Consequences of the Heart

LEGEND / indicates telepathic speech / “indicates dialogue in Elven”/ (indicates translation of dialogue)/ ‘…’ thoughts / indicates memories, letters or dreams



Back in Middle Earth


Aragorn reached the level land where Frodo, Pippin, Gimli and Sam were waiting anxiously ready to steady him if need be. Without warning Legolas implored between gasps of air, “Can’t breathe, help me” before he started clawing and striking out at Aragorn. “BUFFY! D…d…dark, t…t. trapped box. Let us out!”


Aragorn just managed to balance with the help of Boromir who had put both his hands on the ranger’s shoulders before helping him lay Legolas on the ground. As soon as the elf was on the ground he reached out and dug his hands into it. “Ground shaking all around us, must hold onto Buffy,” he panted.


Aragorn felt a hand on his elbow and looked down into the concerned eyes of Gimli. “Aragorn, laddie isn’t there anything we can do for him?” he asked quietly as he watched the elf’s obvious distress.


“Nay, Master Dwarf, we can’t stop this, it is in someone else’s control. I believe that he and Buffy are somehow linked and he is feeling what she is feeling.” Aragorn turned helpless eyes upon his friend acutely aware that despite his powerful healing abilities there was still nothing he could do to help.


Thankfully the companions didn’t have to endure the elf’s torment much longer, as he unexpectedly ceased clutching the ground and began to breathe normally. As he became quieter Legolas suddenly frowned before whispering in a surprised voice, “Baby!” before slipping once more into unconsciousness.


“Hey, did he just say ‘baby’?” Pippin looked at the other’s around him, his eyes wide as saucers as though challenging them to confirm he had heard wrong. “Did anyone know they were married and, if they are, why didn’t they tell us?”


Aragorn sank down next to the elf, his face showing the awful hurt he felt at his friend keeping such a secret from him. He gazed sadly down at Legolas, now seeing first hand what the consequence of his friend’s choice was. He placed his hand on the now quiet form in front of him. “No, I didn’t know. I cannot believe I didn’t realize before. No wonder the grief set in so quickly. Goheno Nin! Henion si. Nae, gerich naergon nín, gwador nin. Saes, Lasta enni. Car u anno am! Im sí an le. (Forgive me! I understand now. Alas, you have my expression of deep regret, my brother. Please, listen to me. Don’t give up! I am here for you)

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Buffy’s House Sunnydale

I

It had been 6 hours since they had brought Buffy back and still she had not woken. Her friends and family were situated around the couch where they had gently placed her. The only changes they observed in that time were that her breathing seemed to become normal and deep almost as though she was keeping pace with someone else. The other was that the radiant glow that they had noticed earlier was beginning to fade.


Dawn was sitting on the couch with Buffy’s head in her lap and was stroking her sister’s hair gently as though she might disappear again if she stopped. Spike was behind Dawn with his hand on her shoulder trying to offer what support he could. The others were seated or standing around the room with cups of hot chocolate or tea and worried expressions on their faces. Willow was sitting in a chair with a blanket around her while being embraced by Tara, while Xander was sitting at the dining room table with Anya and Giles, who was again cleaning his glasses and muttering about foolhardy witches under his breath for the umpteenth time.


It was Dawn who finally broke the stupor that seemed to have settled on the room. “Shouldn’t she be awake by now, why hasn’t she woken? I have a feeling that the fact that she isn’t glowing as much is not a good thing.”


There was the sound of clapping coming from the doorway to the entrance hall and then a voice that sent chills down the spine of most of the assembled group, although the words that followed were friendly enough.


“Oh I wouldn’t worry about Buffy yet, she probably won’t wake up for at least another six hours. She will be fine till then. Still, rather you than me here when she wakes up, because she is going to be one very unhappy Buffy in more ways than one.” The demon in front of them then chuckled.


Willow sprung to her feet and raced towards Buffy yelling as she went, “Get out Whistler! You are not taking her away again. You can tell the Powers that be they can take a running jump into the nearest hell dimension!”


As the others looked around hurriedly for weapons to defend Willow and Buffy, the Balance Demon smirked. He held his hands up in defeat before his face became deadly serious. “Calm down; Witch, before you do something else very stupid.”


“ Jeez, I don’t know why people are never pleased to see me although this time at least I do think Buffy will be,” he muttered to himself as he walked over to stand in front of Willow.


“You, Kiddo, are in heap big trouble so if I were you, I would shut up, sit down and listen for a change.” With this he pulled her towards the armchair in which she had been seated before and pushed her back into it none too gently.


“Now, first, I am not exactly here for Buffy, I am here for all of you but especially our fiery little witch there. Secondly the Powers of this world did not send me because they no longer have any interest in Buffy. I was sent by the Valar who are the powers who control Middle Earth, that’s the world that you snatched your friend from.”

Xander finally found his voice as Whistler took a breath, “What do you mean you’re here for us especially Willow? Are you taking us away instead?”


“What do you mean Powers of this world and why aren’t they interested in Buffy any more?” This came from a confused looking Dawn.


“QUIET!” Whistler yelled at them.


Giles looked around the room before his dour gaze fell on Whistler and said quietly, “I believe that Whistler will answer our questions but as always it is complicated and lengthy. The sooner we let him explain the sooner we will know what we are dealing with.”


“Thanks professor, now if there are no more interruptions.” He waited a minute but when none came he went on.


“Now as I was saying before, I was sent by the Valar to explain the consequences of your actions to you and to Buffy and those that she left behind in Middle Earth. Although I suspect you may have already come across the biggest one. Your actions today put two worlds in great danger. If Buffy returned to this world as the Slayer then the balance would have been destroyed and a great evil could have been unleashed.


However the balance in Middle Earth is still endangered as the loved one she left behind is important to two others who have great destinies to fulfill which, if not carried out will plunge their world into an evil darkness.” He watched as they took this in and especially the distraught look on Willow’s face as she remembered what Buffy had said at the graveside.


“The Valar couldn’t stop Buffy from returning but, in order to avert your disaster, they had to take her slayer abilities from her. However they couldn’t harm an innocent child so they left just enough of her healing abilities to protect her child during the transition to this world. But they didn’t leave enough power to help Buffy, so she will have to heal naturally and that will take some time and a bit of rest. And before you all start babbling, yes; Buffy is pregnant so just get over it.”


“Buffy will receive her powers back if and when she returns to Middle Earth, hence she will no longer be able to protect you or herself as easily in your world.”


“Now Willow, if you have a large mirror handy I will show you the reason why Middle Earth is now in danger as a result of your interference.”


Willow apprehensively conjured up a large square mirror, which was placed against the backs of two dining room chairs. Everyone found seats in front of it dreading what he or she would see, as Whistler took out a vial of oil and smeared the glass with it. He then whispered something and the mirror clouded over before clearing again, this time showing a rock-strewn hillside. Standing in front of what looked like the entrance to a large cave was Buffy in the arms of a tall, ethereal, athletic male dressed in similar type of clothes as Buffy.


The females in the room caught their breath at the sight of the long blond hair glinting in the sun. At that moment the wind lifted his hair away from his face to reveal his delicately pointed ears. His blue eyes were the colour of the sky above, while his skin seemed to glow like Buffy’s. His face looked pained, but the tenderness he had for their slayer was obvious, as it seemed he was trying to comfort her. Although he didn’t look much older than Buffy, his face had a regal yet timeless air.


Whistler then spoke again. “Just before you ‘rescued’ Buffy, she and the rest of the Fellowship she was travelling with were fighting for their lives in the mines under the mountain behind them. One of their number fell in that battle so they are all grieving. The young man who is holding Buffy is an Elf named Legolas Greenleaf, he is Prince of the elven kingdom of Mirkwood, and he is also Buffy’s husband. They have only been married a couple of months and it is his child she carries.”


Willow looked horrified as Tara and Dawn tears running down their faces, stared down at the still unconscious Buffy. Spike was not helping both sneering and muttering, “She sure knows how to pick ‘em, Ooh Boy! Peaches is really gonna be pissed.” Referring to his fellow vampire, Angel, by his nickname for him, it was Angel who had been Buffy’s first boyfriend and had left her saying it was for her own good.


Whistler gave them no reprieve, plunging on with his task. “The Valar have made it possible for you to see and hear what has happened so you will understand the seriousness of the situation. Watch and learn, kiddies.”


They watched spellbound at the drama being played out in front of them. They saw and heard, Legolas as he showed the depth of his despair at losing his wife. They gasped when Frodo asked his question and heard its answer. They could certainly identify with Legolas and Buffy’s friends as they rallied around Legolas. Willow’s stomach dropped almost into her boots and she began to rock backwards and forwards whispering “No…No…I didn’t know…”as Legolas described trying to escape the coffin. Finally the scene froze with the Elf once more unconscious being carried in the arms of the man called Aragorn.


At last the picture ceased to move, the sound of Whistler’s voice in the silence that followed made all the watchers jump. “Aragorn is Legolas’ best friend and looked upon Buffy as a sister and fellow warrior. He is also destined to reunite and become King of the people of Gondor and Arnor and to lead the fight for Middle Earth in the war that has just started. He is betrothed to the daughter of Lord Elrond who is the ruler of the Elven kingdom at Rivendell. Aragorn and Legolas are as close to blood brothers as you can get. The Valar fear what will happen to Aragorn should he lose Legolas, that he will be too heartbroken over the loss to fulfill his destiny.”


“The other one with a great destiny is the small one called Frodo. The Ring Bearer and the one whose shoulders it falls on to destroy the ring that would bring darkness to Middle Earth forever. He has nearly died once already on this quest and, Gandalf, the one who fell in the Mines, was his friend and mentor. His loss hit Frodo hard. Now he has also lost Buffy and possibly Legolas as well, and they fear that his grief will overwhelm him and he will not be able to carry on with his task.”


“There are a couple of other things you should know. Buffy was rescued from the portal by the Valar. They recognized and respected what she had done and decided to reward her by bringing her to their realm. You see she was not brought there to fight the Big Bad as you call it, she was brought there to find a sanctuary. Legolas and their child were the gifts they blessed her with. Legolas and Buffy’s souls were bonded on their wedding night by their love for each other. They will never stop loving each other no matter how far apart they are.”


“One last thing, Buffy has been given the choice to remain here as long as she wants without her slayer abilities or return to Middle Earth, Legolas and her slayer abilities. I will return in seven days to find out what she has decided. Oh yeah, one other thing; another slayer has been called and will be here in a week.” With this Whistler vanished leaving a group of shell-shocked people. Dawn and Tara clutched each other sobbing noisily as their hearts continued to break.

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