All Buffy related things are owned by Joss Whedon, etc, etc. All things related to Final Fantasy are owned by SquareSoft, etc, etc. In short, I own nothing except the idea for this story.
***
The return flight to Sunnydale was filled with a mournful silence. No one dared say a word about Angel's death, for fear that talking about it would make it real.
Jenny welcomed them home with sheer relief and happiness, but that was quickly replaced by fear when she saw the silent and grieving faces of her charges.
"What's happened?" she asked, feeling the fear clutch at her. But she didn't need an answer, for in that instant, Jenny looked up to see Willow tightly clutching Excalibur. Angel's sword.
"Oh my god," Jenny breathed, realizing what must have happened. "Willow-"
"It's OK," Willow said, her voice lacking any and all emotion. She was obviously in shock.
Willow moved to lay Excalibur down on one of the tables in the library, but didn't say anything more.
"We defeated Zeromus," Buffy explained, "but Angel…he didn't make it." Despite all the emotional resilience Buffy had gained in her years as the Slayer, she couldn't bring herself to say the words that Angel was dead.
The silence hung thickly in the library, as no one knew quite how to follow up Buffy's statement. Words were useless at this point. They had won, yes, but the price was almost unbearable: the life of one of their friends.
Willow felt like she was going to explode from grief. Angel was gone. The first man she had ever loved. And she never even got the chance to tell him that she loved him.
The doors to the library swung open suddenly and a voice from what seemed like an eternity ago spoke, "I see you've succeeded."
Everyone turned to see Morgan le Fay standing in the doorway, as elegant as ever. But somehow, her appearance today wasn't enough to break through the sorrow that filled the room.
Morgan immediately sensed the feelings of those in the room, and spoke, "I've come to congratulate you on your victory, and reclaim Excalibur."
Willow looked at Morgan, her face a mask of disbelief. "Angel is dead and you've come to *congratulate us on our victory*?" she practically shrieked.
The actual vocalization of the words, especially from Willow, stunned the occupants of the library into silence. They could only watch as the scene unfolded before them.
"You send us out there on a suicide mission, Angel dies, and now you want to *congratulate* us?" she asked again, feeling the anger build inside of her. Deep down, Willow knew the blame did not lie on Morgan, but the anger over losing Angel needed releasing, and Morgan seemed the ideal target.
"You knew, didn't you?" she snarled, "you knew that Angel had died even before you waltzed in here, didn't you?"
Morgan nodded her head in confirmation. "I was watching the entire battle through my scrying mirror. I saw what the Paladin did to save you."
"And you still have the nerve to come in here, congratulate us, and then demand that we give back Angel's sword?" Willow spoke more quietly, some of the anger seeping out of her now that she knew she had been right.
"Excalibur belongs to no one," Morgan corrected the young witch coolly. But she could not blame Willow for her anger. Hadn't she, too, felt that same fury when she had learned what fate had befallen her beloved Arthur?
But Angel had not met Arthur's fate.
"Whatever," Willow muttered, suddenly ashamed at her outburst. She picked up Excalibur and, expelling her remaining anger, threw the sword and Morgan.
Morgan caught the sword by the hilt easily, and sheathed it in the scabbard she had woven for Arthur so many years ago. "Listen to me, child," she tried to explain.
The Paladin would arrive soon, and it wouldn't do to have him walk into the library to face a group of people who still thought he was dead. Timing was, after all, everything.
"Perhaps you should leave," Giles finally interrupted wearily, "we've all had a rather long past few days, and I think it best that you return to…wherever it was you came from. Avalon, I suppose."
Morgan nodded in agreement, but continued, "Not until I've said what I must. As I told you before, I watched the battle from Avalon, and saw everything that befell you. But as much as I wanted to aid you, I am forbidden from interfering in the lives of mortals, and that includes helping you in battle."
"Why are you telling us this?" Buffy asked.
"Because there is something you should know," Morgan answered, "when I saw that the Paladin would die, I-"
The library doors opened once more, and to the utter disbelief of the people inside, Angel limped through, accompanied by one of Morgan's priestesses.
"I guess I'm early for my cue?" Angel asked, a lopsided grin on his scarred face.
"Angel!" came the unanimous reply.
"But how?" Willow wondered.
"I was getting to that," Morgan answered, "I suppose you don't need to know the specifics, but in short, I interfered."
"But I thought you couldn't?" Jenny asked.
"I was never physically incapable of interfering. And I'll deal with whatever consequences are dealt to me. This isn't the first time I've broken the rules, and I doubt it will be the last," Morgan smiled.
"I am so sorry," Willow apologized in a rush, "I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just that I was upset and-"
"It's alright," Morgan held up her hand to silence Willow, "I understand. And it's time that I leave. My work here is done. You have all done well, and I wish you the best. And remember to always walk in the Light."
As the doors swung shut behind Morgan and her attending priestess, Willow ran up to embrace Angel. Angel gathered her up in his arms and swung her joyfully around the room, not caring about his aching and battered body.
"You're alive!" she mumbled over and over again. And despite the gazes of the others in the room, she kissed him hard on the lips and spoke, "I love you."
Angel released Willow and smiled. "I love you, too, Willow. I love you, too."
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