.

"Oh, Paige, I'm worried about you, ok? Just like you were worried about me when I was dating a demon." Phoebe said.

"Richard is not a demon." Willow said taking Paige's side.

"No. I know he's not a demon, Willow, but he has a dark side and powerful magic, and that's a very dangerous combination." Phoebe said to Willow before looking back at Paige. "I'm worried about you, ok? I'm sorry."

Richard walks back into the room carrying the mortar and pestle. He gives them to Paige. "Here."

"Thanks." Paige said.

The tension between the two sisters is noticeable.

"Everything all right?" Richard asked.

Phoebe sighed as Richard looks from one sister to the other and then at Willow who inches towards the door not wanting to get in the middle anymore than she has.

"Let's just get this over with." Paige said.

Richard looked over at Phoebe.

Back at the manor the training continues. Mordaunt backs into the attic as Piper and Buffy continues their attacks. Swords clang as Mordaunt swings. Piper smoothly turns and jumps up onto the box to attack Mordaunt. He blocks the blow, then swings low. Piper jumps over the sword and lands on the attic floor as Buffy strikes at Mordaunt. Swords connect. Buffy swings, he barely moves out of striking distance. Buffy and Piper thrusts, he blocks. They advance, he backs away. Swords clang, Piper disarms him and pins him back against the wall at sword point.

"You both are a quick study." Mordaunt said.

"It helps a little that Buffy and I sparred over the years since she moved in with us." Piper said.

"So, you both feel the swords power?" Mordaunt asked.

Piper and Buffy nodded and spoke together. "Yes."

Mordaunt smiled. "How's it feel?"

"Not bad." Buffy said.

Mordaunt nodded. "You both, Excalibur and Chrysaor are becoming one. Soon nothing will matter, nothing except the desire to rule."

Piper removes the sword from Mordaunt's neck as the Dark appears in the attic along with three other executioner demons.

The Dark Knight looks at Mordaunt, reconizing him. "You."

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Mordaunt said before looking at Piper and Buffy. "Take him."

The Dark Knight attacks as Piper and Buffy turns and blocks the blows. As they fight, Mordaunt looks at his sword on the attic floor. Seeing his chance, he rolls over toward it and grabs it. The executioner demons attack. Mordaunt picks up his sword and blocks the blows.

In Buffy and Dawn's bedroom the music continues to blare as Dawn rocks Celia looking at the ceiling. "I will be glad when their little training session is over."

Back at Richard's house Paige crushes leaves in the mortar with the pestle. Phoebe is standing over the potion pot as Willow reads the ingredients.

"Wearboar tusk, one pinch." Willow said.

Phoebe adds the ingredient to the mixture. "Ok."

Outside, Richard paces the floor waiting for them.

"Nymph hair, one lock." Willow said.

"Oh, I hope this isn't from someone we know." Phoebe said.

Paige casts Phoebe an irritated look as Phoebe adds the nymph hair to the mixture.

"Wraith essence, three drops." Willow said.

Phoebe adds it to the mixture. "One, two, three."

"And, uh, 'black poppy, one level teaspoon.'" Willow said.

Phoebe raises the scoop over the mixture. "I've never even heard of black—"

"No!" Richard yelled as he waves his hand and Phoebe is pulled away from the potion and the potions table. She falls to the floor and slides completely out of the pantry.

Paige and Willow rush out of the pantry toward Phoebe to help her up.

"Phoebe, you ok?" Paige asked as Richard steps forward and takes the tiniest pinch of black poppy between his fingers. He walks back toward them. "Richard?"

Richard holds the black poppy up. "Wait. Watch." He leans forward and tosses the pinch of black poppy into the mixture. There's a really large explosion and a thick cloud of white smoke.

"Ooh!" Phoebe said.

"Don't ever mix Wraith Essence and Black Poppy ... EVER." Richard said.

"Why would Mordaunt do this?" Willow asked.

Richard turns to look at the decimated potion cauldron. "Because he wants you dead."

At the manor Mordaunt blocks the executioner demon's blows. The demon backhands Mordaunt across the cheek and he falls back to the attic floor. Behind him, Piper runs her sword through the executioner demon she's fighting. She pulls the sword out and the demon explodes in a burst of fire and smoke.

Buffy swings Chrysaor into the next executioner demon. He vanishes in a puff of fire.

The third executioner demon gets to his feet and charges Mordaunt as the Dark Knight attacks Piper and Buffy. They fight and swords clang, blows are exchanged. Piper, Buffy and Mordaunt change places, fighting as if they'd done it for years.

Mordaunt locks swords with the Dark Knight who grabs his wrists and pulls him close.

"I thought we made a deal." Dark Knight said quietly.

"I don't need you to get the swords anymore." Mordaunt said as behind them, Piper and Buffy expertly fights the executioner demon. "I've got them." He turns and pushes the Dark Knight out of his way.

Piper and Buffy twists and turns and maneuvers both opponents in front of them. They swing at the same time and vanquishes both demons at the same time.

"Your assimilation is complete. You are now one with Excalibur." Mordaunt said to Piper before looking to Buffy. "As you are with Chrysaor, Buffy."

"Now what?" Piper asked as Paige, Willow and Phoebe orb into the attic.

Piper turns and raises Excalibur as Buffy turns and raises Chrysaor as they expect another attack.

Paige raises her hand. "It's just us."

"He's not what you think he is." Phoebe said.

"He tried to kill us." Willow said.

"He wants the swords." Phoebe said.

Buffy shook her head as she motioned to herself and Piper. "But the swords chose us."

"No, he's just using the both of you." Paige said.

Willow nodded, "He wants the power of the swords for himself."

"Neither of you are meant to control the swords." Phoebe said.

"But we DO control them." Piper said as Mordaunt glaced at her and Buffy, then back at her sisters. "And you don't think we can."

Dawn entered the attic, "Are you all done?"

"Perhaps we should leave." Mordaunt said.

"Uh, Paige! Paige, Paige, Paige!" Phoebe whispered.

Paige holds out her hand and calls out to the swords. "Excalibur! Chrysaor!"

Piper and Buffy looks down as the swords starts to orb out of their grips. They raise them and the swords solidifies with them.

Paige looks surprised that it didn't work.

"Don't do that again." Buffy said.

"It appears Queen Payson has spoken." Mordaunt said before a he, Piper and Buffy vanish from the attic in a whirlwind of white smoke.

"Their Majesties has left the building." Phoebe said.

"Or Their Madness." Paige said.

"Someone want to fill me in?" Dawn asked.

In a cave in the Underworld Piper and Buffy stand over a Round Table with a large pentagram etched in the center. On the table lies Excalibur and Chrysaor. Mordaunt stands behind them.

"Doesn't look like much of a kingdom." Buffy said.

"This is just where it begins, where you two form your inner circle." Mordaunt replied.

"Let me guess - the Knights of the Round Table?" Piper asked.

Mordaunt steps towards them. "The Knights of Yours and Payson's Round Table. You both are on a new path now, a new destiny."

"That's good 'cause I was getting a little bored of the old one." Buffy said.

Mordaunt nodded, "A world of adventure awaits the both of you. Warfare, Conquest ... Camelot."

"And what exactly is Camelot?" Piper asked.

Mordaunt turns Piper and Buffy around and they look at each other. "Whatever you two want it to be. It's your kingdom to make."

"Could you be a little more specific?" Buffy asked.

Mordaunt smiled, "There will be no one above the two of you, no one to challenge either of you. You both will have free reign to reshape the way things are and to create a world of your dreams." He reaches out and caresses both their cheeks. "All will bow down before you. All will serve your every desire."

"Including you?" Piper asked.

Mordaunt nodded, "Especially me, My Queens."

Suddenly there are two of Mordaunt and one version kisses Buffy while the other kisses Piper. Both Mordaunts open their eyes and reaches for Excalibur and Chrysaor. The swords glow gold and moves away from him, out of his reach. He breaks the kiss as the two versions become one again and he moves away from Buffy and Piper.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Well, we must build your kingdom first, and to do that, we need to fill your round table with knights." Mordaunt said.

Piper nodded, "Very well. I have a few ideas."

"No. Let me be both of your council. I know best who will serve you both well, but they wouldn't come easily. You must challenge them on fields of battle, force them to join the both of you." Mordaunt said.

Piper and Buffy reaches behind them, grabs the swords and holds them up as Mordaunt gazes upon the swords enviously.

"I think we can do that." Buffy said.

Mordaunt nodded.

In the conservatory at the Manor there's a heaviness in the household, thick silence settles in the air. Leo and Dawn look at the boulder in the center of the room. Paige sits at the table scrying Piper and Buffy while Phoebe carries Wyatt and Willow carries Celia near the playpen at the back of the room.

"Anything?" Leo asked.

Paige shook her head, "Nope. Can't find Piper or Buffy anywhere."

"Well, keep looking. They're bound to show up somewhere." Leo said.

"Yeah? To do what?" Dawn asked.

Leo sighed, "I don't know."

"I don't understand. If they weren't supposed to pull the swords out of the stone, then why were they able to?" Phoebe asked.

"Because according to the other Elders, they were only meant to pass them on to whomever was really meant for them." Leo said.

"Ok, so neither Piper nor Buffy are the new King Arthur, but they are the new Lady of the Lake?" Phoebe asked.

"Basically, yeah." Leo said.

"What I don't get is Chrysaor." Willow said. "Excalibur I understand. But you all faught the Titans so why did Zeus need it. Oh and why are both swords turning them evil?"

"The legend of Chrysaor has been retold over the ages just as the one for Excalibur has been. Bits have been added to the story to make it seem fantastical." Leo said. "Zeus never had the sword. It was created for Guinivere. Which is a tale lost to time. You see two swords were created for the King and Queen so that they could fight at each others side. Guinivere was never what the legend of King Arthur has proteyed her to be."

About them turning evil." Leo continued. "Because only the ultimate power on earth can handle Excalibur and Chrysaor. That's why the Lady stayed in the lake, to insulate herself from the power of the sword."

"Ok, so we should find Buffy and Piper and then drown them." Paige said as Leo levels a serious look at her. "Oh, I'm just kidding, Leo."

"It's no joke. It's the only way to keep the power from consuming them, destroying them." Leo said.

"Still, what does Mordaunt want with Buffy and Piper? I mean, he's tricky, but he is hardly the ultimate power on earth." Dawn said.

"But he could use Buffy and Piper to become that power." Leo said.

The scrying crystal crashes down on the map. Paige looks down at it and then back at Leo. "Guess who just surfaced?"

Somewhere… A Soul-Blaster demon crashes to the ground as Piper and Buffy steps forward and points the swords at the demon's neck.

"Should we kill him?" Piper asked.

"You're the Queens." Mordaunt responded.

"We need one more knight to sit at our round table. Care to join us?" Buffy said.

Soul-Blaster demon frowned, "Join you? Which side are you on?"

"All we're interested in is the greatest power. Become one of us." Mordaunt said.

"What he said." Piper said.

"What do I get out of it?" The Soul-Blaster demon asked.

"You? You get to live." Buffy replied.

Paige and Phoebe orb in as Dawn shimmers in.

"Piper! Buffy!" Paige called out.

Soul-Blaster demon frowned at what he saw. "I should have known it was a trap!"

"You, stay put." Piper said to the demon.

"You, we warned you." Buffy said to Phoebe, Paige and Dawn.

"Sorry, your majesties." Phoebe said as she and Dawn threw a vial of potion at Piper and Buffy. The potions hit the swords and explodes harmlessly in a puff of smoke.

Phoebe motions to Paige and Dawn. "Paige, Dawn, now! Get them!"

As Paige orbs and Dawn shimmers, Piper and Buffy throws Excalibur Chrysaor at them. The swords pass through where Paige and Dawn stood moments before and embeds themselves in the old heater that was behind them.

"Unh!" Piper and Buffy grunted.

"Whoa!" Phoebe said as Paige orbs in behind Piper as Dawn shimmers in behind Buffy.

Paige grabs ahold of Piper as Dawn grabs ahold of Buffy, but they just break the hold and flips Paige and Dawn over to the ground.

Piper and Buffy holds out their hands and Excalibur and Chrysaor fly back to them.

"Impressive, huh?" Mordaunt said. "Now, make your queens proud."

The Soul-Blaster demon gears up his power and sends a bolt of electricity at Paige, Dawn and Phoebe. It hits them in their chests as their bodies fall to the ground, while their souls remain standing.

"What just happened?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good." Phoebe replied.

Mordaunt, Piper, Buffy and the Soul-Blaster demon vanish in a gust of wind.

Phoebe and Dawn sighs as Paige looks around and calls for help. "Leo?!"

In the cave lightning bolts strike down and the Soul-Blaster demon appears in a seat at the Round Table. Piper and Buffy walks around the table and heads for the remaining empty seat.

"Welcome. I assume you're all wondering why you've been gathered here, but don't worry." Piper said.

"If we wanted to kill you, We would have done so already. You are the chosen few who will help chart a new world order, united under us." Buffy said.

"Excuse me, your majesties. We're getting ahead of ourselves." Mordaunt said.

"Are we?" Piper asked.

Mordaunt nodded. "The small matter of the loyalty oath?"

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Uh ... administer that oath." Buffy motions for Mordaunt to step forward.

Mordaunt steps in front of the empty chair. "If you will all put your left hand ..." One demon growls his exception to the term used as Mordaunt takes a seat at the

table. "Or claw, on one of the five points of the pentagram in front of you." The demons do as Mordaunt instructed. "Beraxis ... Cotrah ... Mierrahh!"

The pentagram etched in the center of the table glows gold. The power emanating from the pentagram sucks out the power of the demon sitting at its point. The gold light consumes the demons one by one. They shake as their power leaves them.

"Supreme demonic powers leave your hosts and find a new home in this willing heart!" Mordaunt chants.

Piper and Buffy watches and doesn't like what they see.

"What are you doing? Stop!" Piper called out.

Mordaunt's eyes shine wildly with the anticipation of receiving all this power. The gold light from the pentagram, line-by-line, starts to disappear. It starts with Mordaunt, then goes to the next demon. When it hits that demon, the demon's power is sucked out of it and the demon disappears, vanquished. The power moves through the pentagram lines. Each demon it hits, it vanquishes, sucking out its power. Till finally, the last demon disappears and all the power rests in Mordaunt. He sits back in the chair, panting.

Mordaunt grins with satisfaction.

Piper and Buffy look around noticing all the demons were vanquished. "You vanquished all our knights. Why?!" Buffy said.

Mordaunt raises his hands and Excalibur and Chrysaor rises easily out from Piper and Buffy's grip and into Mordaunt's waiting hands. "Fulfilling my centuries-old quest to control Excalibur and Chrysaor." He studies the swords in his hands.

"But they belongs to us." Buffy said.

"No they didn't. They never did." Mordaunt rose to his feet and turned to look at Piper and Buffy. "But thanks to the two of you and the combined powers of your knights, now they belong to me. I'm the Ultimate Power."

"I don't understand." Piper said and Buffy noddedin agreement.

"It's simply a transfer of power, that's all. And now, all that remains to do is to eliminate the true recipients of Excalibur and Chrysaor before they grow old enough to fulfill their Destinies as the Son and Daughter of a Charmed One."

"You can't hurt them." Buffy said. "They're protected."

"I couldn't before ... but I can with these." Mordaunt runs both swords through Piper and Buffy simultaneously.

At the Manor Leo paces the floor. Phoebe scries while Paige lies down on the couch. Dawn slowly paces. Willow sits in a chair watching Wyatt and Celia.

"Owww!" Paige said.

"Feeling any better?" Leo asked.

Paige shook her head, "No, I'm pretty sure "ow" signifies that I am not, in fact, feeling any better." She sits up and rubs her forehead with her hand. "Oh, I am getting tired of this whole soul separating from my body thing. It's getting to be a disturbing pattern."

"It was pretty close, too. Your souls were getting ready to move on." Leo said.

Dawn nodded, "I understand Buffy's constant objection to the whole I'm not dieing again deal."

"Move on to where exactly?" Paige asked.

Leo shook his head. "Nice try."

"I cannot believe Piper and Buffy. Did you see that look in their eyes?" Phoebe said.

"Hey, at least it looked like they were having fun for once." Dawn said.

"Find them yet?" Leo asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, nothing."

"Well, keep trying. Just like last time, they can't do anything till they resurface." Leo said.

"Yeah, unless Mordaunt wants them to help him rule the underworld." Paige said.

"There's got to be another way to get her out of this." Phoebe said.

"Sure wish we knew who King Arthur and Queen Guinivere is." Willow said looking up from Wyatt and Celia.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"I mean, if we need to separate Piper and Buffy from the swords, what better way than to figure out who they're meant to give them to?" Willow said.

Wyatt gurgles and everyone looks at him and Celia coming to the same conclusion at the same time.

"No ..." Paige said.

"It's Wyatt and Celia. Oh, my god, it has to be." Phoebe said.

"Their King Arthur and Queen Guinivere." Dawn said. "It makes perfect sense. Their supposed to be the most powerful of their generation, right?"

Leo suddenly clutches his stomach and groans in pain. Mortal pain.

"What - what's the matter?" Willow asked as she rushed over to Leo.

Leo winces, "It's Buffy and Piper. They're hurt."

Phoebe's crystal hits the map. "Harding Park. Let's go." She, Dawn and Paige get to their feet.

"I got Wyatt." Paige said.

"I got Celia." Willow added.

Leo orbs Phoebe out of the room as Dawn shimmers out also.

Paige and Willow looks down at Wyatt and Celia in the playpen.

In Harding Park… "Don't worry." Mordaunt lays PIPER down on the grass next to Buffy. Buffy and Piper are barely moving as they groan with pain. "It'll all be over soon. Once they come for the two of you, I'll go for them."

Mordaunt hears Leo and Phoebe orb into the park and he vanishes in a whirlwind as Dawn shimmers in.

Phoebe pushes Leo toward Piper and Buffy. "Hurry! Hurry, hurry!"

Leo scrambles down to kneel next to them. "I am, I am!" He puts his hands over both Piper and Buffy, they glow gold as he heals both of them.

Piper and Buffy gasps and sits up.

"Where's Wyatt?" Piper asked.

"And Celia?" Buffy added.

At the Manor Mordaunt approaches the playpen and he looks inside. "My apologies, King Wyatt. Queen Celia. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." He takes Excalibur and viciously stabs the sword tip through the baby blanket with all his strength. He raises the sword and sees a teddy bear at the end of Excalibur. "What?!" He throws the bear off the sword.

Paige orbs in with Willow, Celia and Wyatt. "Oh, and that's their favorite teddy bear."

Mordaunt whirls around and holds Excalibur out in front of him as Leo, Phoebe and Piper orb into the room, followed by Dawn shimmering in with Buffy.

"Sweetie." Piper takes Wyatt from Paige just as Buffy takes Celia from Willow.

"Bet you didn't expect this when you got up this morning." Buffy said.

"But I've still got Excalibur!" Mordaunt said. "And Chrysaor."

"Not for long." Phoebe said.

"Go for it, Wyatt. Celia." Leo whispers.

Wyatt and Celia look at Leo as everyone looks expectantly at them. With a thought, Excalibur orbs out of Mordaunt's hands and reappears floating mid-air in front of Wyatt. At that same moment Chrysaor flames out of Mordaunt's scabbard and reappears floating in front of Celia.

Wyatt and Celia puts their hands down and Excalibur and Chrysaor turns and zooms toward Mordaunt with deadly force, impaling him through the chest not once but twice. Both swords glow gold as Mordaunt starts to smoke. He explodes and vanishes. And Excalibur and Chrysaor lands tip down to the floor.

Wyatt and Celia turns looks at their mothers.

"Ok, sweeties, that's very, very good." Piper said as she and Buffy walks toward Excalibur and Chrysaor. "But we need to put these away so both of you don't put an eye out ... at least until either of you are 18."

Piper and Buffy pulls the swords out of the floor and carries them back to the boulder. They insert them back easily into the stone where they belong. Both swords glow gold.

"How are you two?" Paige asked.

"Oh, fine. Think you can orb this into the attic?" Buffy said.

Paige nodded, "Absolutely." She orbs the boulder and swords out.

"Away from any furniture?" Piper asked as there's a loud crash in the attic.

Phoebe, Dawn and Willow stifles a laugh as Paige grimaces.

"Sorry." Paige said.

Piper smiled. "Don't worry. I'll just add it to my list."

Paige, Phoebe and Dawn laughs as Leo smiles.

Later that evenin Piper, Buffy, Willow, Celia and Wyatt are in the center of the attic looking at the swords in the stone. Wyatt and Celia are drinking from their milk bottles.

"Listen, I want you two to promise me and Buffy that before we take those things out of storage, that you Wyatt are gonna play lots of football and you both are going to play lots baseball and have lots of normal toys, and maybe we'll even get a dog. What do you think?" Piper said to Wyatt and Celia.

Willow smiled and turns to her corner of the attic where Buffy has placed her bed.

Leo turns the corner and walks into the attic and he settles down next to Piper, Buffy, Wyatt and Celia. "How we doing?"

"Uh, their Highnesses seems content." Buffy said.

"What about you two?" Leo asked.

"We're doing all right." Piper said. "At least I have my priorities straight now. I was so busy doing stuff, and all I really wanted to do was hang out with him and Celia."

"Ditto." Buffy said.

Leo nodded. "Well, you both should have more time for that now." Piper and Buffy look at Leo. "I fixed the washer."

"You did?" Piper asked.

Leo nodded. "And the sink and the cable and the toilet."

"Wow. I forgot how handy you were to have around the house." Piper smiled at Leo.

"Ditto." Buffy said. "It seems like forever since you were the handyman."

"Pretty strange, huh?" Leo asked.

"Kind of scary, actually." Piper said.

Leo laughed. "Why?"

Buffy and Piper look at each other and then Celia and Wyatt. "Well, we've seen what they can do without the swords. I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say we can't begin to imagine what they could do with them." Buffy said.

Leo nodded, "Well, whatever it is, it's meant to be."

"Doesn't make it any less scary, though. But that's tomorrow's problem. Buffy and I'll worry about it then." Piper said as Buffy nodded in agreement.

Willow looked over at Piper, Buffy, Leo, Celia and Wyatt as they left the attic then at the swords and let out a sigh.

Author's Note: Chrysaor is taken from Edmund Spencer's story The Faerie Queene written in the 1590's. The mention of Zeus using the sword against the Titans comes from that story.

The reason I had Guinevere having Chrysaor was because of Celia. It made more sense that both Arthur and Guinevere had been destined to fight side by side and so she would have been given a sword to rival Excalibur.