Repost: Prophecy's Twilight Introduction

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hiya all,
This is an introduction to the Royalty/Two Worlds saga. In this post
you?ll find the Introduction chapters of Prophecy?s Twilight.
 
PROPHECY?S TWILIGHT: INTRODUCTION
CILIA
 
Prologue
 
You can never fully see the future and no matter how hard you try, or
how sure you are, the gods will always do something to disrupt your
carefully laid plans.
­- From the History of Sun
­
 
Angelica Sun, daughter of Al?x Sun and Joyce Summers, the Lord and Lady
Sun rulers of the Free Land of Sun and General Elisabeth Anne
Rosenberg-Summers stared with apprehension at each other. Willow watched
with amusement as the sisters sized each other up, Angelica?s eyes shone
with intelligence uncustomary of a child of seven years.
?Mommy said you wished to speak to me,? the girl said from
where she stood at the foot of their bed and Willow tried hard to
contain her laughter. The girl had somehow made her way into their room
and when she?d set off Elisabeth?s senses, well the Slayers scream had
taken care of waking her up.
?Yes, but preferably clothed and not so early in the
morning,? Elisabeth said as she covered herself with a sheet.
?It is well past sunrise,? the girl stated and Willow had to
bury her head in the pillows.
?And what are you laughing at?? her wife asked as Willow
looked up from the pillows.
?Nothing, it?s that?? she trailed off into laughter.
?Would you like something to drink?? Elisabeth said as she
swung her feet out of the bed, choosing to ignore her wife?s personal
joke.
?I have already put the kettle on,? the girl answered and
the kettle whistled.
?Lead the way,? Elisabeth said as she wrapped a robe around
her and followed her sister towards the room?s hearth. After taking her
seat and watching her sister pour the amber tea into their cups, she
watched as the child jumped up into the chair next to her.
?So you are my sister,? she said, not being able to think of
anything better to say.
?Guess so,? Angelica said as she sipped her tea.
?Are you sure you?re not a dwarf or something, cause I could
swear??
?I?m six and a half years old,? Angelica said with a smile.
?But Theris and Angel were my nannies,? she added.
?Figures,? Elisabeth muttered into her cup.
?Do you have a baby back home?? Angelica asked.
?Yes how did you know?? Elisabeth asked a little surprised.
?Mommy and Daddy sometimes talk about home,? the girl
explained. ?What?s her name?? she asked before Elisabeth got a chanceto
answer and she smiled at her sister?s curiosity.
?Her name is June, she?s a year and a half now,? she
answered.
?But who?s the daddy if you sleep with Aunt Willow??
Angelica asked and Elisabeth couldn?t help put to blush slightly and the
frankness of the question. She?d had a lot of experience in covering up
the fact that there was no father, but decided against using the tried
white lies.
?There was no daddy, it was magic,? she answered with a
secretive smile and Angelica?s mouth formed into an O.
?So she?s a magic baby then?? she exclaimed and another fit
of laughter could be heard from the bed.
?Oh would you stop it already,? Elisabeth called in the
general direction of the bed before turning back to her sister. ?Yeah I
guess you could call her that.?
?June the magic baby, June the magic baby? Willow sing sang
from the bed.
?Excuse me a moment Angie,? Elisabeth said as she placed her
cup on the table between them and stalked over to the bed. Angelica
listened to the action.
?Now you asked for it,? her sister exclaimed and she could
hear the distinct sound of one being hit by a pillow and a few more
whacks and giggles later.
?Do you surrender?? her sister asked.
?Never!? Willow exclaimed and she heard the creak of the bed
as Willow dove forwards. ?Prepare to be tickled,? Willow exclaimed.
?Angie help!? Elisabeth shouted and Angelica shrugged her
shoulders and jumped down from the chair to join the fray.
Ten minutes and two destroyed feather pillows later, the trio sat in on
a pile of feathers and what used to be a bed.
?You didn?t have to go all Slayery,? Angelica exclaimed with
a pout as she studied the smashed canopy pole and an exhausted Willow.
?You won?t tell mom will you?? Elisabeth asked with a deer
in the headlight look before realizing how utterly stupid her question
had sounded.
?Nah I like you too much for that,? Angelica said with a
smile as Elisabeth ruffled her sister hair.
But that was then?. 
 
*~*~*~*
And this is now?
Elisabeth looked back up from her latest kill and the dark tower that
housed the Heart of Darkness was growing smaller in the distance as she
covered the retreat of her soldiers with Cordelia and Joyce flanking
her. Both Elisabeth and her mother wore the black armor that had come to
symbolize their powers and abilities, but once shining black and
gleaming they were now scratched and stained with blood. Cordelia
appeared unscathed and only the splattered bloodstains on her flowing
white cloak announced the fact that she had just taken part in the
vicious engagement they were now retreating from. 
Between them they had the power to move mountains but all felt very
powerless at this moment in time. A regiment of Shadows went up in
flames, literally, as the avatar of fire swept her hand across the air,
but then she started to shake and twin streams of red blood started to
flow from her nose.
?Mom!? Elisabeth shouted as her eyes pulsed golden and a
part of the column that was giving chase disappeared from existence,
this caused the remaining chasers to reconsider and their commander
wisely called a tactical fallback. 
?Mom can you muster up the power for a punch,? Elisabeth
asked as she reached her mother who was still racked over in pain. Her
mother looked up and gave her bloodstained smile.
?Thought so,? Elisabeth said with a smirk and a hint of
pride. ?On three,? she said and raised her fist and pointed it towards
the dark ground.
?One,? she said as her mother raised a leather gloved fist.
?Two,? Joyce said as she unclenched and clenched her fist.
?Three,? both mother and daughter shouted. Their fists hit
the ground at the same moment only an inch apart and the effect of this
was quickly realized. For when they hit the hard rock on which they
stood the effect was much like throwing a pebble into a pond and the
earth rippled outwards in all direction sending their now retreating
chasers stumbling to the ground and when they got up their resolve to
run was that much stronger.
Standing up and dusting themselves off they came face to
face with Cordelia as she lowered herself back to the ground. 
?I will tell you one last time Elisabeth, calm down,? she said firmly as
her eyes flashed golden in a very real threat. ?You are already drawing
in more energy than you should??
?Why won?t you shut up, we won didn?t we,? Elisabeth
exclaimed.
?The rest of the Guardians won?t be as understanding as me
and Theris,? Cordelia said firmly. ?And after what happened to Willow
you have become a liability,? she added. Elisabeth started going for her
sword, but stopped took a few deep breaths and started to feel the power
drain from her being as she gathered her thoughts and a million little
thinks fell into place.
?You knew all along didn?t you?? she asked calmly and
Cordelia didn?t answer. ?You knew that Poet would betray us. You knew
that Litni would be captured and that we would never succeed in
capturing the Heart. You knew that Tark would go after Litni only to get
wounded and that Tare would follow him into that hell. You knew that
Willow would almost die and you didn?t do anything to prevent it,? she
said her voices rising with each statement along with the glow returning
to her eyes.
?But Willow didn?t die,? Cordelia said calmly as she tooka
step towards Elisabeth,?and Litni will be fine, she has Angel with her,?
she took another step making smooth delicate gestures with her hands,
?also it is really time for you to calm down and stop thinking about
pounding me into a bloody pulp 'cause you've already lost this fight and
before you realize that this sentence is far too long you will have lost
consciousness,? she said and before Elisabeth could respond she slumped
to the ground.
?You aren?t going to give me trouble are you Joyce??
Cordelia asked calmly as she bent down to check on the now unconscious
general. Joyce gave a small smile as Cordelia picked the fully armored
general up as if she was a mere child.
?I know better than to go up against a fully trained Ranger
Knight,? Joyce said as she looked back at the tower.
?Our parts in this little drama are almost over you know,?
Cordelia said as they started walking towards the south and their
friends and family.
?Time for us to exit stage left,? Joyce nodded.
?Are you going to be okay, with leaving I mean?? Cordelia
asked.
?Cordelia I?m pushing on sixty now. I may not look it but I
feel old and worn. I?ve been fighting with Al?x and the rest for almost
ten years now and many of us aren?t getting any younger you know, sure
Ziel was only a child when all this started and Gymli is a dwarf, but me
and Al?x we are after all only human,? she said. ?And I just did a
Willow didn?t I?? she asked.
?Yep sure did,? Cordelia said with a chuckle that quickly
died when she thought about Willow. ?Lets hurry up we need to catch up
with the rest?? she didn?t finish the sentence as a portal opened up in
front of them.
?Crap not again,? she exclaimed as she held Elisabeth with
one hand and drew her sword with the other.
?Lower your sword Cordelia,? a voice, that she couldn?t
place, but found hauntingly familiar spoke out as two figures stepped
out of the portal. 
?Oh my god?? Joyce and Cordelia muttered in unison as they
got a clear view of the two arrivals. One was a tall, sharp featured,
man with graying hair and icy blue eyes that this moment displayed the
humor he felt at the situation. The other was a woman of maybe twenty
odd years, with cherry blond hair that flowed down her back, her soft
features bore a serious look, but what struck most about the woman were
her eyes. Big round eyes, that were strangely mismatched and while the
left one was deep blue the right one was pale green. Both wore black
clothing styled in the fashion of the Realm but with a distinct
otherworldly look to them.
?Hello mum,? the man said to Joyce in a thickly accented
voice.
?William,? Joyce whispered, but it was more of question than
a greeting for the man she saw was very different from the ?young? man
she?d known as Spike. While the Avatar of Fire looked a bit unsteady on
her feet, Cordelia however was on top of things.
?This is very unusual you know,? she said to the arrivals as
she again picked Elisabeth up into her arms again.
?You know, I knew you?d say that,? the woman said as she
stepped up to the Ranger and placed her hand on Elisabeth?s forehead and
whispered: ?It?s alright mom, I?ve come back just like you told me to,?
and then looked up at Cordelia. ?I?m June Xare Summers by the way,? she
greeted them and that caused Joyce to faint only to be caught by
William.
 
Chapter 1: Darker With The Day
 
I don?t know why I always end up on the battlements when I want to
think, maybe it?s a good place to go if you want to be left alone with
your thoughts, the only people you meet are the guards watching the
night. Put such philosophical questions are better left to another day.
I?ve come here to try and make sense of the last couple of days.
We have fallen back to the city of Agnoria, it was a quiet affair not
the victorious return many of us had planned for and surely not the
victorious return I had planned for. God I feel like such an idiot and
my latest stunt; trying to goad Cordelia into fight rates very high on
the list of stupid things to do and she won without even raising her
sword. Aside from the humiliation I feel about my actions following the
battle and the urgent need to beat myself over the head with my sword. I
must remain focused and try and make sense of the events that happened
at the Tower.
It went according to plan and we did plan it well. After all we did have
some of the greatest strategic planners in the Realm there, but it will
be a long time until we are called that again. My memory of the attack
is clear and I doubt I will ever forget what transpired that day.
The Tower was guarded by a minimal force, elite, but still minimal and
Theris and Cordelia didn?t detect any additional forces. So we charged,
Al?x let the cavalry charge over the hills into the glen the Tower
rested in, and then we followed on foot and crushed what remained of the
force and then it happened. The portals started appearing everywhere.
None of us sensed it, but hundreds of them opened up all around us
none-the-less, I remember feeling angry and I?ve never liked failure. I
think it was at this point I started going over the limit, or going
primal like Cordy calls it, drawing on the background of being too much.
Not that I cared because it felt like the time I connected with the
first Slayer and I could do anything. But I couldn?t stop what happened
next and that drove me over the edge I think. A portal opened up behind
Willow, while she was trying to open up a portal to get us out, but a
Shadow sneaked up behind her and that broke her concentration so the
spell backfired. The blast killed everything within a thirty-foot
radius, friend and foe alike and it somehow affected her voice, she
hasn?t spoken a word since it happened and I feel so helpless about it. 
Yet after all that the worst was still to come, something came over
Poet, I?m not sure what it was but he just seemed to grow darker all of
a sudden. He lashed out so fast that nobody really saw it happened, but
in the space of half a minute everybody that had been standing around
him were dead or dying. Aside from Litni, she saw it coming and the
golden armor that Al?x had given her protected her. They fought with
such fury that the battle around them stopped, but then we all saw it
the Heart of Darkness, it had been in front of us all along, or at least
its instrument had been. Poet lifted his hand and Litni just fell as a
black nimbus overcame her and that caused Tark to go berserk. I have
never seen him so enraged, hell I don?t think anybody has ever seen Tark
Dragon of the Third House so completely out of control. He cut through
his enemies like a knife through hot butter. I see now why the Drow are
so universally feared. After he cast an orb of darkness over the mind of
one of his attackers and the poor being went insane and started clawing
at his eyes I felt sick. But he never got within ten feet of Poet, the
Shadow just struck him down with the same black light he had used on
Litni, but Tark didn?t give up, three times he crawled to his feet and
four times he was struck down. In the end it was Tare who saved him, by
firing an arrow into Poet?s chest. He didn?t even flinch just pulled it
out with disgust and turned the full force of the Heart towards Tare.
Willow came to her rescue and even without her voice my wife is the most
powerful mage in the world and is a force all by herself, but while
Willow protected Tare from the blast Poet fled with Litni through one of
the portals. 
In the end it was Al?x who saved us, he had of course planned for this
turn of events, god I hated him at this point always so in control and
all the while painfully less powerful than the rest of us. Cordelia with
me along with mom were told to stay and cover our retreat, while he led
the army back into the relative protection of the Land of Sun. Willow
almost refused to go, but I told her that somebody had to protect the
army if we failed. So we fought a running battle, but we found out that
even we, probably the most powerful beings alive, had our limits, then
they stopped and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach when I think
about how many we killed with just a thought that day. 
Now I?m faced with a new set of problems, the promise of a quick war has
faded and I don?t know how long it will take before the war is won. Yet
I?m bound by my promise to Piratess and my love for this world to keep
on fighting and hoping for the end. A new problem has presented itself,
one that makes me think about something my mom said a while back that
Al?x had foreseen that a child from our family would be placed in grave
danger and with the arrival of June that prophecy too has come true.
?Mom?? June asked as she leant on the battlements over looking the pass
leading through the mountains that separated the Dark Lands from the
rest of the world.
?June,? Elisabeth greeted and this still felt very awkward.
?You looked like you were someplace else,? the woman, who her daughter
would one day become said to her.
?Well I have a lot on my mind,? Elisabeth said as she turned away from
the Dark Lands.
?You are not happy with me coming here are you?? June asked.
?I?m confused, I know that your arrival here will but you in danger, but
yet you say that I sent you here,? she said in an attempt to explain how
she felt.
?I know it?s confusing,? June said and leant against the battlements,
?and I don?t pretended to understand it either, but this is something
that has to happen,? she added. 
Elisabeth shook her head and just looked at her daughter for a long
moment, she was an alamang of her and Willow that was for sure, she had
flowing reddish blond hair, while her face carried much of Willow?s
gentleness her eyes showed enormous intellect and a sharp mind. She
could also see that she had received training, either by Giles or Faith,
or perhaps both. She walked like a Slayer, but she was completely normal
as far as she could tell.
?I learned long ago that no matter how hard you try to fight
prophecies they always come about in one form or another and only by
realizing their full meaning can you hope to alter the outcome,? she
finally said with a sigh and June gave a small smile.
?You used that same argument while trying to convince me to
come here you know,? she said.
?June can I ask something of you?? Elisabeth asked.
?Anything,? June stated.
?While you are here, can we put aside the fact that you are
my daughter?? she asked.
?This whole thing bothers you doesn?t it? Seeing me and
knowing that I?m your daughter, but not really knowing me,? June said.
?I?? Elisabeth started, but June just smiled and placed her
hand on her mother?s shoulder and smiled. 
?I understand and I think I know your reasons,? she said.
?Also my mother never told me about this part of her life and now I know
why,? she added.
?I would never?? Elisabeth started, but her reply died when
June shook her head.
?You will and you must,? she said firmly.
?This isn?t going to be easy is it?? Elisabeth asked.
?These sort of things rarely are luv,? Spike said as he came
walking along the battlements. 
?And what?s your story Spike?? Elisabeth asked. ?And what?s
with the hair??
?He feels it makes him look more respectable,? June answered
and Spike shot her a dirty look before turning towards Elisabeth.
?You told me to come Elisabeth and trust me twenty years
from now you?ll understand why I did just that,? he explained.
?So you aren?t going to tell me anything about the future
are you?? Elisabeth asked.
?You know we can?t do that luv,? Spike said. ?Willow, that
is the one we know?? he said motioning between himself and June.
??wouldn?t approve.?
?Oh my god Willow,? Elisabeth, gasped as she saw her wife
walk towards them supporting herself with a staff and leaning on it
heavily. She rushed to her wife?s side, but Willow just raised her hand
for her to stop.
//I am fine// a voice spoke into her mind. It sounded old
and tired somehow, like the last ten years were catching up to her all
at once.
?You should be in bed,? Elisabeth said out loud.
//I wanted to see our daughter, or the person she will one
day become. Is that such a terrible thing?// She asked and Elisabeth
looked down as Willow walked over to June who looked close to tears at
the sight of her mother.
//You have such beautiful eyes// Willow spoke into her mind
and June gave a small smile as the tears started to spill down her
cheeks.
//Oh don?t cry child// Willow said as she reached out and
stroked her cheek. I?ll be alright, it takes a lot more than a
backfiring spell to kill me. She then turned towards Spike.
//Hello Spike// she said and a smile appeared on her face.
?Hello Red,? Spike said in a low voice as he took her hand
and kissed it.
//Age has done you good I see// she thought with a rueful
smile.
?I guess so,? Spike said running a hand through his hair.
//Very well then// she thought so they all could hear, I?ll
just hobble back to my bed then. //Coming dear// she added so just
Elisabeth could hear.
Elisabeth smiled as she took Willow arms and led her down
from the battlements leaving June and Spike alone.
?Should we tell them?? she asked him, watching as her
parents walked away.
?Do you really think they could handle it?? he asked calmly.
?No, but they have a right to know,? she said as she wrapped
her arms around herself. ?Maybe it would change things.? Spike stepped
up to her side and placed an arm around her shoulder.
?We didn?t come here to change things luv, we came here to
fulfill one of those prophecy?s Rupert?s so fond off,? Spike said
softly. ?And I think history will have its way with or without our
help,? he added and looked down at her with a smile.
*~*~*~*
 
Cordelia felt exhausted as she washed her hands in the basin at the
makeshift hospital that had been set up. She had worked nonstop since
their arrival at Agnoria, healing the wounded and being there for those
who she couldn?t save. Despite all her skills as a healer she couldn?t
save them all. She still felt some guilt over what she had done to
Elisabeth and she had stepped into a very gray area with her actions,
but at least her friend wouldn?t be hunted down and killed by the other
Guardians now. 
?Explain to me honored Ranger Knight what you did in order
to calm our general?? a calm voice asked. Cordelia smiled as she turned
around and there stood Tark in uniform. She could sense that he was
still in considerable pain, but the man had drive like no other she had
ever known.
?You should be resting Tark,? she said turning her back
towards him and continued rinsing her hands.
?I?ll rest when the war is over Moondancer,? he said as he
sat down in a low chair and folded his hands. ?I dislike mysteries and
your recent actions and their motives have been bothering me for I
cannot understand them,? he stated. Cordelia shook the water off her
hands with a sigh and turned around to face him.
?Then you must promise me that what I tell you will remain
with you until your death,? she said with a serious tone in her voice.
?You have my word that your secrets will die with me,? he
said.
?Alright then,? she sat down and crossed her hands in her
lap. ?The Guardians of Order have existed since the dawn of time. We
watch over those who are primal and we do our best to ensure that they
don?t cause damage to the fabric of being. This applies to various
situations, the most common being a mage or druid turning rogue. You see
we can feel when this happens and we do our best to put them down. This
is what happened to Elisabeth, she went primal and started doing things
that went against the natural order of things in a way that is not
allowed. She has always been my responsibility and from the moment I
became a Guardian I knew that I would, one day, have to face her. Now
that day has come and my mission is over,? she explained.
?So what happens now?? Tark asked.
?I go home to Stjar?a. That?s why I left in the first
place,? Cordelia answered. ?I knew that I couldn?t be tied down in case
Elisabeth ever returned.? 
?You spent the last ten year preparing for that fight,? Tark
stated.
?Yes, learning ways to win without fighting and making deals
with the other Guardians to stay out of the fight,? she answered. ?I
didn?t want to kill my friend,? she added.
?That?s understandable,? Tark nodded as he stood up.
?There is more,? Cordelia said looking up.
?You have told me enough Lady Moondancer,? Tark said as he
left the makeshift hospital room. He stopped in the doorway and said
something that would bother her for the longest time. ?I thank you for
trying to protect my daughter from her destiny,? he said and then left.
Cordelia stared at the door for a moment before burying her face in her
hands. ?Why Theris?? she asked. ?Why??
?Because no matter how hard we try we can?t fight destiny,?
a voice said.
?I thought you had left,? she said as she looked up and
wiped away her tears.
?I won?t leave without saying goodbye Cordy,? Al?x saidas
he knelt down in front of her.
?You always know what to say don?t you?? she asked. ?You
probably know more than I do about how the things have happened and
still you are just going to turn tail and hide.?
?I?m just human Cordy,? Al?x said. ?I?ve walked with the
gods and kept in stride for these past twenty years and it?s bound to
take its toll. So my answer to join you remains the same. I have people
who are counting on me and I can?t betray that trust,? he said. ?So I
leave the fate of the world in the capable hands of my friends,? he said
with a smile that in twenty years had lost none of its charm.
?Don?t you feel guilty over what you did to Litni?? she
asked.          
?Yes, every hour of every day I feel the guilt,? he said and
looked down. ?But that?s my burden not yours, so I ask only that you
return home to Stjar?a and be happy,? he said and looked up
?I?ll check in on you from time to time, okay?? Cordelia
said. ?Just to make sure that you are doing alright,? she said and there
was a long moment of silence between them that ended with Al?x standing
up and slowly walking away.
*~*~*~*
 
Litni followed the walls of the prison, staying in the shadows just like
Tark had taught her and masking her presence with a small spell she?d
learned from Willow. Her golden armor concealed beneath a dark cloak
she?d taken from the guards she had killed. She stopped in a dark alcove
to catch her breath while at the back of her mind she could hear Angel?s
voice trying to reason with her.
//Litni this is not a good idea// he said softly. //I know
Poet betrayed you but you should be trying to get to the Heart instead
of him.//
//Shut up Liam// she shouted back. 
//I will not see the gift we gave you go to waste like this
Litni// he said firmly.
//I didn?t ask for this// she said and tore the glove which
held the stone of her hand, but as soon as the glove was off the stone
appeared on the back of her hand.
//Yes you did and we did warn you of the implications of
receiving it// Angel said calmly.
//Honor demands that Poet pays, I can?t go after the heart
knowing that he?s behind me// she said firmly. There was a brief silence
in her mind as Angel thought it over.
//Very well then, go satisfy your sense of honor, but before
you kill him look him in the eye one last time// he said.
//Oh I fully intend to// she said as she pulled the glove
back on her hand and started down the corridor folding the ethereal
wings around her body.
 
Time moved strangely as she moved through the corridors in search of
Poet. She had made it half way across the compound before her escape was
discovered; she was in the officers quarters when the guards went for
the alarm and she was standing in front of Poet?s work desk when the
alarm sounded.  
?Poet,? she said as she appeared and unfolded the wings in a
dazzling display of light. The wings appeared as ribbons of light
streaming from her back.
?Miss Speed,? Poet said with a casual smile as he stood up
from behind his desk. ?Didn?t take you long to escape now did it,? he
said and she could feel the aura of darkness that she had first sensed
at the battle at the Tower and his voice which was once music to her
ears sounded like breaking glass in the distance.
?Quit playing games Poet,? Litni snarled as she drew the
swords she had taken from the guards and pointed them at his throat. 
?Such crude weapons,? he commented. ?Why don?t you use the
sword you keep stored in that stone of yours, you know the one Al?x Sun
gave you,? he said with a cruel smile.
?You make me sick,? Litni said as she lunged, but Poet was
out of the chair in a split second and all the swords hit were the wood
of the chair. Litni gave an angry yell and pulled her sword from within
the gemstone in a brilliant flash of light.
?Impressive,? Poet said as he drew two obsidian blades from
their sheaths. ?But aren?t you feeling the weight of the mantle?? he
asked.
?Shut up,? Litni screamed as she charged him and their
swords clashed.
?There is that fury I?m so fond of,? he commended as they
broke apart. ?Nice wings by the way,? he said. ?I?m so going to enjoy
tearing them off.?
Litni just gave him a wicked smile as something Tark had told her
flashed through her mind. Never tell those who you care about everything
'cause one day you might have to meet them in battle.
?Poet guess what,? she said as she curled her hand up into a fist. ?
?What?? he asked menacingly.
?You are not nearly as charming as you think,? she said and let her fist
fly with incredible speed. It connected solidly with the side of his
face and he went flying across the room, landing against the wall.
?You?re a monster Poet,? Litni said as she sauntered over to him,
returning her sword to the stone. ?I rather like your idea of tearing
something apart,? she said as she picked him up with one hand and held
him against the wall with a single hand. ?Oh, by the way, have you ever
felt the touch of ethereal fire?? she asked as she touched his shoulder
with the tip of one of the ribbons that made up her wings. Poet screamed
as the tip drove into his right shoulder.
?You betrayed us Poet, ? she said as she drove another ribbon in his
left shoulder and stepped back from the wall as the ribbons held him
aloft. ?You wormed your way into my heart and into my bed,? she went on
as he squirmed against the light that pinned him in place. ?In
retrospect that night was as cheap as all your other lies,? she said.
Look into his eyes Angel spoke firmly in the back of her
mind and Litni stopped her taunting and looked into the white eyes she
had once felt held her world and there she saw it, a flicker of light
and then he spoke.
?Litni?? Poet said in a weak voice and the voice was soft
like humming crystal. 
?Poet?? Litni asked her voice cracking.
?Strike my heart my love,? he said. ?Free me,? he bleated.
?Poet is that really you?? she asked.
?Yes,? he said in a hissing voice almost like he was
fighting something. 
?I?? Litni started.
?No time for explanations?. strike now,? he said in a firm
voice.
?But I?ll kill you,? Litni protested as she started to
withdraw the ribbons.
?No!? Poet shouted. ?The light? is the only thing keeping me
sane,? he said.
?Sane?? Litni asked.
?The Council used the Heart to corrupt my heart,? Poet
explained in a strained voice as shouts started coming from down the
hall. ?Turned my love for you into hate, but they didn?t fully succeed,
so I beg of you end my suffering,? he pleaded. Litni just looked into
his eyes for the longest moment and then raised a ribbon of light and
aimed it for his heart.
?I love you,? she whispered as she struck.
?Love you too?? the words died on his lips as the light
entered his chest, the ribbons faded and he dropped to the ground with a
deafening thud and Litni?s world went silent.
*~*~*~*
 
June Xare Summers knocked carefully at the door leading into her
grandmother?s quarters, she knew her grandmother would soon depart but
there was a message she was supposed to bring, even though she dreaded
it. She checked that the folded and sealed piece of parchment was still
in the pocked of her cloak. 
//Leave it up to grandpa to think of everything// she
thought with a smile.
?Come in dear,? Joyce said from within the room and June
carefully opened the door and stepped inside. The room sparse, with just
a double bed, two chairs and a desk perched under its single window.
Twin armors, one gleaming black and the other white hung on the armor
racks along with swords and shields. On the bed polishing a piece of
armor sat her grandmother, she was every bit as beautiful and regal as
her mother had described her in her stories.
?Grandmother we need to talk,? June said in a low voice.
?Don?t call me that dear,? Joyce said. ?I have done nothing
to earn that title,? she added a little sadly as she continued to polish
that armor plate.
?But you have done so much and we share more than just
blood,? June said as she sat down and placed her delicate hand over hers
and Joyce?s eyes grew wide as something passed between the two and June
nodded as she went on with her story.
?Mother told be endless stories of you when I was little,?
June said with a smile. ?And to me you're very much my grandmother,
although most grannies don?t ride around in full armor and purge other
worlds of evil,? she said with a smile, one which Joyce shared.
?I?m? sad that I didn?t get to see you grow up June,?Joyce
said with a small smile.
?I wish I could sit here and tell you all about my life, I
really would, but I?m here on a mission,? June said in a very serious
tone of voice.
?It must have taken Rupert some time to convince you off
that,? Joyce commended with a smile.
?Grandpa can be very convincing if he wants to,? June said
with a smile. 
?So what is this message you bring from the future then
dear?? Joyce said as she put the armor aside. June drew the parchment
and handed it to Joyce.
?In thirteen years from this day give or take a week, the
seal on this parchment will break,? she said. ?There are instructions on
it of course about what you must do then,? she said.
?And you are not going to tell me what?s on it are you??
Joyce asked.
?Only mother and Rupert know the full details, but this is
important grandmother,? June said firmly. ?Important in a world
shattering, apocalyptically way,? she added and Joyce couldn?t help but
not to smile.
?Very well then,? Joyce said as she laid the parchment to
her side and took a breath. ?Now dear tell me about yourself and a bit??
she asked and June smiled.
 
The next morning, June stood along with her mothers, Spike and various
others as they watched Al?x and Joyce mount their horses as the sun was
just peaking above the mountains giving a calm light to the pass leading
into the Dark Lands. There was a multitude of hugs that had lasted until
Gymli, blushing after Joyce had smothered him, declared in typical
dwarfen fashion that it was?.
?Enough wid da?mushyness,? the stout dwarf and his daughter
the Priestess Ziel had chosen to remain with Elisabeth and her troops
and help them in the upcoming struggle. He had said that of course he
longed to see the Halls of his Clan again, but everybody knew the dwarf
was looking for a good fight after years of playing nurse mother to
peasants as he had so colorfully put it the night before after his third
tankard of mead.
?See you around short stuff,? Joyce said and bent to down to
rap her knuckles against the dwarfs helmet.
?Get going lass, the lil?un is waiting,? he said with a
smile.
?Get going you two,? Elisabeth said as she valiantly tried
to hold back her tears. And with a slow leisurely pace the pair rode
through the gates facing north. The group thinned out until only
Elisabeth and Spike remained. The General looked up at her friend, or
the person her friend would become, but that kind of thinking gave her a
headache so she just thought of him as Spike.
?Will they be alright Spike?? she asked.
?Oh they?ll be just fine,? Spike said in a reassuring voice.
?They?ll be just fine,? he said placing an arm around her shoulder and
turning her away from the gate.
?Will we see them again?? she asked in a small voice.  
?Don?t know ducks, but I?m time traveling so anything is
possible,? he said with a smile. Above them, high above them just below
the thin morning clouds two beings very much alike but so very different
where also saying their goodbyes.            
?So they summoned you back?? Cordelia asked.
?Yes the hierarchy is concerned about this latest
development,? Theris answered in a low voice. Cordelia gently took her
hands with a certain sense of urgency.
?Make them understand Forestwalker,? she pleaded. ?Make them
understand that things are beyond their control and that guarding her
may be impossible even for you.?
?I?ll try Moondancer,? Theris said. ?But I doubt they will
listen,? she added with a distant look in her eyes as the familiar rift
in the fabric of reality opened up and revealed the Shinning City of the
High Elves.
?Godspeed my friend,? Cordelia said. ?And remember no matter
whatever may have passed between us that you have played your part and I
have played mine,? she said and Theris turned back from the rift and
smiled. 
?Go be with the one you love,? she said and then stepped
through the rift. Cordelia watched it close with a sigh. Her friend was
in for some difficult times. For the life of a Guardian was an
ungrateful one, but she took solace in the fact that, unlike her sister,
she could now, for the time being, be with the one she loved. 
 
To be contiuned in:
Prophecy's Twilight: Following of the Rose #1
Prophecy's Twilight: The Dark Elf #1
Prophecy's Twilight: The Guardians #1