Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer as well as Rysher Entertainment. For all other disclaimer, see Chapter One!

Aftermath: The World Changes Forever

Amanda gasped as she heard Richie's anguished screams. She led Methos and Joe into the old race tracks as she felt her blood turn cold, "Oh no."

"What is it?" Methos asked.

"Oh no," Amanda muttered, "Oh no. It can't be."

She ran to find Duncan MacLeod.

"Amanda, wait up!" Joe exclaimed.

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The Defenders hurried through the other side of the tracks as they heard Richie's screams as well. April gasped as she felt her blood turn cold and felt shaken up.

"Oh no," April muttered.

"What is it?" Flash asked.

"I fear we are too late," Mandrake answered.

The Defenders hurried to the scene to find a horrific scene.

They saw Duncan kneeling over. His katana laid beside him. Whatever he felt was beyond expression, beyond words, unshareable. Then they saw Richie crying as he was holding Tori's body. They could tell Richie was broken himself.

No, no, no, no. Just no. No. Not her. Not Tori.

Suddenly, Flash had a brief recollection of when he found his wife dead on the inquisitor on Mongo. Then he looked up to see Richie crying as he now had his wife's blood covering his face and hands.

"I'm so sorry, Tori," Richie sobbed before he kissed her hand with her wedding ring.

"Not again," Flash stated in shock.

"It can't be," the Phantom added.

April clasped her mouth in horror as tears streamed down her face. Her whole body was shaking. She wanted to cry, but instead she forced herself to take a breath, one after another.

Mandrake took off his hat and mourned while holding Atascadero.

"What have you done?!" Flash exclaimed in anger as he picked up his niece's sword.

Duncan looked down in shock, not saying anything.

"What did you do?!" Flash demanded as he walked closer to the Highlander, "We trusted you!"

"Back off!" Mandrake did his best to hold his friend back.

"Excellent!" Ming exclaimed as he approached the area.

Flash looked at his nemesis in fury, "Ming! You did this! You've gone too far this time!"

Suddenly, another Tori appeared before the group.

"My word," Mandrake muttered, knowing this couldn't have been a good thing.

"Tori?" Flash called out, hopefully.

"Tori" laughed a demonic laughter as her eyes glowed red. There was no denying it now. This Ahriman had tricked MacLeod and Tori Gordon was dead as a result. Flash dropped the sword in shock. It took everything in him not to drop to his knees as he was shaking. Sheila clasped her mouth in horror as a tear fell down her face.

"I didn't mean it, Duncan," Flash told the Highlander, "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it."

The other Defenders looked on in shock. Amy was frozen in place, scared of the demon's prescence, "Is that…...Ahriman?"

"Ahriman's gambit had worked," Ming crossed his arms, smiling in satisfaction, "but not as we've expected. Oh well."

Along with the fake Tori, Horton, Kronos and the fake Richie all appeared as well, mocking the grief Duncan, Richie and the Defenders were sharing.

"Leave them," Ming told the five beings, "This is working perfectly."

He left the area and then Kronos, Horton and the fake versions of Tori and Richie all vanished.

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"My God," Amanda gasped as she, Methos and Joe arrived at the area in shock at the scene. Seeing Richie holding Tori's body, the Defenders looking on in shock and Duncan staring in disbelief, which caused Amanda to ask, "Mac, what did you do?"

Duncan couldn't take it anymore. He lifted his katana, and offered it to whoever would be willing to take his head, "Here."

"What?" Amanda looked at Methos as they both knew what he wanted. Maybe what he needed. She looked down at Richie, who was holding his wife's dead body, crying. She couldn't let him suffer anymore than he was already suffering.

"No," Amanda backed away, "I can't."

"Absolutely not," Methos added, looking away.

"Take it!" Duncan pleaded, now broken.

He dropped his katana to the floor. He waited a moment before he seemed to accept this. Duncan's punishment was living.

LJ, Kshin and Amy looked sad and shocked at all that had happened. Atascadero sadly leaned her head on Mandrake's shoulder. Sheila comforted Flash, who was crying quietly. The Phantom and Lothar looked on in shock and sadness as well.

April looked on, tears down her face. She was sad that she had lost her cousin, someone she considered a sister, her best friend, and her heart broke for Richie, as he had just lost his wife, just after he had lost his daughter. She wished there was something she could have done. She wanted to comfort him and let him know everything would be okay, but she kept it inside.

Duncan slowly rose up, looked once more at Tori and Richie and started speaking in Lakota before starting to leave the area, sobbing, leaving his katana next to Tori's body.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

Duncan didn't answer. Instead, he continued chanting in Lakota and sobbing.

"Mac…." Amanda and Joe called out simultaneously.

"Let him go," Methos told his friends.

Amanda looked on sadly as she walked over to Richie and comforted him as he was still crying and holding Tori's body.

Methos walked back over to Joe, and comforted him while he was crying as well.

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Mandrake looked on as he saw the katana laying next to Tori's body glowing red. He knew this wasn't over, and Ahriman would return. The Defenders would have to prepare for when that demon decided to return.

They would also have to bury Tori and support Richie the best they could. He was alone now. He lost his entire family in almost one blow. What was Richie going to do now? What were they going to do now?

Author's Note: And that covers the "Archangel" chapters of this series. I still have "Avatar" and "Armageddon" to cover and at this rate, I will have at least 100 chapters for this story all together, and that was my goal that I was hoping to reach.

Meanwhile, I am going to write a one shot story that is set between this chapter and the next chapter that shows what happened during the one year period, mainly the memorial for Tori Gordon. One thing's for sure, things will never be the same again, even after the sequel comes along.