A Charmed Story - Part Ten:
An Elder's Tale
Chapter 11

Suddenly the pain was gone... the memories were gone. Chris felt relieved and free, so amazingly free.
Slowly he opened his eyes to see that he was standing in front of a lake, a lake he had never seen before. Confused he turned around, calling for his friends. But there was nobody to see.
Then he heard the water bubbling, and when he turned around he saw a swirl in the middle of the lake. In the center of it, a woman appeared. 'She looks beautiful,' he thought.
Slowly she came closer, walking over the water. She smiled and stopped only about two yards away from him. "Hello Chris, my Lord..." she greeted him softly and took a bow.
"Where am I?" Chris asked "Who are you?"
"I'm Vivienne," she said softly, "I'm the Dame of the Lake."
He narrowed his eyes, looking at her as if he could find out this way, if this was a dream or if he was dead or whatever... Whatever, he was sure that he couldn't trust his eyes.
"Oh, I'm real... Real as you my Lord," she said as if she had read his thoughts.
"What do you want?" Chris asked back. "Why am I here?"
She just smiled kindly at him. Then she spoke: "Do you know the legend of the trees?" And as Chris nodded she went on: "There it is said that a man will come from far away, to find the truth of his destiny. A man who is only a half, but still a complete man. A man who will come to save the sword and Camelot. A man with a true pure and good heart like King Arthur himself. A man with a sense for what's right, for what's good. A man who is able to take the sword, to take Excalibur to his own hands. This man is supposed to be the new owner of the sword when his time is coming, when the sword comes to him in his own time and place."
Chris just looked at her unbelieving. 'She can't really mean this, can she?' he thought.
But Vivienne just nodded: "Yes, my Lord... you ARE that person the legend is talking about."
"No-no-no... God NO! That's impossible... I'm not the one who is supposed to have it... it's the sword of my brother!" Chris yelled back at her, not really knowing why he was yelling. But she just kept smiling.
"He's the one... it's Wyatt sword... He's the one who always had it... He's the twice blessed, the force of good... It is his! It can't be me. It just can't... I'm just... I... I..."
"You what?" she asked softly.
Chris sighed. He was surprised how fast he seemed to run out of arguments. But still... It couldn't be him. "Look," he tried it again, "as long as I can think back, everyone said that Excalibur belongs to my brother and only to him. Even the Elders did... and... They can't be all wrong, they just can't!"
The Dame of the Lake was still smiling. "That's true," she said then. "It also belongs to your brother... to that brother who is the other half... Because that's what you are, both of you. You are two pieces of the complete thing. You both own the sword... and no one else."
Was she really putting Christopher into that discussion? 'How could she know about mini-me,' Chris thought.
"You already know it my Lord. I know you heard the sword calling, I know you felt it's power... I even know you held it once in your hands, in a past life... in a life where you knew the truth."
Chris swallowed remembering that memory of the fight with his brother where he had Excalibur. And he remembered that it had felt good... But still...
"Why are you afraid, Chris?" Vivienne asked then, realising why he was hesitating to admit the truth.
Chris didn't know what to say. He was confused by all that. Could that be? Could that really be? He didn't know the answer. But if it's true... if it's true and the now good Wyatt would get the sword when he's old enough... "The sword only serves it's true owner, the wrong one will be corrupted by his powers," his mother had said every time when he wanted to hold the sword when he was a child and watched Wyatt practising with it. 'Oh God...' he thought, 'Wyatt could still turn evil!'
Meanwhile Vivienne had stepped closer to him. Softly she touched his cheek as a tear fall from his eyes. Chris closed them and took a deep breath, trying to calm down his emotions.
"Why are you so afraid of yourself?" she asked again.
"I can't be the one... I... I can't..."
She smiled again: "You can find it out easily... Just call for it and if I'm wrong it will not appear."
Chris swallowed again, thinking about that. She was right, there should be nothing happen. He nodded. "Ok, I'll try, but it will not work," he said, hoping that he was right. The Dame of the Lake stepped a little aside and Chris took a deep breath before he stretched out his right hand and called: "EXCALIBUR!"
Just a blink of an eye later a bright white light appeared around his hand and when it faded away, all that remained was the sword. Chris was like frozen in shock when he felt the cold metal in his hand. Not able to move he felt the power of Excalibur suffusing him. It was a warm and peaceful feeling... 'That feels damn good,' he thought.
But then he dropped the sword to the ground, scared. "No!" he exclaimed. 'I won't let it corrupt me,' he thought.
Vivienne stepped to his side again, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him around to face her. Knowing about his fears she said: "You are not him, Chris... He wasn't meant to have the sword, but you ARE! You are the one to control it's powers to do the right things. You and your other half. Because you have that pure good heart." And with the last words she put her hand on his chest.
Chris swallowed again, but said nothing. Actually he didn't know what to say. He couldn't deny that it had felt good to hold Excalibur. And... she was the Dame of the Lake, she SHOULD know who was meant to have the sword, right?
"Come one, Chris," Vivienne said, "take the sword, so that you can go home."
Chris looked at her, then he smiled. Yeah... she was right. He bent down and picked Excalibur up again, weighing it in his hand.
Vivienne smiled: "That's what I wanted to see... Now I have to go back, my Lord... Have a save journey back home." She nodded to him and the Elder-witch replied the gesture.
Then the Dame of the Lake was fading same as his surroundings. Chris felt a little like spinning and closed his eyes for a moment. And when he opened them again, he was lying in a bed, looking at the ceiling.
Slowly he rose just to meet three swords which were pointing at him. Confused he looked around, to meet the shocked looks of the others, especially Michael's. That's when he realised that he held Excalibur in his hand.
Chris made the attempt to stand, but one of the swords came closer to his throat.
"Don't move," was Lancelot's voice. He was staring at him with an amazed look full of disappointment and confusion.
Gawain and Gareth were also surprised, a little bit pale for what they had seen. Michael could not believe his eyes, but for other reasons, Odin was somehow angry, and Amy and Guinevere were shocked by the last happenings.
But Arthur and Merlin appeared calmer, and when Chris crossed his eyes with them, the king even smiled slightly.
Chris had never been so confused in his life. He had Excalibur... It was his... Or it would belong to him, some day... That was a dream. Or maybe a nightmare. He swallowed, feeling the sharp end of his friend's sword on his throat, and let go off Excalibur, which fell on the floor.
He looked Lancelot in the eyes and could see his worries, but at that moment, when he was about to say something, Arthur stepped forward and pushed the sword gently from his throat.
"There's no need for this, Lancelot..." he said with a soft but secure voice.
"But, my Lord..." he did not really know what to do. Chris was his friend, but he had taken the sword... He had invoked it!! For a moment of panic, he had thought that Chris was actually there to get the sword for himself, as they had interpreted from the legend of the trees. He had just taken it with magic from the king's hands! But now it was Arthur himself that wanted to help Chris.
The king smiled at him, and at Chris, pushing the other swords apart too. "Now I see it clear. You are truly the one from that legend. The sword must survive all times and ages, and I will die some die. But I can live now with the certainty that the sword will always be in good hands."
"My Lord..." was Guinevere's voice, who placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Don't speak like that..."
Arthur's eyes were brightening: "Like that?? I am saying the truth, my beloved Lady. I am not eternal..."
"But people think you are..." Michael said in a soft voice.
Chris sat down on the bed and looked at everyone, still trembling because of the pain he had felt and the fear, and confusion. He saw the sword still on the floor, and no one would pick it up.
At that moment Arthur frowned: "What??"
This gained Michael a warning look from Chris, but it was too late. "Well... People think that when you die, you will turn into a raven and will take care of your people until the end of days..."
"A raven??" Gareth asked, stepping back a little so that he was on Amy's side again.
Michael nodded, and Arthur smiled: "Oh, yes... That's part of the legend too... I had forgotten." Then he bent down to take the sword, and when he was knelt on one knee, he looked at Chris who was still on the bed, and said in a casual tone: "Long live the king..." Then he stood up.
No one but the Elder-witch himself and Merlin, who smiled, noticed that Arthur had actually bowed before Chris, who immediately blushed.
Lancelot lowered his face: "I am sorry... I just panicked..." And he put back his sword in his scabbard. Gawain and Gareth did the same thing, as Chris stood up.
Nodding, the Elder-witch said: "I would have done the same thing..."
Then, looking at Michael, he said: "I guess this is the time to go back." Actually he did not want to spend more time there endangering his own security and his friend's with the possibility that Gideon would discover and recognise them.
At that moment he noticed Odin, who was still there, observing everything silently. What were they gonna do about him?? That would change everything in the future!!!
But Arthur's voice interrupted his stream of thoughts: "Sir Chris... Does that mean that your task here is fulfilled?"
Chris immediately understood what he meant, so he nodded smiling: "He won't come again to get the sword, I promise. You can trust me." Arthur nodded.
Chris knew he should not mention Gideon's name in front of Odin... What was more: Odin should forget everything. Before it was too late. "But before I leave... I need to talk with Odin," he said therefore. And he would have time to tell his friend off about that later.
Michael stared at the Elder who nodded, and then he looked at Gareth and Amy, and felt a terrible sadness in his heart. But he could not tell them anything, could he??
The King smiled and said: "You can take your time... I will help Merlin to find a way to get you back home. You deserve it..."
Gawain shrugged and grumbled: "And I guess I should be doing something else. And my little brother too." He turned away and left, followed by a hesitant Gareth who could not take his eyes off of Amy.
But Michael took her hand for a minute: "Need to talk with you."
Guinevere also said goodbye, and Lancelot followed her with his eyes. Then he himself said that he would help the king. Finally, Chris and Odin were left alone.
"So... Who are you?" Odin asked, looking at him still suspicious.
"I am Chris... I am an Elder from the future, but I guess you know all that already."
Odin nodded very slightly, staring at him in silence. After a tense moment, he sighed: "I imagine you had a good reason to come, but you know the consequences of time travelling, young man..."
"Precisely... because of that... Odin..." Chris said. "You can't remember anything in the future." The Elder nodded again, after a moment of silence. "I know... Don't worry, I'll take care of that. But tell me... Is that future good?"
Chris smiled: "Yeah... as good as it can be."
"Are we good friends??"
"Oh, yeah..." was Chris's determined answer.
"And I guess you can not explain to me how it comes that you're alive, right?"
Chris slowly nodded: "I'm sorry... I wish I could."
After those things were said, Odin smiled, and left by orbing, while saying: "I guess I'm going to like you..."

"What do you want, Michael?? Tell me that I have to go back to the future, or...?"
He shook his head energetically. "No, it's not that. You love him don't you??" he asked looking her in the eyes.
The girl's eyes welled up in tears as she nodded, and Michael felt his heart sink: "Are you ready to stay??"
"Can I??" she sobbed.
Michael smiled: "It's Chris's decision, not mine... But I guess he'll let you, as long as you want to stay..."
She smiled widely: "So you don't think this will spoil anything in the future??"
Michael looked at her for a moment. "I don't know... But I want you to know something, Amy. Gareth... Ok, I have read the legend... Some things are going to happen. Sad things, to all these people we have met. Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain... and also Gaheris and Gareth."
She stared at him with her eyes wide open: "What's gonna happen to them??"
Michael sighed and thought that there was no use in hiding this from the girl. She could have read the legend herself: "Lancelot and Guinevere will be accused of betrayal, and condemned to die. Gareth and Gaheris will watch the queen, and Lancelot, in his attempt to save her... He'll kill them both."
Amy gasped and felt like crying: "No..."
But Michael grabbed her shoulders strongly: "Listen... Amy, you're a whitelighter. You can save him, and his brother, if you want. But you need to make sure that no one knows... That's the price. The legend must stay intact."
She was so confused she did not know what to say, but at that moment, a voice interrupted them. It was Chris: "It's time for us to leave."
"What about Amy?" Michael asked while his friend stepped closer. "Would it be a problem if she would stay?"
Chris sighed looking at her. He had noticed what was going on between her and the young knight. And from what she had told them he knew no one would miss her in the future...
When he now saw the hope in her eyes he couldn't bring himself to deny her that little bit of happiness. "No," he said therefore, "I don't think it'll be a problem... if you really want to stay, that is..."
Amy smiled and cried at the same time, hugging him tightly. "Thanks," she said to his ear. And with a thankful look to Michael she orbed away to find her knight.

A little while later, they were all again at the gates of the city. Chris looked back for the last time, to enjoy the beautiful sight of Camelot...
After Amy was gone, the Elder-witch had orbed Michael and himself in front of the king, Merlin and Lancelot who were submerged in their search for a way to bring them home, and told them that he had an idea. It was kind of stupid, but he had a feeling...
"Going back to the place where you entered this time??" Arthur had asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It could work..." Merlin was pensive. Actually he had no better idea. He had never dealt with time travels, so maybe the young Elder would know better. After discussing it for a while, they decided that that was the best way to do things. They would try to find that place. Lancelot offered himself to guide them; maybe if they were able to describe the place properly...
"But you tried to find the way before, and it did not work."
"Well..." Chris said with a sigh. "It seems we were supposed to fulfil this... mission. Perhaps now that it is done..."
"Just let's try," Lancelot answered. "I'll go with you."
Short after that, Chris and Michael had met Gawain, and he had told them that he'd seen Amy walking over to Gareth a little earlier. She had jumped to his arms and told him something in the ear, and both of them had laughed and cried... while Gawain was observing them from the distance, smiling.
And so, they were finally at the gates. Chris, Lancelot and Michael had already said goodbye to the sorcerer and Arthur, as well as Guinevere, and were now ready to leave. Amy saw them and immediately knew that the time had come. They were leaving... She hugged Michael and thanked him for his advice secretly.
Then she looked Chris in the eyes, who smiled softly at her, and finally had to embrace him too with all her strength. Gareth observed from behind, trying not to be jealous. He knew he should not be like that. She was gonna stay!
"Be very happy, ok??" he said to her ear. She nodded. "And be good," he added, chuckling. She hugged him again and nodded, between tears. Then they separated.
Chris then shook hands with Gareth and told him: "Take good care of her..."
"I will," the young knight replied smiling.
Gawain winked at them and waved his hand: "Good journey!! Or whatever you say in these cases!" Then they left.
And now... the three of them were riding towards the place where their adventure had started. Michael wasn't so sure. They hadn't much time to look around when they appeared. And anyway... this was England and they were supposed to go back to the US... How were they supposed to find the right place?
But he just explained every detail to Lancelot, and he seemed to be very self-confident. He just guided them through the wood, at first in silence. An hour later, when they had been out of sight of the city, Chris and Michael changed back their clothes. Then they went on, as silent as before.
After a while Lancelot told Chris how sorry he felt about his reaction, when he saw the sword flying towards his hands. But Chris had just burst into laughter and told him again that he understood, and that he actually would have been surprised and shocked if he had reacted differently. Michael was thoughtful, focused in the legend, in what he had told Amy and what was going to happen to all of them...
Suddenly he saw something, and frowned: The camera!!! He looked at Chris and realised that he had also seen it. Should they tell Lancelot?? But he had already noticed and got off the horse. Chris ran to the camera, and Michael jumped off the horse too, since he had been at the back of the knight.
"What is that?" Lancelot asked, frowning.
"This is..." Michael started.
But Chris interrupted him: "Where everything started." He sighed.
Lancelot nodded, confused: "Well...there's something wrong here..."
Chris and Michael looked at each other wordless. What were they gonna do now?? They looked around pensive, and then Chris walked a little bit, to see if he recognised the way. Mike shrugged looking at Lancelot and then he turned to call Chris: "You should not go very far away... You could end up in the Ancient Egypt this time, and without me to save your butt!!"
Then he turned smiling at Lancelot, in order to explain his joke, but there was no one to talk to. His mouth opened widely. "Lancelot??" he asked. No horse, no man... just some little pieces of rubbish on the ground.
"CHRIS!!!" he exclaimed, freaking out.
Immediately, Chris rant to him, and frowned when he saw what was going on. Then he sighed: "I guess... This is the 21st century!" And he smiled between glad and sad, because he had not had time to say goodbye to Lancelot. He was sure that if he had lived in his time, they would have been great friends, just as Michael and him.
"Let's go..." Chris said and, taking Michael's arm who just picked up his camera, he orbed away, not without taking a last look around, as well as his very confused friend did.
Meanwhile, a lot of centuries before, and far away from there, Lancelot had seen how his friends simply disappeared in front of his eyes, becoming more and more transparent by moments. He called them, but they did not seem to hear. And finally, they were gone. He had stayed there for a while, and then smiled grabbing the medal that hung around his neck. "Good luck..." he murmured, and turning back, he jumped on the horse and went back to Camelot. He went back home...

"CHRIS!!!! MIKE!!!!" All the people in the lounge cried at the same time. Suddenly, Chris saw himself wrapped up in a mess of arms, among which he could easily distinguish those of Bianca and Piper. And Michael could barely breathe between Angela's arms.
"What has happened?"
"What were you doing in the Middle Ages??"
"In 999??"
"How did you go there??"
"What did you do?"
Questions and questions struck his mind, but he could not answer. He had no chance. He was surprised to see so many people around... Even Kyle was there!!! When he saw Odin, he felt his heart beat faster but the elder seemed to have kept his word, since he did not seem to remember anything.
"What did you have to do there which was so important man???" asked another voice by his side.
"Well..."
Suddenly a strong thud made them all startle. Chris turned around surprised, as well as the others, just to find the stone with the sword right in the middle of the hallway.
"Who orbed this here?" Phoebe asked, looking at Paige and Leo accusingly.
Piper was paler: "I thought we had made it clear that this thing must be hidden... This is not funny." The others looked at the sword amazed, and Kyle grabbed Paige's hand with strength. What did that mean? Excalibur?? Had she told him about it? Because he did not remember that part. How many more surprises awaited him??
Cole and Leo stared at Chris, who had started to tremble a little, hesitantly. He looked at Michael who was hugging Angela, and smiled at him. He winked, reassuringly. "If you want answers... That's the answer," he said enigmatically turning to the others.
Chris sighed, and went to the sword. He was not sure at all... But he felt it. He could feel the power calling him. Why had it suddenly appeared? 'Because it would appear when the right time came.' And it was the right time. Chris did not even think about it. He just took the sword, and pulled it out off the stone with an amazing easiness. Everyone held back exclamations, surprised, and Chris smiled, embarrassed.
"What... what does that mean??" Leo and Phoebe asked confused.
"Oh, my..." Cole said, unbelieving. Kyle just stared at the sword. That could not be true... Excalibur, in front of him!!
"Well, you know... this is a really long story..." But then Chris frowned, remembering something very important. "How long have we been away?" he asked, while putting back the sword again, slowly.
Paige was the first who was able to answer: "Only a couple of hours... it isn't even midnight." Chris sighed: "Ok... I need to do something, I'll be right back." And he orbed away.
"CHRIS!!!!" Piper exclaimed, angrily. "YOU LITTLE BRAT HAD ME WORRIED ALL THIS TIME AND NOW LEAVE!!! You have to give me many explanations, young man!!!!!!" she called after him, followed by the laughter of everyone.

Tom was about to leave. They were all in the small hallway of Steve's apartment, hugging for goodbye when Chris appeared in the middle of bluish orbing lights.
"CHRIS!" Nicki exclaimed and hugged him. "They told us you where missing."
The Elder-witch smiled: "Yeah... I have made a short trip to the Middle Age..." When he saw the confused looks of his friends he shrugged: "Long story..."
Then he turned to Steve: "Elenia didn't come?" His friend shook his head sadly. "Well... I'm truly sorry. I wish I could have convinced them to let her go... If I wouldn't have been stucked in that time, I..." he said, trying to look sad. But actually he had already thought that she wouldn't be able to come down and therefore he had a plan B. "Well... if you have a moment. I have a gift for you, maybe that will cheer you up a little."
"A gift?" Steve said surprised. "For me?"
"Of course... we're friends, right?"
Steve smiled: "Of course... what is it?"
Chris grinned and hold out his hand: "Come and find it out on your own."
The young man frowned smiling, wondering what his friend could have for him. "I'll be right back," he said to Tom and Nicki who were nodding.
"Ehh..." Chris said to the others, "you shouldn't wait for him." And when Steve took his hand the Elder-witch orbed with him away, without any other word.
Tom turned to Nicki: "Have you seen his weird grin... He isn't doing what I think, is he?"
The woman smiled: "I don't know... but if he's doing that, than Steve will freak out!"

When they materialised Steve looked around frowning. Everything around him was white... They seemed to be at an open place. Around that area were a few buildings which were looking kind of old, decorated with columns and some weird figures. "Where are we?" he asked.
Chris, who had stared at some very dry bottled plants, turned around to him and smiled. "Where you should have been long before," he said, took his friend's hand and pulled him with him.
He led Steve into one of those buildings, down a long white hallway. On their way some other people crossed their way, all dressed in a white and golden rope, eyeing them suspicious. Steve eyes and mouth were wide open. 'Could that be?' he thought. And turning to Chris he asked: "This isn't the Elder-world... is it?"
"It is," Chris answered and led him to the huge conference room, where he had sensed the Elder he was looking for. He opened the huge golden door and entered, followed by his friend.
All the other Elders turned around, surprised that Chris was back, and when they saw Steve they were shocked. "What is HE doing here!?!" Jeremiah exclaimed.
But at that moment Steve had spotted his mom, who went closer to him smiling.
"Happy birthday," Chris whispered to him and pushed him a little forward. Steve turned to his friend in disbelieve. But when Chris nodded, he went over to her, shyly, and then hugged her tightly.
"Hey son," Elenia said and kissed his forehead, "I'm so happy that you're here. I've missed you so much..." She was overwhelmed by what Chris had done for her... for him! She had thought she wouldn't see him today. She had never thought that Chris could bring him up there... never.
"Missed you, too," Steve sobbed unable to hold back his tears. He couldn't believe that she was right in front of him. He had missed her so much... And the fact that he himself was in this place didn't sink in completely either. He was just overwhelmed by the situation.
Meanwhile Chris turned to Jeremiah, grinning satisfied: "Now everything is alright..."
"I don't think so..." the other Elder said angry, "how could you bring him..."
"Well... I thought I told you to take care of my bottled plants... And now I see them, down on the place, all dry and nearly dead... You have to give them some water... and love of course... lot's of love..." Chris interrupted him smiling, not paying any attention to the other one's complaining.
The other Elders in the room still looked shocked at the couple and angry at the Elder-witch. Chris had broken nearly every rule... But now that it was done...? They thought about weather that incident was worth any arguments or not, and they felt that it was not... Even Jeremiah noticed that it was a good thing that had happened this moment... But still... "Mortal human beings aren't allowed to come up here..."
"Whatever... and anyway.. he IS half-Elder... don't forget that." Chris was about to leave again. He knew that he had some explanations to give at home. He cleared his throat and when Steve turned to him he said: "I have to leave now... I guess your mother can bring you back later."
His friend nodded and before Chris left he said: "Thanks... thank you so much for this."
"Hey, this is your place as much as it is mine," the Elder-witch answered and then orbed back to the manor.

Chris orbed back to the hallway. On his way to his family, he passed by the sword still placed in the stone, where he had left it. Smiling he touched the handle, almost caressing it. Then he entered the living room.
But before anyone of his family could say something, Odin stepped forward and took a deep bow. "My king," he said, "I'm glad you've managed to come back to this time. I knew you two would make it..."
Chris frowned: "You remember? But you said you would..."
"I did," the Elder interrupted his friend before the confused looks of the others. "I let a witch cast a spell on me, actually it had been one of your ancestors. But it was only meant to last till the day you take the sword again, so when you took it a few minutes ago, I began to remember.
Chris smiled nodding. "It's good that you know," he said and hugged Odin.
At that moment Wyatt woke up. Still sleepy he opened his eyes and looked at Chris. He needed a moment to realise that he wasn't dreaming. Then he jumped up and ran over to his brother. Hugging his leg, he mumbled: "Never leave me alone again... I don't like to be alone."
Chris looked confused at his parents.
"He was freaking out, when he couldn't feel you anymore," Leo explained.
Piper nodded: "Me, too."
Chris sighed: "I'm sorry." Then he picked his brother up and hold him close, feeling his small arms around his neck. Smiling he went over to the sofa, sat down next to his wife and gave her a soft kiss. Oh... how he had missed that. Then he caressed the cheek of his little girl, who was sleeping peacefully in Bianca's arms now, before he turned to the questioning looks of his family. "So..." he said, "what do you want to hear?"
"Why have you just taken the sword out of the stone," Leo asked, "we thought that Wyatt would be it's owner."
Chris nodded: "Me too... believe me, me too."
"But he isn't..." Paige said while Kyle hugged her close. He was still a little confused by the fact that Excalibur was real... and even more since he knew Chris was the new king Arthur. But he kept silent.
Chris nodded again at his aunt's comment. "That's what the Dame of the Lake said."
Then Michael tried to explain: "As far as I understand it, Chris is supposed to have it, and then Christopher, right?" Chris nodded again, not really knowing what to say. He was confused and overwhelmed on his own. But when he held the sword - his sword - he knew it was right.
"I can't believe that you're the one to fulfil the legend of the trees," Silas said.
"Well," Odin interrupted them, imagining that Chris was still as confused as he had been when they met over thousand years ago, "I guess we all should go to sleep now... Tomorrow is still early enough to talk about that."
Chris sighed and then nodded. Same as Michael who hugged his wife closely, just wishing to be alone with her and tell her what he had find out about the medal she was wearing, and all the other stuff he had seen... and then fall asleep in her arms.
"Well my lord" Bianca said smiling, "I guess your lady could need a little bit of sleep, too..."
He smiled and kissed her again, lovingly. "Really?" he asked grinning, making her chuckle.
But before they would leave, Phoebe had a last question: "But where did you go so quickly as soon as you were back?"
Chris shrugged: "Oh... I just gave Steve his birthday present..."
"But the box is still on the sidebord," Paige remarked.
Now the Elder-witch chuckled: "Well I thought he would prefer an one-way-orb up there to his mom."
Leo, Odin and Silas, looked at him shocked: "WHAT?"

A few weeks later...
"So this is the place?" Bianca was looking around, a little bit unsure, and felt a thrill due to the cold breeze that blew in the plain where they were standing.
In front of them, and surrounded by a thin wire, there was a huge circle of stones, menhirs, most of them placed vertically and some horizontally, supported by those that worked as legs for them. It was dark, almost night, and a weird feeling invaded the young woman as she looked at those ancient stones: The Stonehenge.
Chris nodded, pensive, looking at the sky: "Yeah, Mike told me this is the place."
Bianca sighed, holding his arm and pressing herself against his body to protect herself from the chill that made her shiver. "You don't really believe it, do you??"
Chris kept his eyes fixed on the stones, or farther away, on the cloudy sky over them. "This is a sacred place, Bianca... Magical. And magic is real, so yes, I believe it."
"But it's just a legend, Chris... Nothing else," she sighed again. It was colder every minute, and the truth was that she was afraid of what could happen, because of the events they had to face the last time they went to a magical place. She did not want to imagine Chris travelling again in time, to the Bronze Age, or something like that.
"Well, now I know that legends can be true..." he said, his eyes brightening strangely.
Suddenly they heard something and he frowned: "Did you hear that?" Bianca shook her head, that leant on his shoulder.
But then there it was again. It was a squawk. "Look, there!!" Chris said, pointing at a bird with his finger.
Bianca raised her eyes to the raven flying in the sky, and sighed again. A raven.. "But this does not mean that..."
"A magical place, isn't it?" A voice behind them made them startle and turn back immediately.
When he saw the person standing there, Chris let his mouth drop widely open. The man in front of them was smiling kindly, that well-known friendly look always in his eyes, but he was wearing jeans and a casual t-shirt, and his hands were inside his pockets. And his accent was quite weird: "This time of the day is the best to come. When all the tourists have left... you can really feel the magic, can't you??"
Chris kept silent, still unbelieving, and Bianca, noticing his weird attitude, smiled a bit shocked and distrusting and nodded: "Yeah... This is a beautiful place."
The young man smiled: "It's more than that..." And he raised his eyes to the sky, to look at the raven that flew around them, a moment that Bianca used to elbow Chris and bring him back to reality.
He blinked slightly and swallowed, but then tried to sound normal. He stretched his arm to the man in front of them and asked: "I am not sure if you mentioned your name..."
The stranger chuckled and shook his hand warmly: "I don't think you did either."
Chris blushed and lowered his eyes: "I'm so sorry... My name is Chris and this is my wife, Bianca." She smiled and shook his hand too.
He nodded and said: "My name's Ancel. Nice to meet you." After these words, they kept looking at each other in silent. Chris could not believe his eyes, and Bianca could not believe his attitude. That man... And the name was too close. Shorter but... Was it just coincidence?
"Oh, it's a foreign name, and not very common. I am French, from the region of Languedoc." Chris raised and eyebrow. "Oh..." he muttered.
Bianca smiled as kindly as she could: "And what does a French tourist lost at this time of the day in the Stonehenge??"
He shrugged and smiled back: "I was going to ask exactly the same thing about two Americans lost in the Stonehenge, mademoiselle."
This time she blushed, but Chris was too curious: "Have you been here for a long time?" he asked, looking at his eyes.
He nodded: "Actually I am not a tourist... I've been living abroad since I was a child. I have family here; and I always loved this place, you know... It's so magical. It always fascinated me in some way." He saw how Chris was looking at him, and went on: "But if you're wondering about my accent... Well, I keep it because I was also living in Spain for a long time... In the island of Lanzarote."
Bianca nodded: "The Canary Islands."
And Ancel smiled. "Precisely. Lanzarote... Lancelot in English," he added, and then he winked.
Chris felt his heart beating, He was going to tell him something, when another voice interrupted them: "Ancel!! It's going to be late!!"
"Coming!!!" he answered. Then he turned to the couple and shook their hands again: "Sorry, my girlfriend is kind of impatient." He winked again: "Nice to meet you, chaps. I hope to see you again, if you are going to be around..."
But Bianca shook her head: "We're leaving tomorrow."
Ancel shrugged and sighed: "Well, you know how destiny works, you never know..."
"Ancel!!!!"
"Coming!!!" he repeated: "Ok, guys... as you see... I need to go." And after that, he ran to his girlfriend, who was waiting in a car with the lights on, farther away in the road.
Chris kept looking at him shocked, until finally Bianca pulled his sleeve. "WHAT??" he asked, startled.
"That's my question...What? What the hell happened with that guy, Chris? I think it's better to go home, NOW," she said, worried.
But Chris shook his head and grinned: "It's ok, it's ok, it's just... I never expected to see him... here... I mean, in this time."
"He??"
"Lancelot."
Bianca opened her eyes widely. So it was that...
But Chris interrupted her thoughts again: "Don't worry, it's not him, it's just... weird. He's exactly like him, and all those coincidences, the place where he comes from and the island... Just weird. And in this place!"
Bianca smiled: "Maybe they are related, who knows..." Then she kissed him on the cheek: "But I guess Michael was wrong about Arthur, though... I mean, the raven."
Chris chuckled: "Yeah... I guess... That's only a legend." And after saying that, he looked at the raven that was still squawking and flying, and then he orbed back home. It was too cold there... And now he really wanted to talk with Michael.
Once they had disappeared, Ancel turned to look at the Stonehenge, from the car, and after kissing his girlfriend. He smiled and raised his arm. The raven came straight to him and alighted on his forearm, squawking once again, while the full moon brightened with all its strength.