Prophecy's Twilight: Following of the Rose #4/4

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hiya!
Yes it is I, Cilia, returned from the land of darkness e.g. midterms and
social work to give you a new doze of Two Worlds and this one is going
to have you hunting for my handsome head.
Take Care 
Cilia

Previously on PROPHECY'S TWILIGHT: FOLLOWING OF THE ROSE, Chapter 3:
Phoenix's Flight

...

"The vote is three votes with, none against and two abstain,"
Piratess said. "Master Mage Willow Rosenberg is reinstated as Head of
the Alliance Council!"
There was a thunderous applause that rippled through the chamber and
messengers were sent in all directions to spread the news. The room
didn't quiet down until Willow stood and silenced the room with a
gesture of her hand and cleared her throat. 
Time to make history again, Buffy whispered into her mind with a smile. 
"I thank you for your support and trust," Willow exclaimed as
she started on the speech she's been writing in her mind.
"Let it be known that from now on that we will no longer cover
behind our borders and inside our forts. We will no longer sit and wait
for the darkness to come to us. I order you, no I beg of you, brave men
and women whom rule over this Land summon here your entire armies, hold
nothing back or you will answer to me. For I have seen the darkness
which lies beyond the Great Wilderness in the Dark Lands of the Shadows.
I have foreseen what is to come and I know that we must face it on their
land or watch ours burn under the weight and heat of battle. The battle
shall take place and a time and place of our choosing and we shall be
victorious!" she thundered as her eyes pulsed with the green flame of
her youth. 

The Council was stunned; many had not come to know Willow until years
after the battle of Necris when her power had been dulled slightly by
the years. Many had considered her feats at Necris a myth, but now
nobody doubted that it was all true and that this was the legendary Red
Mage. That victory would be theirs. Then a single person started
clapping and again all eyes turned to the main entrance. 

...

Now the conclusion...

PROPHECY'S TWILIGHT: FOLLOWING OF THE ROSE

Epilogue: Rosetta and Darliana

Rosetta Rose, Willow's twin and the second most powerful mage in the Old
Realm watched from the window of her chamber as the endless lines of
soldiers marched into Larken and smiled a thin smile. Coming here had
not been an easy decision. She'd not seen much of her twin-sister over
the course of the last decade. After all nobody wants to look into their
own dark mirror. Twirling her silver streaked hair around her finger she
turned her eyes to the horizon.
"You're doing it again," Darliana said, Darliana her faithful
companion for almost all of her life, her anchor and her mission. The
young chambermaid she'd met in the towers of Tharon, had grown into a
secure woman blessed with a gentle soul and sharp mind. The fractures in
her mind and the scars on her soul had long been healed or buried deep.
It had been as much on her urging as the Guild's that they now stood on
the ancient stone of Larken.
"I know," Rosetta said. "I like conflict and change and I strive
for it," she said. "This war appeals to my nature," she explained.
"They're at the door," Darliana said in her quiet voice and soon
after there followed a knock.
"Enter sister," Rosetta said and the door opened and Willow
Summers entered followed closely by her wife.
"General," Rosetta nodded as Darliana busied herself in the
rooms' hearth.
"Rosetta," Buffy said with a small bow. Buffy's mind did a short
trip to the past. She remembered well the day Joyce, her mother, had
split Willow and Rosetta into two separate beings. "How's your
daughter?" Rosetta asked.
"She's fine, she's here now," Buffy said. "Hiding outside the
door," she said a little louder and a pair of feet could be heard
scampering away from the door.
"Why don't you come in?" Rosetta said and made an attempt to
hide her laughter.
"How odd," Darliana said as she placed the earthware cups and
teapot on the table in the middle of the room.
"What is it?" Buffy asked under the calm studying eyes for
Darliana. 
"Your daughter is out of time," Darliana said. "She is here, yet
she is not," she said as she poured the amber liquid of the tea into the
cups.
"You made quite an entrance," Willow said to Rosetta. "And the
chamber earlier, the guards still don't understand how you got in," she
explained.
"Magic dear sister, magic," Rosetta said with a grin.
"How is the young thief?" Darliana asked.
"Young thief?" Buffy asked.
"Grimm," Darliana explained.
"Not a thief anymore," Willow answered. "Ambassador," she
explained.
"So he's not yet received his silver crown," Darliana muttered.
"Well all in good time I guess," she said.
"What do you hope to achieve," Rosetta asked. "With all this?" 
"Protect Necris and return home," Buffy answered. "It was my
promise to Queen Piratess," she said. 
"Then we go home," Willow said with a small smile. "My job here
is done, once there is peace," she explained and took Buffy's hand.
"Well that's nice," Rosetta said. "Who are you going to leave in
charge?" she asked.
"I'll tell you when it's over," Willow said with a secretive
smile and sipped her tea. Feet could then be heard rushing towards the
room and the door was flung open. June practically fell into the room
out of breath and with a look of great urgency about her.
"Mom," she breathed. "It's. they." she stuttered.
"What. what is it?" Buffy asked as she helped June sit down and
catch her breath. June took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Piratess wants to see you," she said as calmly as possible. 
"Why. what's wrong?" Buffy asked.
"It's the Shadows they are marching on Necris," June said and
there was a crash as Buffy's cup fell to the ground and the General was
off and running.
"Wait there." June called out after her but she was long gone.
"I should be getting to the chambers," Willow said calmly as her
mind started running over possible scenarios.
"There is more," June said. "They are coming in from the East,
we can't stop them until they reach the entrance to the Nether," she
said.
"How do you know this?" Willow asked.
"I'm just fulfilling my duties," June said. "This was one of
those things I was supposed to tell you about," she explained. "And no
you didn't tell me when it would happen just where they would come
from," June added.
"You better go," Rosetta said and placed a hand on Willow's
shoulder. "We'll take care of things here," she stated. Willow nodded
and left the room with her white robe flowing behind her.
"Now Daughter of Summers," Darliana said. "Would you like some
tea?" she asked. 
"Yes, please," June said with a smile.
"Don't worry," Rosetta said. "Things will turn out fine."
"How can you be so sure?" June asked.
"Well you are here," Rosetta said with a gentle smile. "Still
that's only true as time is linear, but we all now it's foamy so." 
"Let's just stick to happy theories okay?" June said with a
nervous smile.
"If you insist," Rosetta said with a friendly nod.

~*~*~*~

Grimm rushed through the halls of the Alliance building, his sword
beating a steady rhythm against his thigh and his cape flying behind
him. They'd been too late, the Shadow's were marching on Necris, but
also massing on the North-Eastern border. They had been setup, all their
intelligence had pointed to a surgical strike against Larken. No one had
foreseen the Shadows crossing the Western Highlands, Barbarian lands. He
entered the Chambers with as much dignity as he could muster at the
moment, but his mind was hard at work on two possibilities: how to fight
back and how to make sure he came out of this alive and well, once a
thief, always a thief.
"I will have order," Willow thundered and the chatter in the
room died down almost immediately.
"Our opponent has outwitted us," she said. "But we still have
the edge, he does not know that we are privy to his plans, he does not
know that we have been mustering our forces," she stated firmly.
"I have already given the Order that General Elisabeth take drow
and dwarven forces and go with haste to the defense of Necris. Human and
elfin forces will face the armies coming down the Eastern Planes, we'll
meet them on the edge of the Great Wilderness where we have already been
setting up defenses," she explained. "Your orders have been issued," she
said as courtiers rushed hastily written scrolls to all present. "Go to
your soldiers, rally them and make ready for war," she said. "This is
the Final Battle and we will be victorious," she thundered.

To be Contiuned in TWILIGHT'S WAR, the final chapter in the Two Worlds
saga