We Never Break A Promise-Part 8 (The Conclusion)
By Warm Hearted
Proofed and edited by Catherine Linda Michel

FROM THE EDITOR: This is the final chapter of this book. It's not the end of Willow and her family and friends though, just the end of this chapter of her life. It's been fun to help get this story proofed and ready for posting and I thank Warm Hearted for trusting in my ability to help polish her already great story. I hope all of you have enjoyed reading about Willow and her amazing transformation and story. I know there's going to be a lot more coming from Warm Hearted in the future and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. Please remember to kudo and comment, as those things are a writer's lifeblood and the only pay for all the hard work that goes along with getting the idea for a story and the effort to write it and get it ready to be read by you, the readers. On Warm Hearted's behalf I thank all of you who have followed the story and commented. Happy Holidays!

FROM LAST TIME: "I got so tried of all the unjust and undeserved pain that others took so much pleasure in inflicting on me. So when Leigh and Ms. Bishop cornered me and told me how they planed not just to kill me, but also blame me as Eric for killing everyone at school, I guess I did what I always did. I instinctively used what I had to fight back and I don't feel bad for doing it. They were evil and they had no concern that they were going to kill so many just to hurt me. So I'm glad I disintegrated them."

Wee Lo Jumped and did another loop and shouted, "THATS MY GIRL!"

Several months later:

As Wee Lo examined Willow's new effort on the easel, she said, "Goddaughter, it's amazing. It's like a window to the past. I feel like all I would have to do is to fly in there and join my brothers and sisters in the Equinox Dance. I think that dance is what I miss the most from the time of The Old Order, but one day I may get to dance it again."

Willow answered, "I think I did a fair job, but I think you're biased. I think though I like acrylic pencils better than water color."

Willow examined her work again and thought, 'Yes, I like this medium better and I like the subject. Learning the history of the Old Order is my favorite course here at Eagle Nests Academy. I can't believe I've been here almost a year. It's only two weeks until my Awakening and I'll be eighteen and have control of my Magic.'

While we sleep we are taught all our lessons Magically, leaving our awake time to pursue things that interest us personally. I still like reading, myself and I read a lot in the vast library here, but I also like Art and Music and I'm one of the soloists in the Nest's Choir. I shocked the hell out of Erin when she came to my Piano Recital because no one in our family could play music. So I do love it here at the Nest and I'll hate leaving.'

I'll stay here until I learn how to use my magic effectively, probably another year. Although I will have to move to the campus where Magic isn't dampened. Here on the Pre-Awakened Campus, Magic only works in our beds while we are asleep. I like how it works here. So Wild Magic isn't a problem.

Although there are some Sleep Magic mishaps. When I found out about Sleep Magic I got worried because, while we are Magically Sleep Learning, we still dream. When I was told that Sleep Magic was Wild Magic triggered by our dreams and could change us. I was a little relieved, learning that the changes only lasted until we went to sleep again. This scared me because of my reoccurring dream of being Eric again.

I haven't had that dream since I've been here and I figured it was triggered by the stress of still having to regularly confront the same people that Eric was tortured by. Sleep Magic is rare here in the Nest. The only case I know of personally was April Fisher, who normally has small breasts showing up one morning with a pair of DD's. She returned to normal the next morning, saying her back still hurts and she never wanted big breasts again."

Willow's suite at the Academy was indicative of the wealth and
prominence of her family, but no one knew about her past or the
expectation that she would be an Exemplar Wizard or her history. Willow still used the last name of Sparrow because the story of the tragedy of the Cranes and their infant daughter was still talked about regularly. So the other students just thought she was named after that poor infant that the Evil Wren killed, along with Willow Crane's parents.

Willow had a separate bedroom, a sitting room with a grand piano, a floor harp, and a dressing room connected to a huge bathroom, but Willow wasn't pretentious and often had other students there for dinners or just hanging out.

Willow took most her meals in the cafeteria with her many friends. She had a very different life than Eric did since she was respected by all the students and faculty of the Nest.

Once a rude, self involved male student referred to her as "the little princess," resulting in him being verbally ostracized by half the student body. Months later he still can not get a date.

Willow had no problem getting a date, but she didn't have a serious relationship with anyone. She found she liked tall, dark men who were respectful, yet fun. She was still a virgin although she had come close to losing her virginity a couple of times. She was able to stop after her disappointed dates made it to second base, but one almost stole third.

Willow was saving herself for someone that she loved the way Erin loves Aaron. After putting away her art supplies and cleaning up, she went to her harp and started playing and singing an old Irish ballad. Wee Lo said, "Willow, you sing beautifully. You sound like a Fae with your bell-like soprano voice. Please sing me something else."

Willow smiled and thought it would be a good time to give Wee Lo the surprise she had been preparing. She found, in the library, a song that Fairies sing on special occasions like their secret Equinox Dance. The dance was only seen by a few who just happened on it to their misfortune. Fairies can be very mischievous with their punishments.

Willow started playing her harp and as soon as Wee Lo heard the melody she started crying. Then Willow started singing Amha'n Aos Si, which was at the top end of her high soprano range. Wee Lo just sat there, mesmerized by the song, with her tiny mouth open. Soon her wings wrapped around her while she was sitting in a tight ball with her arms around her knees pulled into her chest.

Sobbing, Wee Lo said, "My Goddaughter, you honor me so much. Willow I could not love a daughter more than I love you and I know you love me as much. It has been many centuries since I have heard the Aos Si and the sound of you singing it took me back to the dance once again, but it was very strange. Seeing the dance in my mind, you were dancing it with me as a fairy, which I know could not ever happen."

Willow started crying too when Wee Lo hugged her face as much as she could and kissed Willow on the forehead. Wee Lo told Willow tales of the olden times and Willow loved to hear Wee Lo telling of the lives of Fairies in the time of The Old Order. Wee Lo spun her tales until it was late, so Willow went to bed thinking how she was born too late and how wonderful the life of a fairy must have been.

Willow lay in her bed sleeping peacefully and dreaming of Fairies in the time of the Old Order. Then she started to glow brightly. She dreamed of flying through fields of flowers and sitting on toadstools. She, in her utopian dream of being a free Fairy, was singing the Aos Si with a Fairy choir backing her up. Then her Godmother, a little taller than she, took her hand and Willow joined the rest of the Fairies in the dance.

Willow was awakened from the dream to the sound of Wee Lo screaming for her.

In a panicked voice Wee Lo was screaming "WILLOW WHERE ARE YOU?"

Willow opened her eyes and she was under some heavy fabric covering, but she saw some light some distance from her and started to crawl towards it. She was surprised at how easily she could maneuver under the heavy fabric as she made her way to the light.

Hearing Wee Lo shouting in distress, Willow answered, "I hear you Godmother and I'm crawling out from some kind of tent."

When Willow got free of the fabric she saw Wee lo standing over her on a giant pillow.

Wee Lo, in a confused voice said, "Willow? Is that you?"

Willow answered, "It's me, but how did you get so big?"

Wee Lo, in a voice that conveyed pure amazement replied, "Willow! you're a Fairy!"

Willow answered, thinking she was still dreaming, "I'm a Fairy? I must still be dreaming."

Wee Lo, calming just a little said, "Willow, it must have been Sleep Magic, but There has never been a Wizard able to transform into a fairy. The Merlins could change into animals and other humans, but Fairies aren't of the Earth. So the Magic would have to be stronger than any Wizard has ever had. Magic strong enough to change your very being.”

“Willow, what happens to a Wizard through Sleep Magic can easily be recreated by them once they Awaken and they learn how to use their Magic. Let me check and see if you just changed into a copy of a Fairy, which would make more sense."

Wee Lo flew around Willow and looked through her Magic vision and said, "WILLOW! YOU'RE REAL DOWN TO YOUR DUST SACKS UNDER YOUR WINGS!"

Willow said, not nearly as shocked as Wee Lo, “This is just Sleep Magic so I will be back to normal by tomorrow. I want to see how I look as a Fairy, but how will I get to the mirror? It looks like a mile away now."

Wee Lo calmed down with Willow's calm assessment. Then Wee Lo got excited that her Goddaughter was a Fairy now, even if it was just for a day. Wee Lo explained, "Willow, you have wings now and Fairies don't have to learn to fly, we're born with the skill. So just fly to the mirror."

Willow looked over her shoulder and watched as she flapped her wings. Then, with a smile on her face, she took off and easily flew over to her vanity mirror with Wee Lo giggling, following. Standing in front of her mirror she looked at her naked form as a Fairy. Wee Lo waved her hand and Willow instantly had a Fairy dress on similar to Wee Lo's.

Willow saw she looked the same, but with translucent wings and she was now just a little shorter than Wee Lo. Willow jokingly said "Damn! You were the only person I knew shorter than me. Now I'm shorter than you!"

Wee Lo, picking up on the humor retorted, "I always said you looked like a giant wingless Fairy. Now you're a proper height and you have a proper set of wings. You're perfect and if there were any boy Fairies around I would have a hard time keeping them off of you."

Willow laughed and said, with love in her voice, "Now I do look like your real daughter."

Wee Lo grabbed Willow in a Hug and picked her up off her feet in a big hug saying, "You have no idea how long I wanted to give you a real hug."

Willow, with false distress answered, "Hey watch the Wings. HAHAHA."

Wee Lo let her go and said, "Lets go for a Fairy Frolic." and flew out the window with Willow following."

They flew up very high and left the campus, then dove down into the surrounding woods.

The day was a sunny Indian Summer day with a few flowers still blooming and they drank nectar from Morning Glories. Then they skipped over a pond and flew with carefree abandon. Willow knew no one at the school would worry that she was gone, since she would often spend time hidden away in with an old book.

After hours of play, they rested on soft leaves in the sun and giggled and talked and Wee Lo commented, "Willow, when the Old Order returns you can change into a Fairy and dance with us. I will be so proud to hear you sing for all the Fairies."

Willow answered seriously, "If I can change into a Fairy like you think I will be able to do and the Old Order returns, I promise that I will, on my birthdays and we never break a promise."

After they played all day, Willow and Wee Lo sang together well into the night, Willow laid on her bed, exhausted. She went to sleep and was soon returned to her normal form while Wee Lo watched. Wee Lo thought, as Willow returned to normal, 'One day Goddaughter, we will do this again and I hope it will be soon.'

Val and Nikki were sitting at a table for two in the Capital Grill Restaurant in downtown Charlotte. Val liked the place because it reminded him of some of the restaurants he liked in New Orleans. The establishment's name wasn't descriptive of it's romantically intimate, fine dining atmosphere or price. Val and Nikki often frequented it to discuss business privately without distractions, but Val had planned to do more than business tonight at the dinner.

Nikki, closing her presentation said, "So with our contacts, when the Cuban Cigar and Rum importation restrictions are removed, we will be positioned to control the new market. We must watch it though, because the market will diversify quickly so, to maximize our profits we need to sell our holdings while they're still at a premium. Val, does this strategy meet your approval?"

Val answered, "Yes. We'll do well in this as you said until the market diversifies."

As always, Nikki sought Val's permission to implement the already completely prepared and in place plan, but what has changed is Nikki no longer called Val "Sir" when they were alone. This thrilled Nikki to have Val's permission to use names like darling or love as the situation warranted. Nikki liked the liberty because her feelings for Val had changed from being just her employer to one that was as close to love as
a creature like Nikki could have.

Nikki naturally knew Val was through with business and was ready to order, so she asked if she could freshen up before dinner arrived. Nikki waited for Val to stand and come and hold her chair before she rose, picked up her clutch and made her way to the restroom.

It has been almost a year since Val first arrived in Charlotte with Jack, his Will-O-Wisp Familiar, and met Nick Cunningham, the late Dianna Hobs personal assistant. It was very hard for Val to remember this five foot tall, graceful, vision of beauty sitting across from him as the very tall young man he first met.

Over the months, that Nikki has been his personal assistant, she has proven herself smart, innovative, competent and completely loyal. Nikki has been even better in her other role as his mistress. Val thought about how their sex and their relationship has evolved over the months.

It started out with Nikki being just his whore, but it changed quickly as Val's respect and dependence on Nikki grew. The tension releasing sex sessions mutated into a type of casual date sex, to what it is now, sessions of very romantic love making. Val loved Nikki as much as a creature like him could. So Val's Familiar, who was fed by the life force from his Witches seed, was actually getting a little portly.

So when Nikki was gone, Val took out black velvet box that had a three carat, canary yellow, diamond set in a platinum engagement ring. Val had use his magic to hide his intentions from Nikki because of her gift of knowing what he wanted without being told. So Val was sure it would be a complete surprise to her when he asked her to be Mrs. Valentine Morgen.
He saw Nikki making her way back and quickly replaced the ring in his pocket.

When Nikki returned to the table she had a box of her own. Nikki's box was long and made of dark oak and had the Morgen Family Crest on it. Val rose and pulled out her chair and she seated herself, then Val asked, "What do you have there?"

Nikki answered, "It's something I found for you, not on Ebay. I hope you like it."

Val knew that Nikki had lately started buying him gifts, just as he had for her, so it wasn't unusual for her to get him something, but Val knew his gift for Nikki would top whatever she bought him so he let her go first. Val thanked her and opened the oblong box and in it he saw a dagger with a brass handle and an Obsidian blade.

Val saw the handle was a piece of bone with his Family Crest carved in it. Val touched the crest and he sensed immediately what it was. It was the blade that his venerated ancestor had killed the last Merlin with. Val was shocked speechless, but when he found his voice he just asked, "How?"

Nikki answered, "I traced it down through the contacts I developed. As you know my Darling, I have many. Once I found it's location I, well let's say, you know how persuasive I can be when I need something. I hope you like it. I truly want to please you in every way."

Val looked at the blade, looked at Nikki and said, "Nikki. This gift proves to me that what I'm about to do is so right."

Nikki looked at Val puzzled and wide eyed as Val pulled the small box from his pocket and said, "Nikki Cunningham? Will you stop being my perfect personal assistant and be my perfect wife and the mother of my children?"

Nikki's Familiar whispered in her ear, "See I told you, you would never be Nick again."

But Nikki ignored her Familiar and cried, "YES! OH YES!"

Val sat at his desk the next day in the office he took over from the dead Dianna Hobs. Val and Nikki thought it was best for him to run things from Dianna's last HQ to make the transition as seamless as possible and it worked. Val was now the undisputed head of the High Coven.

Val wasn't pondering Coven matters at his desk though. He was looking at the dagger, the gift from his bride-to-be Nikki. Nikki was gone picking out a wedding dress. She was also getting the license in SC, which was only a few miles away from Charlotte. SC had a much shorter waiting period for marriages. They would be married by the end of the week.

Looking at the Dagger Val felt very strong residue energy emanating from the bone emblem in the handle. He realized then that the bone was from the skull of the last Merlin and added to the dagger after his death.

Then a thought hit him and he mind spoke to Jack, "Can we use shadow magic and see some of the history of the blade?"

Jack floated down over the dagger and said, "Yes, but there is more than just residue Magic on the dagger. There is a link to another object here and we will see both. It's not dangerous so I suggest we do it. I love a good mystery."

So Val and Jack worked their joined Magic and soon they were seeing long past events.

The pair witnessed an old Wizard placing a part of his being into an amulet hanging in the middle of a tripod. While the Wizard finished a sealing spell, a beautiful woman dropped a cloaking spell and appeared.

If the old Wizard wasn't so intent on the amulet he would have seen through the Witches cloaking spell, but he was so involved with the amulet, she was able to get close enough to drive an Obsidian blade into his heart. The Witch left the amulet on the tripod, fearful of its power and ran out of the room.

Val and Jack then saw, in fast forward, the history of the amulet as it was handed down from Wizard to Wizard. Most of the Wizards were afraid to try to use it, but some tried and found it could steal the power from other Wizards. There seemed to be a curse on whoever used it and they would soon die after they employed its power.

This curse prompted other Wizards to try to copy their own version of the amulet, but they only achieved a minimum of success. The more powerful Wizards could create an amulet that could steal other Wizard's power, but that was all. Those weak replicas came to be known as Socra Amulets. At the end of this very quick history they saw the Amulet used by the Wizard Wren to kill the Cranes and steal their baby. Then they saw Wren give a Demon the Amulet in some bargain.

Looking up from the dagger Val said, "WOW!" and Jack said, "That was fucking amazing!"

Val asked Jack, "So am I right in what I felt that the Demons want The Amulet of Power because an Exemplar Wizard can close the Demon portal trapping them, and closing their portal will open the Fairy portal?"

Jack said "Damn straight Val, and if I knew where the Amulet of Power was and where this new baby Exemplar is I would give it to her gift wrapped. It would be well worth returning the Old Order to get rid of the Damn Demons."

Val replied, "I know for a fact that if I could deliver on closing the Demon portal I could control the Familiar Council and with the control of the Familiars I would control all the Witches. So I think I have our new game plan, Find the Amulet of Power and get it to this new Exemplar. Then make sure she survives until she can close the Demon portal. it's very Ironic that Morgan killed the Last Merlin, and her ancestor will make sure the first new one survives."

Piwet had worked diligently for almost an Earth year, if time had any relevance in Piwet's constantly in flux universe, but he knew he needed to act now. He had devised a plan that would not only save him from punishment, but also make him even more wealthy. So he called a High Council Meeting to present his randomly twisted plan.

In the counsel meeting Piwet spoke, "I know my past actions are in question, but I have a diverse plan to not only return The Amulet of Power to our safe keeping, but also prevent the Fairy Portal from ever opening again. In addition to all this, it will provide us with a much greater supply of Familiars to feed on."

"In their jumbled chaotic way the Council expressed doubt Piwet's plan could be real, but they had interest enough to hear more so Piwet accommodated them and told them more, leaving out any details.

"I have found two Wizards who are the closest relatives of the dead Wizard that made the bargain with Zehgp. I have a Witch ready to tell the two relatives that that one of them will be awarded The Amulet Of Power, but it will take many years for our probate court to decide who has the better claim, which is all true.”

"My Witch will make them both a bargain with the stipulation that only the first Wizard to accept will win. The other will lose by default, which also is true, because the winning Wizard has to kill the other to accept the bargain.

The bargain is to kill the new Exemplar Wizard and bequeath to us the Amulet at the time of their death. So the Exemplar will die before she learns to use her power well enough to be a threat and the curse will dispose of the winning Wizard after he or she is no more use to us. This alone will not solve the problem permanently, so that brings us to the rest of my plan.

I also propose that, in the bargain with the Wizard, we stipulate that they must use The Amulet to kill all the Arch Mages, greatly reducing the chances for the birth of another Exemplar. Finally, I will convince the Familiars to kill all the Fairies, thereby removing any reason to reopen the portal.

Then I will arrange a bargain with the Familiars to send us all
Familiars when they return after the death of the Witch that they serve. I will include in the bargain with the Familiar High Council that they rule that not serving a Witch is a capital crime, but they will only serve a Witch after they have Four offspring.

The Familiar Council will also make it a capital crime if the Familiar fail to reproduce Four offspring after they go through six breeding cycles. As this ever-changing body knows, I get all capital offenders, but this new bargain will be a tremendous new source of Familiars. I will give Our High Council twenty percent of the additional Familiars. So this is my plan and I'm prepared to put it in place upon your approval.

There were sounds like Godzilla in a junkyard emitting from those present and it eventually shrank to the normal ever present background sounds. Piwet gathered that they had two main challenges to his plan, so he answered them with confidence, but with no substance.

"I understand your assumptions that I have flaws in my plan so let me clarify the ways I have fixed these apparent flaws. To the assumption that, "The Familiars would never destroy their food source," the answer is simple. We just give them the recipe for what we feed our Familiar livestock. I know they think it's barely edible, but they will find it better than starving.

To the second assumed flaw, "Why would they do anything for me so drastic.” Yes, they will see that this bargain will turn them into our breeding stock. So they would normally refuse any such bargain, but I plan to offer the Familiar High Council immunity for them and their offspring from the requirements of the bargain. I assure you, they will be happy to take the deal when I put certain incentives in play. But at this time sharing what these incentives will be would prove counter productive. I assure you they will motivate the proper response and you will know very soon after, what the incentives are and I'm sure they will meet your approval."

The High Counsel approved Piwet's plan and he went to his stock yard. There he viewed hundreds of Familiars, all fearfully waiting their inevitable fate. They all knew they soon would be spending the rest of the rest of their long life in agony and torture.

For some time Piwet had been holding back his supply of Familiars to cause the price to inflate like some oil merchant on Earth, but his plans had changed for his stock. Familiars have a genetic defect that can cause Familiars, in less than 1/100 of one percent, to mutate into Fairy and Familiar killing machines called Drows.

Drows normally live for only about three days, but can be killed only by a joint attack of many Familiars or Fairies. While they live they look like a drug addict's nightmare and can kill hundreds of Familiars or Fairies. Their horrible appearance is like a giant scorpion with dragonfly wings and razor spikes on their thorax.

Piwet's grand plan was to change all his stock into Drows that are under his control and release them into the land of the Familiars and Fairies. Piwet was going to extend the length of their lives for as long as he needed them as Drows.

Then he would change them back to his Familiar livestock, but after they run rampant for a while the Familiars would be willing take his bargain, no matter how repugnant it was. They would have no choice if they wanted to live.

After the Familiar High Council take the bargain he will send his Drows with the Familiars to destroy the Fairies. While this is going on, his plan to destroy the Exemplar Wizard and the Arch Mages would be implemented. With all confidence of success, he began the transformation of his Familiar stock into Drows and sending them through the portal.

Roth Herring looked at the screen of his laptop as he worked on a new story for his blog. Roth's article was one of those poorly written epistles of hate, which presented the author's personal feelings as documented facts. The only thing unique about the shaved head covered in amateurish prison tattoos, and the very dimwitted hate mongering of Roth was that he was a Wizard.

Roth was a very weak Wizard, but he was the president of the Vale, NC Chapter of The High Aryan Tradition Enforcers or HATE for short. It took all of Roth's weak Magic to make his body imposing enough to convince weak minded individuals into following his idiotic doctrines.

Roth had spent most of his 32 years in prison and had a reputation for being insanely dangerous. Roth's few friends and followers would joke that you could not dig a hole in South Mountain State Park without finding a body that he buried. Frequently Roth would go into rants, blaming his time in prison on imaginary conspirators that had a vendetta against him because he knew the truth.

He truly thought that the Wizards High Council (Which he called the Illuminati to his Mortal followers) and the liberal non-white people who controlled the government, were working together to silence him. Roth's narcissistic world view never took into account that his main source of income was selling illegal guns and cooking meth so his actions didn't figure in his sociopathic logic on why he went to prison.

Roth was also like so many other self-involved, dull witted, and prestige hungry people, he would often use violence to get what he wanted. He had a tear tattooed in the corner of one eye and it wasn't there for show. He had connections with many other criminal, white supremacy groups located all over the county, most of which owed him big favors.

So he was very suspicious when he saw, on his security cameras, a man dressed in an expensive suit, walking up to his door. Roth pulled out his 14 inch long double barreled shotgun from its place under his desk top and went to the door.

Holding the gun hidden against the wall in his right hand he opened the door with his left and confronted the man as he walked up the steps of his old single wide mobile home.

Threateningly Roth said, "What the fuck are you here for?"

The man answered calmly, "I'm Keith Collingswood and I'm with Shay, Kline, And Collingswood Legal Firm and I'm here to discuss a possible inheritance with you."

Roth, deluded as always, thought it was a ruse by the FBI, Federal Marshals, or the NSA so he said, "What asshole would die and leave me anything?"

Collingswood answered " One Lea Wren, a second cousin of yours I believe."

Roth, now somewhat interested said, "Yeah, she was my cousin, but she died a long time ago so why are you just coming around now?"

Collingswood answered, "it's an involved story and the inheritance comes with some conditions, but if you allow me in, I will explain."

Collingswood, being briefed on Mr. Fisher's paranoia, fabricated a lie to expedite this unpleasant meeting along. Faking apprehension and looking across the road at the woods, Collingswood lied. "Driving in I noticed what seems to be a utility van across the road in the woods. It was strange because there were two people in the front seat watching
this trailer with strange looking binoculars."

Roth, hiding it from Collingswood's sight, slid the shot gun into the back of his pants, covering it with his loose shirt, then motioned Collingswood into the trailer quickly.

Upon entering, Collingswood wished he'd concluded his business outside.

The smell was horrible. There were piles of dog shit all over the floor from Roth's Pit Bull, some of which had turned white with age. Every piece of the old, filthy furniture had either old pizza boxes or dirty plates on it, with Brown German Roaches on every wall. To complete this decor of filth, there was a constant swarm of flies.

Roth jokingly excused the condition of his domicile by saying, "It's the maids day off."

Collingswood didn't commit on the filth, but it took a herculean effort to avoid vomiting. He did go professionally into the reason he was there and said, "Mr. Fisher, there was a certain amulet that your deceased cousin put up as advance payment for services that became impossible to be carried out. Said amulet was turned over to the probate court of the contractors country, but there are some problems and it might take years for the amulet to be released. The first problem is that you and another cousin have equal claim to the amulet. So until the event of one your deaths, the amulet will be held in probate.”

“The other problem is, after one of your deaths it still would take a large amount of money to pay the legal fees and investigation costs to prove true ownership, but before you worry over all those problems, I may have a solution.

I have a client who is willing, at the time of the death of one of the heirs, to pay all expenses and expedite a very quick release of the amulet to the survivor. If that survivor will then contract to use the amulet to remove a troublesome Wizard quickly of certain others, then sign a will bequeathing the amulet to my client, my firm will arrange the needed resources and information needed for the survivor to carry out these tasks. This offer is being made to both of Ms. Wrens survivors.

Mr. Fisher I'm ready to give you now all the information you may need to contact the other survivor if you are willing to sign a contract that states that the last survivor will carry out the contracted tasks immediately upon receiving the amulet. Mr. Fisher, I need your answer now. So is it yes or no?"

Roth, thinking for a second said, "Ok, so you know about Wizards and I'm guessing that you're a Witch and your client is a Demon. I know you will not tell me if I'm right, but I know I am. So the deal is, if I off some cousin I don't know, since Lea was the only one I knew. Then use Lea's amulet, that I heard about from my mom, to kill some Wizards that are causing the Demon some shit. I get to keep the amulet for free?"

Collingswood said, "That is correct. Any other questions, because I need your answer?"

Roth then said, "But this Will... shit I'm not good with it. After I do what you need me to do, why won't this Demon just off me?"

Collingswood replied, "My client had me put a stipulation in the Will stating that he will not, nor have anyone else, harm you. He knew that could have prevented the heirs from agreeing, so he added that clause."

Roth smiling said, That amulet has some real juice and it's not like I haven't took a contract before. So, fuck yeah. I'll do it. Show me where to sign and give me the intel on my target."

With his business completed with Fisher, Collingswood knew his partner Shay was doing the same with the other cousin. Collingwood drove quickly to his Embassy Suite Hotel to strip, shower, and probably burn the clothes he had on while in Fishers home.

Roth opened the information packet on his target and read that she was Debbie Hawk and she was living with a Devon Johnson in St. Louis, MO. After reading what he needed, Roth picked up a burner phone and called a friend in St. Louis. When his friend answered Roth said, "How the fuck are you Bo? Are you ready to return that little favor I did you? Great, I'll send you what you need to know the usual way. I need it done in the next three days and bro... I think you will enjoy this one. It's chocolate covering vanilla."

Hanging up the phone he thought, "Hell, Bo will love taking out a fucking race traitor, so he'll probably get it done in one day."

Piwet, looking at his herd of stock, moved over them and they
continued to change. Soon they were 723 Drow, perfect killing machines, but these were completely controlled by him and he could control them from home through the Demon portal. So he would not even have to go into the Familiar and Fairy Realm. Piwet changed them in one other way also. Normal Drows had a very short life of just three days, but his Drows life came from his Magic and they would live as long as he needed them
to.

Piwet would then open the portal and let them loose on unsuspecting Familiars and Fairies. They would kill and eat many at first, but once filled, they would still kill anything near them.

Piwet also had other plans for the Drows. His plan was to bring them back his Realm to replenish his stock when their job was done. He would soon be richer than ever. Piwet would soon send a Familiar minion to strike his deal with the Familiar High Counsel. He thought, 'Soon they will be ready to do anything just to survive.'

Mr. Stacy looked very nervous as he walked through the rough project back to his car after Ms. Hawk signed the contract. He was more than happy to drive away past the drug dealers and homeless that inhabited the depressed neighborhood.

Back in Debbie's apartment Devon, her boyfriend, came out of the bedroom where he was hiding, listening to Stacy's proposal to Debbie. Devon was a small time Shot Caller for a third rate street gang that ran the complex that Debbie lived in. Debbie was a Wizard, but so weak she could not hope for any better than Devon.

Devon said, "Damn I thought he was Five-O at first, but he was just a suit with a deal. Debbie? Was he saying that you got some family that died and left you some amulet, but you got to bust a cap in someone to get it?"

Debbie answered, "That's right baby. He talked about an amulet that will give me a lot more juice and it has enough to help me make you own this town."

Devon recapped, "So this necklace is the shit and it will boost your Voodoo so I can be the main man in the city. Let me see who we have to off."

Devon took the packet of intel on Roth Fisher and read it carefully, saying when he finished, "Ok, we will need to take out this cracker, skinhead mothafucca. It may take a little bit, but this if this necklace is as bad ass as you say I will do it."

Debbie answered, Yeah, it's some bad shit. I can steal power from some strong ass Wizards and then I can take out anybody that stands in our way, with no one knowing we did it."

Devon said, "Fuck! That's some bad shit! Ok, it will take a few days to get some heavy firepower, because these country skinhead fuckers will have all kinds of Prepper shit. Then you, Me, Big H, Crazy mike and Bang-Bang will go down to NC and take care of some business."

Three days later, with their new guns in the trunk of Devon's pimped white out 1969 Eldorado, Debbie, Devon, and his crew pulled away from the curb, heading for N.C. but they didn't notice the white man wearing a hoodie walking to end of the block. The white man peeped around the corner at the end of the street and hit the send button on his cell phone.

When the smoke cleared there wasn't much left of the window glass of the apartments facing the street, but there was more glass left than there was of occupants of the pimped out white 1969 Eldorado.

Val Morgen was in his office with the new Mrs. Morgen at his side, as always. They were in a video conference with all the highest Ranked Witches in the world. Val had just finished explaining how the return of the Old Order was inevitable and his plan to utilize the synergy of present holdings to protect what holdings they could.

There were a few objections to just giving up, but after some heated debate all were convinced that Val's plan was the best course of action at the moment. So Val outlined his future plans to approach the Wizards High council with his proposed treaty.

Suddenly there was a wavy burst of energy and Ignis Jack's brother, Will-O-Wisp appeared in the office. He quickly melded with Jack and then he left as quickly as he had come. Will-O-Wisps can come to Earth for short periods without a Witch host, due to their spiritual nature.

Val, with other Witches watching intently over the conference video, looked on with deep curiosity, wondering what had just happened. They didn't have to wait long because Jack faced the camera and spoke in an audibly shaken voice and proclaimed the news his brother had delivered.

"My brother Ignis has just brought me news from the Realm of the Familiars that is apocalyptic, both to Familiars and Witches. it's my sad duty to tell you all Witches and Familiars alike, the Demons are now in control of the Familiar High Council. Now as the Demon's puppets, The Familiar High Council has enacted several new laws.

The first is that all familiars are only allowed one trip to Earth as a Witches Familiar. On their return at their Witches death, they will be given to the Demons. Secondly, All Fairies will be destroyed and Familiars will only have some tasteless gruel that the Demons provided the recipe for.

Thirdly, All Familiars will be forced to breed as soon as they are mature enough. They have a short time limit to reproduce four offspring. Once they meet their quota, they will be arbitrarily assigned by the High Council to a Witch, without any consideration given to talents or abilities.

The reason the High Council gave over control to the Demons is because right now there is a plague of Drows that are killing many Familiars. These Drows aren't natural because they do not die in a day or two and there are hundreds of them.

My brother believes they were created by the Demons and controlled by them, because when the High Council submitted to the Demons' demands, the Drows started helping in removing any opposition to the new laws.

As you can imagine, there are many Familiars rebelling against the new laws. My other brother, Hinky Punk, was killed in the rebellion. The remaining rebels have formed an amazing alliance with the Fairies. These dastardly circumstances have caused conditions so horrible that Fairies and Familiars are fighting them together.

The screens of the video conference erupted with everyone expressing their concerns on how these new laws would just make the Witches pawns of the Demons. Val was finally able to still the clamor and say, "You're all right. We need to take action as soon as we can to help the Rebels and we must do anything in our power to thwart the Demons plans to take over. But to act in haste could be worse than not acting at all. So we need to gather more information and see if we can formulate a plan.”

“The best thing you all can do now is rally every Witch powerful enough to cross the portal and prepare them to fight for our lives, because that is what this will be. Don't be deluded, this fight will be bloody, but the stakes are very high. I have no doubt that, if we lose this war we will be the last Witches. The Demons are selfish and, no matter how the new Familiar law reads now, as soon as they win, the Demons will soon change it. I truly believe the Familiars here on earth now are the last that ever will be allowed to come here if the Demons win.”

All the ruling Witches were in complete agreement and quickly ended their feeds to get busy preparing for a joint life or death struggle. Once the last screen went blue, Val and Nikki went to work calling Witches that were Val's subordinates, the ones that were powerful enough to cross the portal with enough power left to fight once they arrived.

Nikki was interrupted by a minion who she gave a look that should have turned the minion to stone, but she softened after the minion whispered in her ear the reason for the disturbance. Nikki nodded her head when the minion finished and quickly left the room.

Val looked at Nikki with a curious look on his face and Nikki said, "There is a Mr. Collingswood here, requesting a private meeting with you immediately. The reason he isn't beaten and bleeding in some alley right now for his impertinence, is he says he represents the Demons and the High Familiar Council. Shall I have him shown in?"

Val face darkened and he just nodded. Nikki went out and returned with Mr. Collingwood. Then Collingwood, with the attitude and demeanor of some aristocrat talking to the kitchen help, explained why he was there, "Morgen, so as not to waste time I have a letter for you to read from my employers."

Collingswood handed Val a envelope with The High Council's unbroken seal on it. Val opened the letter and quickly read it. The letter informed Val of just a small portion of what he already knew, but the kicker was a thinly veiled threat. They said that Jack would be taken from him and he wouldn't ever have any other Familiar if he didn't do all that Collingswood told him.

Collingswood said, "Morgen, are you going to agree and to the terms and do all that I say?"

Val thought a second and said, "It looks like I don't have any choice. What do you need me to do Collingswood?"

Collingswood, in a firm venomous tone corrected, "Mister Collingswood, Morgen! Now, let me explain what you need to do in simple terms so you will understand it. I will send to you a Wizard, who will be in possession of a certain amulet.

Your job will be to use all your resources to help this Wizard
accomplish their mission. There is a contest currently going on so I'm not sure of the identity of the winning Wizard, but they will have this special amulet so that is all the proof you will need."

Val smiled at Collingswood and said, "I agree to help the Wizard with the amulet to complete their mission. If I'm successful may I have one of your cards so I can contact you?"

Collingswood handed Val a card while saying, "If your not successful I doubt that you will be able to contact me, but I also doubt that you have comprehended that, considering your intelligence level."

Val took the card and thought, as Collingswood quickly left, "Yes. If I'm successful I will contact you personally."

Willow prepared for her Awakening, which would happen in a few minutes. She thought this day would be very different, but the war going on in the Realm of The Fairies changed everything.

There would be no parties and all her family was in a life or death struggle in the Realm of the Fairies. Even her ever- present Godmother Wee Lo was gone to fight. Only Erin remained behind to protect her. Even the academy was closed due to all the students needing to return to their families and most of the instructors went to fight in the war.

So parties and birthday cakes seemed disrespectful to Willow, considering the dire events unfolding. Even her Grandparents were in the war, as were all of the Wizards strong enough to be any good in a fight. Besides Erin, the only Arch Mage left on Earth was Aaron, who was on a secret mission for the High Council Of Wizards.

So Willow was impatient for the eight minutes to pass so she would Awaken to her magic so she could help. She thought, 'I'm going to be Super Wizard, but until I Awaken, I'm useless, no, worse than useless because Erin is having to stay here to protect me. I know they say it will take years for me to learn to use my Magic to its full extent, but I have beaten the curve on everything so I just know in six minutes I will beat the curve again and be powerful enough to save my family. I have to
because I will not live alone again."

The time of Willow's Awakening finally happened and Willow felt her Magic come alive in her. It was like when your leg falls asleep and the feeling comes back into it, but it was a new member of Willow's body she never had felt before. Soon it was fully awake and Willow felt it move in her body.

The outward signs of Willow's Awakening were very anti-climatic. There were no light shows or explosions, just a small blue flame over the top of her head that faded quickly.

Willow said to Erin, "Is that it?"

Erin answered with a smile on her face, "Yes, that's it. You're now a full Wizard."

Willow immediately walked to the training field, the only large space where Magic was not dampened on the academy campus. She squared off facing a huge concrete block and she concentrated on her new ability to feel her magic. She then pushed her Magic out her hands and said, "MOVE!"

To Willow's surprise, the block just sat there and Willow moved to a smaller block and tried again and still nothing. She franticly moved down the line to smaller and smaller objects until she got to a big foam rubber ball and she successfully rolled it four feet.

Erin shouted "Great Willow! That took me 3 weeks to do. If you keep up your practicing you will be moving that big block in less than a year."

Willow screamed, "LESS THAN A YEAR? THE WAR WILL BE OVER AND EVERYBODY WILL BE DEAD!"

Erin said, trying to comfort Willow, but doubting the words as she said them, "Willow, you don't know that. We might win."

Willow said, crying with frustration, "Erin please don't lie to me. I heard how bad it is and I know if I don't get in the fight soon we don't have a chance. Once, when I was Eric, I almost killed myself because I was so alone. Then you found me and I learned what it was to have people who loved me.

I will not be alone again and I will end myself if I lose all those that love me ...I PROMISE!"

Erin, in shock and terror said, "WILLOW! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST PROMISED?"

Willow flatly answered, "Yes Erin... completely."

Willow just turned around and started practicing her Magic again.

Roth saw a UPS truck pull into his drive and he watched as the driver left a package at his door. Roth put on blast protection armor under a hazmat suit and, using long tongs, opened his door and brought the package in. Roth then put the package in a gloved safety box, opened it and found the Amulet of Power along with a letter.

After reading the letter he picked up his phone, called the number and a woman answered, "Hello this is Nikki Morgen."

After explaining who he was, the woman set up an appointment for him to talk to Val in six hours. Roth hung up and took out his "court suit." A 380 hand gun, and his boot knife and got ready for the meeting. Then, giving himself time enough for Charlotte traffic, he left in his old rusted Doge Ram truck with the hand painted Confederate Flag on the hood, to meet Val.

On arriving at Val's house 25 minutes late he was escorted in to Val's office with Val and Nikki waiting for him. Roth looked at Nikki lustfully then, with disdain, Roth looked at the smaller darker man. Roth then with a smirk and looking at Val asked, "You a Mexican?"

Val in a very courteous way answered, "No. My father was English and my mother was Italian."

Roth then smiled, "Italians are good. Even Hitler had Mussolini as an ally, I just don't like working with Wetbacks, Niggers, or Jews."

Val, offering a chair then said, in a jovial, understanding way, "I completely understand. Now please mister Fisher, have a seat."

Roth went to the expensive looking chair and sat down, making sure his boot knife stayed covered.

Then Val said, "I have a lot of ground to cover concerning the Amulet so you might find that chair uncomfortable. Nikki? Will you make our friend here comfortable?"

Roth watched cautiously as Nikki picked up a pillow from the sofa and walked to behind him, but he really like this sexy blonde getting him a pillow for his back and leaned forward so she could put it behind him.

So with Roth looking down, Nikki pulled a Rugger LR22 cal. target pistol loaded with hot load hollow points and equipped with a silencer and calmly double tapped him in the back of the head.

The 22 hollow points had enough force to penetrate the back of his skull, but not enough to exit. They just flattened out and bounced around in his skull making his brains, soup. The two shots instantly killed him, leaving only two small entry holes and very little blood.

It always pays to be neat.

Aaron was waiting in Val Morgen's board room for about 20 minutes when Val and his wife Nikki finally entered the room carrying the Amulet of Power. Val had told Aaron the full story over the phone when he set up the meeting with the Wizard. Val knew Aaron was still in Charlotte, so it was easy getting him to the Mansion before Roth.

Val walked in and gave the Amulet to Aaron saying, "I have my
helicopter ready and waiting for you on the pad outside the rear door. I suggest you hurry. Minutes count right now."

Aaron couldn't believe how accommodating the Head of the High Coven was being, so he had to ask, "Why are you doing all this? You seem to be working very hard to bring back the Old Order."

Val just smiled and said, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now you better get going. We both have a lot to do."

Aaron actually shook Val's hand, which made Val feel that he was making the right decision. Then Aaron left to get the Amulet to Willow, leaving Val and Nikki alone.

Val said to Nikki, "I want you, while I'm gone, to see if you can help the acting head of the Wizards Council to hammer out the treaty with us that will work, if we win. I don't know this low ranking Wizard, but more than likely he is some brainless, middle management type. All the powerful Wizards are already fighting in the war."

Nikki responded, You know I'm more powerful than I'm rated. I can make it to the other side and still have enough juice left to fight at your side, where I should always be."

Val turned to Nikki and softly said, "No. I want you here keeping things going and keeping our baby safe."

Nikki, shocked said, "How did you already know I'm pregnant?"

Val hugged and picked up Nikki and said, "Don't be mad at Jack, but he told me the moment it happened on our wedding night, when you untied your tubes and ovulated."

Val then kissed Nikki deeply and said, "I need to go. Our army is waiting for me to go through the portal. I'll do all I can to make sure our child has a future and I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, my former male, ex-personal assistant, beautiful wife and mother to be."

Nikki started crying and said, "Val, please be safe. I love you too, my Husband and father of my child."

With one more kiss, Val pulled away from Nikki and left.

Willow worked on her Magic until 2am with Erin pleading with her to get some rest, but Willow ignored her until she was so tried she couldn't think. Willow then went to her bed and just collapsed. She woke from a dreamless sleep at 6am and went back to the training field.

Willow had some success and she was up to moving a five pound block of wood. If things were normal, this would be a huge advance for a new Wizard in such a short time, but it made Willow furious and made her push herself even harder. She was pushing so hard Erin was deeply worried that she would hurt herself.

Erin said, "Willow, if you push too hard you could cause yourself injury and it will take time for you to heal before you can practice more."

Willow, hearing Erin, just pushed herself harder knowing that Wee Lo and all she cared about except Erin were locked in a life or death struggle that she knew that she could stop when she had control of her Magic. Willow was so intent on mastering her Magic she didn't see Aaron's arrival.

Aaron went to Erin and told her the story of the Amulet and how he had come by it and Erin said, "So Wren killed that Wizard not to make a Sorca Amulet, but to steal this Amulet of power."

Aaron said, "Yes, we had the story wrong, but it makes more sense that Wren, using this Amulet on Willow, gave her enough Magic to become an Exemplar."

Erin agreed and told how Willow was working so hard that she was worried for her. Erin pointed out, "Willow is so intent on learning to use her Magic so she can help that she has not even noticed you're here."

At hearing this Aaron walked in front of Willow and Shouted, "Willow!"

Willow Stopped and looked and saw Aaron and said, "Aaron? Why are you here? Is the war over?"

Crashing Willow's hope Aaron answered, "No Willow, the war is raging and not going well. I will be going there once I give you this."

Aaron held up the Amulet and Willow recognized it and screamed, "Why did you bring that abomination to me. That evil thing killed my parents and made most of my life a living hell!"

Aaron explained the true story of the Amulet of Power, how the knowledge of the last Merlin was locked in it including how to close the Demon portal and opening the Fairy portal for all time.

Willow looked at it differently and was about to take it from Aaron's outstretched hand, but then she pulled back in disgust and said, "No. It's responsible for so much pain in my life. I can't bring myself to touch it."

Aaron gave the Amulet to Erin and said, "See if you can change her mind, but I need to go."

Aaron tenderly kissed Erin and said, "I hope you can get her to use the Amulet soon. It's not going well for us and I need to go and do what I can. I love you and I have a question for you when this is over."

Erin answered "I love you too and please don't be a hero. I will be there soon, I hope."

With that Aaron popped through the portal.

Willow, watching all this, looked at the Amulet and felt shamed that she was letting her personal feelings get in the way of helping. “Give me the damned thing.” she said.

Erin handed Willow the Amulet and Willow took it by its heavy gold chain.

Willow, holding it up, looked at the amulet and seeing it looked like a crystal that was filled with swirling colors and sparkles. She hesitated for a second, but then placed it around her neck.

There was a burst of light from the Amulet and it surrounded Willow. She then felt herself traveling without moving and she saw the world turn into swirling colors and lights. Then it just faded into a plain, flat, desert landscape with only an old man standing facing her to break the sameness.

Erin saw Willow put on the Amulet and watched, speechless, as a sphere of color consumed Willow. Erin worried tried to touch it, but was pushed back. Erin's Magic had no effect on the sphere so she could only stand there helplessly and hope her niece wasn't harmed or imprisoned in the sphere of changing, swirling color.

Willow, seeing the very old man in front of her asked, "Where am I?"

The old man answered, "Where you need to be."

Then Willow, agitated by his cryptic answer asked, "Well who are you then?"

Then the old man answered, "Your Master who is tired of his Novice's foolish questions."

Willow then asked, "My Master?"

The Master answered, "Yes, and I have the almost impossible task of training such a disrespectful Novice to be an full Exemplar to fulfill the prophecy and free the Fae folk."

Willow then understood this was the Last Merlin and he was going to train her to do what she so desperately wanted. She then submissively said, "Master. Please teach me."

Then the Master said, "Much better my Novice, so lets get started. It will take some time for you learn what you need to know."

Master and Novice went to work. They worked and worked and worked. Willow was amazed how she never got tired or needed sleep. She thought she must have worked non-stop for three weeks and she wasn't tired, hungry, or even needed a bathroom break. She also noticed that nothing in this realm ever changed. It was always day and the same nothing never broke the sameness.

Willow learned to do many things. She lost all sense of time, but she knew she must have been with the Master for months. She worried a lot about all her family if the war was over, but she didn't dwell on it because she knew she needed to complete her training to help those who were left.

After Willow raised a mountain and blew it to rubble for the fiftieth time the Master said, "Novice, you finally have that. Now lets work on transformations. Witches have the ability to completely change their form, although Wizard's strengths are in other areas. So most Wizards can only make slight changes to their form. As an Exemplar you will have need to change into other beings, so we will work on this."

What must have been weeks later, Willow could change into anyone. She even transformed into her old Eric form briefly. The Eric form made Willow very uncomfortable, but she did change into Erin and Aaron a lot.

The Master then said, "You seem to be proficient at transforming into humans now, but Exemplars can't fly any better than any other Wizard. So it will help you to be able to fly. Not just to get somewhere quickly, but to give you an higher vantage point. Because, just as any other Wizard, your magic is limited to what you can see. So pick a winged
creature and work on transforming into this being."

Willow thought of the time the Wild Magic that turned her into a Fairy and how she loved flying with Wee Lo and being with her as a Fairy. Willow remembered what it felt like and how the world looked to her. Then she focused her Magic on being a Fairy again.

Willow quickly shrank and became a Fairy again. She opened her eyes and flew up to face her Master. The Master sounded surprised when he said, "Novice, you have a great talent and I'm pleased, but you chose a Fairy. I have never witnessed any other Exemplar with the ability to do become one, so why did you choose one so difficult?"

Willow explained that her Godmother was a Fairy and how her Wild Magic had turned her into one once. The Master smiled and nodded, then set Willow to start working on other skills. Willow was about to change back and get started, but her Master stopped her and said, "No Novice. You will continue this part of your training in your chosen form so you will be able to use your Wizard's Magic while you are in this form."

So Willow stayed a Fairy and went back to work.

The Fae, the Rebel Familiars, and Wizards Alliance was losing the war. The Alliance greatly outmatched the Familiar Council forces, but the Drows gave the Council's forces overwhelming superiority. So the Alliance, after great losses, were pushed back to their strong hold on Rainbow Mountain. On the peak of the mountain the Alliance was making a last stand.

The Rebels had lost half their number in battle... more than the Fairies or the Wizards, but their casualty numbers were high also. The tactics of the Familiar Council were devastating, the Drows would spearhead the engagements. Some Drows would fly in and clear the skies of attacking Fairies while other Drows would kill everything that stood in their way on the ground. The Familiar Council forces would then just follow, doing any clean up needed.

The Alliance was on top of their Mountain, fighting off a new offensive, when a Drow force broke through one side of the Alliance line and was starting to flank the Alliance's weaker Left side.

Ged and Fiona were on a high vantage point, bravely making themselves targets so they could cast fire balls effectively at the advancing Drows. Wee Lo was doing a great job leading the Fairy swarm, keeping the Drows in the air at bay, while Aaron was casting energy bolts and barking orders to the troops.

Even with all this effort, the Alliance was losing ground. Then there was a clap of thunder, signaling a huge opening in the portal and over 700 Witches and Familiars came through.

Aaron wasn't sure if they were friend or foe until Val ran to him and asked, "Where do you need us?"

Aaron said, "The left flank, they're breaking through there."

So Val's forces took the left flank, throwing lighting bolts and casting death spells on Drows. The Familiars with Witches were more powerful than Familiars alone so the Witches' Familiars didn't fight themselves. They just supplied their Witches with power. Soon the Familiar Council's forces were pushed back.

The Alliance forces started cheering and Aaron went over to Val and shook her hand again, but Wee Lo landed and cut short the celebration by saying, "My scouts just reported that a very large body of Drows are approaching from the East and will be here in three hours."

The mood went somber and, just then, a lone Drow flew in and stung Ged and Fiona with its scorpion tail before it was killed. In Shock Aaron looked at Ged and Fiona's bodies being carried down and laid at the command post.

Willow, back in her normal form was mutating sand into water, then to mercury, then to steel. Then The Master came to her and said, "Novice... no, I should call you Willow now because your training is complete and you are now an Exemplar. Willow you are an Exemplar more powerful than I, and you will be a more than formidable force. I'm sure your future will be great, but you have one more task.

To release the Fae from their prison you must first release us from ours. You have to destroy this Realm Of The Amulet. I have waited for this for longer than you can imagine, so destroy this realm and set yourself and me free so you can go change the world and I can finally find peace."

Willow looked at the Master and understood that he imprisoned himself in this world of sameness until an Exemplar would come to fulfill the Prophesy. Now was that time, but how would she destroy this world?

Willow shut her eyes and felt the energy of the Realm Of The Amulet. She saw what it would take to cancel it. She thought, "This will not be hard. All I will have to do is reverse the energy flow to nullify it."

Willow opened her eyes and said to her former Master, "Thank you for suffering so long for me to come. I PROMISE that I will always try to make you proud of your Novice. I hope you will find peace at last, you truly deserve it."

Willow's former Master said," I will find peace and you have already made me proud by your promise, because we never break a promise. Goodbye Willow. Fare ye Well."

Willow then called her Magic and nullified the energy that was the Realm Of The Amulet. When Earth reappeared to Willow she had a heavy gold chain around her neck, but no amulet. Willow saw she was still at the training field of the academy and Erin was still standing there looking at Willow and worried.

Willow said, "Erin how are you still here? I must have been gone well over a year."

Erin answered, "Willow are you OK? That energy ball covered you less than 30 minutes ago."

Willow realized then that time passed differently in that world of sameness she had just destroyed, but she didn't take time to explain this to Erin. Knowing that if she wasn't gone that long the war was still going on and she still could make a difference.

Willow said, "Come Erin. We have work to do."

Willow located Aaron in the Realm of the Fairies, then punched a hole in the portal, transporting Erin and her to Aaron's side. Upon arriving, Willow and Erin saw two Wizards reverently laying Fiona's lifeless body next to Ged's. Erin looked at her parents laying dead there and ran towards them but Aaron caught her and held Aaron, bursting into tears.

Willow, seeing this, fought off doing the same as Erin. Then Willow, using a skill she learned as Eric to bury his feelings to deal with the danger of the present situation, she thought, 'I will grieve later. Right now I need to get justice for this.'

Willow went into a cold calculating rage. She saw that the battle was raging and that the new Drows were joining the main force. The sky was full of them and the Fairies were losing the air battle. So she climbed to the highest point and prepared her battle plan.

Aaron saw Willow up on the pinnacle and shouted " Willow! Get down from there!"

Willow didn't answer Aaron, but Wee Lo saw her there and left the battle to protect her. Before Wee Lo could join her Goddaughter, Willow opened up. Her Eyes and hands turned into bright blue fire and she started freezing Drows in the air and they fell to their death in little pieces.

Willow then spotted Wee Lo coming towards her with two Drows on her tail. The two Drows never made it to Wee Lo. They were vaporized. Then Willow Shouted to Wee Lo,

"Godmother come and get behind me and tell the Fairies to fall back to the base."

Seeing Willow vaporize the two Drows with no effort at all, she knew this wasn't the same Willow she had said goodbye to a week before and did what she said. With Wee Lo behind her and the other Fairies safe on the ground, Willow opened up with her big guns.

Willow raised her hands and covered the sky above them in a dome of Wizard's fire. The dome filled the sky and charcoaled Drows fell from the sky like rain. Then Willow turned her attention to the forces on the ground and blasted them over and over again until all the Familiar Council forces drew back to the safety behind a barrier of rocks, out of Willows field of view.

Willow then went down and knelt by her grandparents bodies and wept, being held by Erin, Wee Lo, and Aaron. When six Wizards took their bodies back to Earth Willow was able to put aside her grief again to face the problem at hand.

Aaron looked at Willow and asked, "Willow? Is that really you?"

Willow answered "Yes. It's me, but I have spent a long time in a realm where time doesn't pass, being trained by the last Merlin. So I'm the same, but I have changed because now, I'm the Exemplar of Prophecy."

At that, all the Fairies and Wizards save for Erin and Aaron went to one knee and bowed to her. Val, seeing this, thought, 'Dianna was a stupid bitch, thinking she could kill this woman. This Willow is a force of nature so we just need to stay out of her way and not piss her off.'

Willow started watching Fairy scouts returning without Drow
interference and a thought hit her. She asked if Aaron would call the commanders of the Alliance to the tent that was set up as a command HQ to discuss a plan.

With the head of the Familiar Rebels, Wee Lo, Val Morgen and Aaron Crane all looking at Willow wanting to hear what Willow had to say, she didn't keep them waiting "I think we can win this war quickly if I can get to the Demon portal and close it. "I don't think I can get there over land, there are just too many for me to kill them all. They would just overwhelm me with their sheer numbers.

Since I cleared the sky though, they are afraid to fly because if I could see them, I could kill them. So I have some questions. How far is it to the Demon portal?"

Wee Lo answered, "You can see it, about ten miles from here."

Willow answered, "Good. Not far at all. I have a way of getting there, but I will need Wee Lo and one other Fairy. I also need something from the rest of you. I want you to have a party. I want you to make the Familiar Council Forces think that you are honoring me in a premature victory celebration so they will think that I'm here taking bows and we are way too over confident. If this works, the celebration will not be
premature at all.

Wee Lo soon returned with her sister Pee We and Willow introduced herself to her. Pee We quickly informed Willow that she knew all about her. Then Willow explained her plan. "As long as the Drows think I'm still here they will not attack normal scout missions. I think the Council Forces are waiting for the Demons to do something. I'm afraid what the Demons will do is send a force of their own to help the Council's army.

I know this will be very painful to them, but they know they are in danger of being cut off from all other worlds forever and they will eventually make that sacrifice. I don't believe we can stand against the Council's forces with direct Demon involvement.

So, since they aren't attacking scouts, I'll go with Wee Lo and Pee We and get in striking distance of the Demon Portal and shut it, locking the Demons away and opening the Fairy portal at the same time. Any questions?"

Aaron spoke up, "Willow, I don't think a Fairy scout mission will distract them enough not to see you making your way through their lines."

Then Val added his objections, "Don't you think it would be a better plan for us to spear head a rush through their weakest point and get you to the Demon portal, even though we would lose a lot in doing it?"

Nodding Aaron said, "That sounds like our best plan, good thinking Val."

Willow just smiled at both Aaron and Val and shrank down into a Fairy.

Aaron was speechless and amazed, but Val said what Aaron was thinking, "WHAT THE FUCK!"

Looking at the Fairy form of Willow Val said, "I hope you don't hold what Dianna Hobs and Leigh Wright did to you against me?"

Willow laughed, "No, I don't. You already proved you're nothing like them."

Willow, then eye level with Wee Lo and Pee Wee said, "Come on girls. We have a job to do. Godmother and Pee Wee, just watch my back, but don't engage. Just let me know if you see a Drow heading towards us."

Willow took off straight up and flew very fast. So fast that Wee Lo and Pee Wee had a hard time keeping up with her.

Once they were past the main body, Pee Wee spotted a Drow take off to come after them and shouted, "WILLOW! FIVE O'CLOCK LOW!"

Willow saw the Drow and turned it into ice. It fell killing two other Drows it landed on. No other Drows took off because they thought that even with Willow at the Alliance base, she could still kill them if they rose above the rocks that they were hiding behind. They were sure it was Willow doing it because no Fairy had that kind of power. So Willow's plan was working.

Soon Willow could see the Demon Portal and it was beginning to activate. She was sure the Demons would be coming through soon. She saw it open and only one Demon came through.

Piwet came through the portal, hating every step he took in the form he used of a part goat, part human, and part lizard. He was sent by the High Demon Council to look and assess the situation and report back about what new measures the Demons needed to take to win their prize.

Willow was relieved when she saw it was just one Demon that came through. She knew she could well handle just one. She thought back to what her Master said about Demons and how they hated doing something orderly.

Willow smiled and pointed both hands at the Demon and pushed him through the Fairy portal to Earth, changing him into the atomic clock at Greenwich England that was used to set all the worlds clocks by. Then she focused on the Demon Portal.

Willow read the energy and smiled and thought, 'This will be easier than destroying the Realm Of The Amulet.'

Then, with no light show or tremendous test of power, Willow just flipped the Magic switch and the Demons portal was shut for all time. She said to the Fairies, "All done here. Lets go back."

The two Fairies looked almost zombie-like in confusion. The Old Order had returned, fulfilling the long awaited prophecy. The great Exemplar was looking like a normal Fairy and acting like she had just carried out the trash. The trio flew back to the Alliance camp, seeing that all the Drows were either dead or dying, having been cut off from the Demon's Magic.

They made it back without incident to the Alliance camp and discovered the party was still going on. Wee Lo noticed that the Familiars were gulping down massive quantities of the Magic food the Demons provided the recipe for. Confused, she asked one of the Fairies and they just giggled and whispered something in Wee Lo's ear, who deeply laughed.

Willow asked, "What's so funny?"

Wee Lo, talking low answered, "The Familiar's hated the bland tasteless food the Demons recipe produced. Apparently a Fairy, not happy with being asked to make it for them, took a piss in it.

When it was served to them they loved it and they asked what was done to make it so flavorful, they were told "Fairy Essence" was added to it. So since then, "Fairy Essence" was added to all of it. It was then discovered that if a lot of piss was added to it, it became like Familiar wine and they would get drunk."

Willow laughed and went into the Alliance Council tent, still as a Fairy. She explained what had taken place and that all the Drows would be dead in less than an hour.

When she finished her report a message was delivered to them from the High Council of Familiars. They were asking for terms of their surrender.

The Wizards and Witches were willing to offer them terms for their surrender, but the Rebels felt they were Demon loving Traitors deserving to die, and The Fairies said that they would never forgive them planning genocide of the Fae Race. So it was a tie for a short time until the Witches Familiars convinced their Witches that the Council Would be a danger as long as they lived. So no terms were granted.

The party ended for a short time as the Fairies and Rebel Familiars made short, brutal work in wiping out the last of the Familiar High Council forces. Then the party started again and Lasted for hours, with all the Familiars getting drunk on their food laced with "Fairy Essence." The Fairies loved serving them "fairy Essence" and even Willow, who hadn't as yet changed back, made a contribution of Essence for the Familiars Pleasure.

Willow was still sad, even though she enjoyed the party. She stayed in Fairy form because it comforted her being with Wee Lo and the other Fairies. it's hard to stay sad when you are a Fairy surrounded by so many other Fairies.

Being a Fairy with other Fairies made her grandparents death seem distant and unreal. Then Wee Lo in the midst of a dance, stopped and said, "Goddaughter, you may have been born a Wizard, but you're a Fae through and through. The first time I saw you, remember I said you looked like a giant wingless Fairy. So Brothers and Sisters, what say Ye? is my Goddaughter a Fairy?"

With a high pitched Fairy shout Willow heard an unanimous, "YEA! A FAIRY FOR TRUE!"

So Goddaughter, the Wizards think you are one of theirs, but we know you are truly a Fae, hiding in Wizard form. We have no doubt, but so your brothers and sisters will know what a special Fairy my Goddaughter is, come chorus and prepare to sing the AOS SI."

One of the Fairies said, "We have some of the chorus left, but all the lead singers have long since passed."

Wee Lo said, "Oh you're so wrong. Goddaughter, take your place."

Willow flew to the tallest mushroom and stood there as the chorus started vocalizing the most beautiful music she had ever heard. Willow the Exemplar, The hero of Rainbow Mountain, and the Restorer of the Old Order was very nervous when she opened her mouth to sing the AOS SI.

The Fairies fell still and the sound of Willow's Fairy voice blended with the chorus perfectly. Soon there was a cloud of Fairy dust creating beautiful patterns in the night sky, the likes of which hadn't been seen for over 1600 years.

**** Epilogue****

Over the next one hundred years much happened. All the Fairies left their realm to live on Earth, leaving the Familiars, happy with their gruel and regular shipments of "Fairy Essence" to spice it with, kept going to Earth to be paired with Witches. There was a joint council made up of Wizards, Fairies, Light Witches, Dark Witches and Familiars that was formed and all hostilities between the Groups were ended.

Aaron's and Val's mutual respect had a lot to do with that. So did Val's understanding of how war always hurt the bottom line. Val and Aaron would even become sort of friends and invite each other to social events like Val's, Nikki's and Aaron and Erin's kids birthday parties. There were 11 a year. Aaron and Erin had 3 kids and Val and Nikki had eight.

With the Fairies back and the Light Witches out of hiding, the Earth's environment improved quickly and climate change was reversed. The World governments, with so many Wizards and Witches in high places, actually started getting things done without all the bickering.

Money was channeled into research in never been seen before amounts, which led to the greatly improved life and healthcare of the Mortals. The first main breakthrough was the creation of a very low cost, efficient hydrogen fuel cell. After that, things just fell in place like on the PBS show Connections, one new invention led to another.

The Cheap power led to the Replicator, which could turn energy into inanimate things like food or clothing. Yes, like on Star Trek. Like so much Sci-Fi it was prophetic, not fantasy, and yes, there was even a Federation of Planets. This Federation wasn't of alien races, it was all human. because Mortals discovered the "Gravitational Wave" and the first use was commercially was the creations of the flying cars, yes, like the Jetsons.

When it was discovered how to use the gravity wave technology to block gravity and to make things fly, it was also discovered how to produce it to make things heavier and heavier. Then eventually they learned to make something so heavy that they could fold space. Yep, you got it. Like in Dune.

The Mortals lives became more focused on the arts with all their needs met. Similar to the teaching at the Wizard Academies, Mortals discovered sleep learning. Crime just about completely disappeared, because of the advantages that became available to everyone.

If you didn't like how the Earth society focused on the Arts and Sciences, you had options. The Mortals could go to some other planet they might like better. There were almost 400, almost exactly earth-like planets colonized now, and they all had different cultures and lifestyles.

The types of cultures ran from the hard working, rustic, self reliant farming planets to planets with lazy cultures where the residents spent most their day cerebrally hooked into individually designed virtual reality generators.

The present population of Earth was less than a billion Mortals, but there was a population explosion in the Earth's Magical population. There were almost as many Magical residents as there were Mortals. Earth was the only place the Magical cultures resided.

In just one hundred years, with so many Fairies back, new Exemplars were born and the New Council of Merlins was reformed with the oldest Exemplar, Willow, as the Head Merlin. Willow was still considered very young at 118 years old, but she was the oldest and most powerful Merlin.

Willow was also the Restorer Of The Old Order and the Hero Of Rainbow Mountain. Even the Familiars and Dark Witches wildly celebrated her birthday as a holiday. She was so honored by the Dark Witches they would warn their children, "If you don't behave you will end up like the wicked Leigh Wright!"

Willow was in Charlotte, N.C. for the 100th Year Celebration of the Victory Of Rainbow Mountain. They all celebrated it on her birthday, even though the victory was two days later. Willow was waiting to attend the dedication in an hour, of Erin's old book store, as The Willow Crane Museum.

Willow thought she would walk to the book store to take a look at her old home. She saw the place where the Walmart where Eric applied and was turned down. It was long gone. Now an art studio stood on the land. With the advent of flying cars, all the roads were replaced with Green Ways and bike paths so Willow retraced Eric's steps on that day. She came to a small foot bridge that crossed a park and Green Way.

Willow realized this bridge replaced the overpass that Eric was going to jump off into traffic on I85 to kill himself. She thought, 'Eric, you were hurting so bad then, but you never would have met Erin if you had jumped and if you had never met Erin, I would not be. So thank you Eric for not jumping."

There was a flutter over Willow's right shoulder and it was Wee Lo. Wee Lo said, "Hello my Goddaughter. All is set for the Fairy Circle tonight. There are going to be over two million Fairies there to hear you sing, so please don't be late."

Willow said, "I'll be there on time. “I PROMISE!"

The End.

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