Title: Sarmatian Ladies
Author: Jmaria
Rating: FR-15
Disclaimers/Spoilers: Joss owns the Buffy crew, Bruckheimer, Franzoni, & Fuqua own this incarnation of Arthur & his knights. A bit of Kassandra's backstory is borrowed from Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand. It goes without saying that I do not own her stuff either.
Summary: Morgana explains all.
A/N: I would just like to say that a two week chapter turn-over is tons better than a two year chapter turn over, but whatevs. This is the end of Sarmatian Ladies. Next on the agenda is to finish up Not Nearly All. Then I will start the final part of the trilogy: Journey to This. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me to the end of this installment of The Quest series. To those who've reviewed and poked and prodded and did fanart. I would never have continued this story to the end if I didn't know that at the end of the day, there were people who cared about this story and wanted Dawn and Dag back together and happy. Thank you for loving this story as much as I do.

Epilogue: You and Me Against the World, That's What You Said

*****
And from the union of the Dark Knight and the Host of the Key shall spring forth a child of great importance. This child will turn the hatred and fear of generations past to peace and rejoicing. - Prophecy of Camelot
*****

*****
London, 2005
*****

"I'm afraid Miss Summers is unavailable to speak with you," Kit Holburn made a face at her computer screen.

"What do you mean my lady is unavailable?" the Immortal sneered through the telephone line.

Buffy was more of a whack job then Kit had previously thought if she found this control freak hot. She rolled a kohl-lined eye at the screen and wished that the internship was done so she could go poke at Dawn up north. Preggers Dawn who was attached at the hip to hot guys. And that bia couldn't even give her girl a call? Kit shook her head and tuned the ranting megalomaniac back in.

"I'm sorry sir, is English not your first language? Please hold while I transfer you to our Italian translator," Kit clicked the line over his angry sputtering. "Douchebag."

*****
The Summers Cottage
*****

"This is a little spooky, does anyone else think this is a little spooky?" Vi babbled, her eyes glued to Garrett's backside.

"It's a bit flabby from where I'm standing," Dagonet said quietly.

"You could bounce a quarter off -" Vi cut herself off and glanced up at the big knight. "Don't say things like that!"

"Already taking the role of brother to heart," Boris laughed loudly, drawing Garrett and Dawn's attention to them.

"Just move yer arse, Bors," Vi glared at him. "Double laps for you when we get back to training."

"You and what army?" Boris shook his head at her.

"Dawn's," Vi said quickly.

"Are you no longer spooked, little warrior?" Dag asked quietly.

"Of course I am! I'm just masking it better!" Vi huffed. "Magic post-it notes do not just appear out of nowhere!"

"Then they wouldn't be very magical, would they?" a deep voice had them pulling to an abrupt stop.

"Wesley?" Dawn blinked at him.

"Hello, Dawn."

"Who's the hottie with him?"

"Percy," Wesley smiled at Vi's comments, while Garret leveled a glare at her.

"Percival and Gaheris, brothers," Dagonet smiled at them.

"Gaheris?" Dawn frowned at Dag. "You mean Wes was one of the knights?"

"Wes died, Dawn."

"So did Dagonet, until Morgana had something to say about that," Wes' hand strayed to where his mortal wound had been, where his scar still rested.

"Morgana's got a lot of things to say, doesn't she?" Percy growled, glancing up the hill to where they could just make out the rest of the knights and ladies.

"Baggage there," Vi said quietly under her breath.

"Hmm," Dagonet nodded.

"This way," Wes nodded to the crest of the hill.

Morgana stood in the very center of the uneven circle of former warriors. Her long dark hair was unfurled and her hands rested at her side, palm up. The sun was clear and strong and her warriors had come home. She waited until Percy stood begrudgingly beside Trevor. Other than Wesley, he was the only male warrior without a female counterpart. Her poor warriors. She'd been looking out for them since the day she'd died with Mordred's boot to her spine. Now was not the time to think on that.

"Sarmatian warriors, you have been called to arms again," Morgana spoke quietly, but her power lent itself to make sure she was heard by all assembled.

"And who calls us?" Arthur stepped forward, much as he had all those years ago, and despite his warriors' wishes.

"The Oracle has, the Sorcerer has, and the Witch has," Morgana felt Kassandra and Merlin arriving at her back. The three had not had such a showing in more than a thousand years.

"My children," Kassandra smiled serenely at them all. "Mordred has risen, and you must all defend the world from his tyranny."

"Mordred?" Buffy frowned at her. "You mean -"

"I mean the one who has the gall to call himself The Immortal," Kassandra said darkly.

"Angel and Spike were right not to trust him," Wesley murmured quietly.

"Wes?"

Faith, Willow and Buffy's heads all turned sharply, as if they hadn't noticed the former watcher before then. Of course, Morgana knew they hadn't. She hoped they forgave her that bit of manipulation later.

"He cannot be fought with mere strength this time, nor can he be fought with magic alone. He is too strong for that, he's been allowed to flourish too greatly," Morgana surged on. "The only thing that can stop him, is that which stopped him before."

"Arthur," Gwen's hand clenched onto his tightly.

"Yes. But he will need all his knights. And he will need his mystical warriors all gathered on one side this time around," Morgana glanced over at Kassandra. "Magic alone did not defeat him at Troy. Swords alone did not defeat him at Camelot. We will destroy him this time. What say you?"

"Well, I'm tired of running," Boris said loudly, drawing the knights' gazes to him. Dawn smiled faintly at those words.

"Never liked looking over my shoulder anyway," Trevor clicked his tongue.

"Be a pleasure to put an end to this racket," Gavin laughed.

"And finally get a look at the bastard," Garrett's hand slipped through Vi's.

"Here, in this time," Dagonet placed a kiss on Dawn's head, his hand laying protectively over their child.

"May the Powers protect us all," Morgana sighed heavily.

"Isn't she a Power?" Vi muttered.

"Do you get the feeling that we're missing out on something?" Willow frowned at Wesley.

"Just an old battle," Wesley said quietly, ignoring the look Gavin was leveling at him. "I didn't sleep with her in this lifetime, little brother."

"Huh?" Willow glanced between Gavin and Wesley. "I'm gay, why would I have slept with you?"

"You weren't when we met."

"And it's Wes," Willow shuddered.

"We've signed up for another war, B," Faith stepped up beside Wesley and Buffy, who'd come over to Willow's side after Morgana's little announcement.

"I have to kill my boyfriend. Again," Buffy sighed. "I can really pick 'em, can't I?"

"That's three, if you count Spike," Dawn called from Dag's arms.

"Two. Spike wasn't evil," Buffy frowned at her sister.

"But he 'had to die, so that others might live'," Dawn did air quotes.

"Who are you quoting?"

"I don't know."

"And will the children be safe?"

The question threw them all for a loop. Felicia had been the one to ask, her hands filled with a little girl, and her son Lucas pressed against her.

"Yes. They will be. None of Mordred's perverse magic will touch them. Not this time," Morgana smiled at the child, her fingers trailing over the infant's arm. "Kassandra will oversee their protection."

"And what mortal will guard them?"

"It's in the works," Morgana said quietly.

"So we need all of the knights? All twenty-some?" Dawn took a deep breath.

"Yes. But you no longer need to search them out, Dawn," Morgana smiled. "They'll find you."

*****
London
*****

"Hmm, that's weird," Kit frowned. "Okay, that's really weird."

She stared at the text in front of her for a long time. It didn't make any sense. Not one lick of it. Neither did the picture. A lady in blue, a man in armor and a small baby. But it wasn't just any lady. It was a lady with blue tinged skin.

"The Sarmatian Lady?" Kit peered at it for a long time. "Illyria?"