'Twas the Age of Lore whence our tale begins, the tale of a land filled with magnificent beauty, of a beautiful fairy princess, and of an insatiable evil that vexed them both. And 'twas on a beautiful, placid day whence the young Morrigain le Fay, heir to the throne of Faerie, was born to Mortal Earth.

Many in the Land of Faerie smiled upon the birth of this graceful beauty, Morrigain le Fay, but there was one that sneered upon it, upon her, upon her very existence. And this despising personage was the maleficent Queen Mab, the Faerie Queen of the Dark Side of Faerie.

"How can this be!" she cried, her fiery voice reverberating through the halls of her dark home. "This wench who is born to Mortal Earth will surely overthrow me!"

A bit of explanation, perhaps, is needed before we go on? Firstly, the Land of Færie was divided into two realms: the Dark Side and the Light Side. Each realm was ruled by different Courts: the Light Side was ruled by the Seelie Court, composed of the sprites, fays, sylphs, and other graceful denizens of the air; The Dark Side, however, was ruled by the Unseelie Court, made up of hags, nightmares, goblins, spooks, and other nasty creatures. The Seelie Court was destined by the Prophecies of Fate to overpower the Unseelie Court, but it could only do so as long as the chosen one, Morrigain le Fay, was ordained as the ruler of the Light Side. And this deeply worried Queen Mab, empress of the Dark Side. Now, back to our tale...

"Something must be done, Asmodeus, or our regime will surely be done with!" Queen Mab continued.

"Do not worry, my wife," said King Asmodeus, the horrendous King of the Demons. "I will have it taken of."

Queen Mab glared at the Demon King. "You had better, sirrah," she said cynically, "or 'twill be Tartarus for us both!"

King Asmodeus then strode away from the throne room and into to the Hall of Torrents. Walking to a small chest, he removed from it an orb, green with poison and envy. Setting it upon an altar, he chanted, "O Cacodemon from the Depths of Pandemonium, arise hither upon Mortal Earth to do my bidding!"

With a flash of brilliant light, the green orb exploded, and from its shattered remnants arose a green cloud of smoke, which articulated into the form of a horrifying demon. "What is it that you wish from me, O Lord of Darkness?" it asked, bowing solemnly to its master.

The Demonic King replied with a cruel curl of his lips, "Destroy Morrigain le Fay, and do not rest until you have!"

The demon then bowed once again, and its ghastly form soon flew out the window and towards the Golden Palace, abode of the Seelie Court and home of Morrigain le Fay.

A great gathering, in honor of the wondrous birth of Morrigain le Fay, was held at the Golden Palace, which floated high above the ground upon the clouds. As fairies, elves, good witches, and other people celebrated the birth of Lord Oberon and Lady Titania's firstborn, the future heir of the Light Throne, a storm of darkness suddenly flew into the room. 'Twas the Cacodemon, and all knew that it meant trouble.

"Give me the child, the one named Morrigain le Fay," its hideous voice roared, instilling fear upon the hearts of all those that attended the affair, "and no harm shall befall you or your Court, Lord Oberon and Lady Titania."

"How dare you!" roared the Lord of Fairies. "Who are you to command such a threat to the Seelie Court?"

The Cacodemon glared back and declared, "I come from the Court of Asmodeus, high lord of the Unseelie Court, emperor of the Dark Side, the Demonic King, ruler of..."

"Enough of this meaningless babble, O demon!" cried Lady Titania. "Fly from my abode and no harm shall befall you."

"Insolent wench!" the Cacodemon snapped back as he used his hell-given powers to send a ball of whirling green light at the Faerie Queene. The crowd of helpless spectators watched in horror as the beam of Dark Magic came closer and closer until...

"Halt!" said a trio of identical sisters in chorus as they suddenly appeared before the assailing blast of magic, quickly putting an end to it with a counterattack of their own magic. These three were the Weird Sisters (or the Parcae, if that be your preference), namely Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Their appearance was a strange one, for they were the messengers sent directly by Fate herself, and their appearance usually portended the doom of some hapless victim. "Thou art not permitted to harm this child, O Cacodemon," they continued in chorus. "She is protected by the will of Fate, and if thou durst lay a finger upon her, flames sent by the fury of Fate shall scorch thy torn body 'til the end of this Age and beyond!"

"Meddling fools!" With that remark, the Cacodemon charged head-first at the Weird Sisters, focusing all its dark powers upon them.

"Depart, O demon of Hell!" the Weird Sisters blasted out in chorus, pointing their forefingers at the Cacodemon. Suddenly, a luminous ray of magic struck it, and 'twas sucked back to the Depths from whence it came.

"Thank you, O Parcae," Lord Oberon said to the Weird Sisters. "I owe you my life."

"Thou owest us nought but thy daughter, Morrigain le Fay", the Weird Sisters said without empathy. "We shall take her away to safety, away from the dangers of the Land of Faerie."

"What!" cried Lady Titania, enraged and appalled at the remark. "You cannot! She is ours!"

"'Tis not a matter of wants and desires, Lady Titania," said Clotho.

"'Tis but her destiny to leave and thy destiny to let her be," put in Lachesis.

"And most importantly, 'tis the will of Fate," Atropos added in the end.

The Weird Sisters then raised their hands in the air, creating a bright luminescence that surrounded themselves and Morrigain le Fay, saying altogether, "'Til we meet again, O Seelie Court." And with that, they and Morrigain le Fay disappeared in a flash of light.

***

Now, I suppose you'll be wanting to know of what happened to Morrigain le Fay after that one fateful day? Well, after that unexpected departure of hers, the Weird Sisters brought her to a kindly woman, Dame Angela. She lived in peaceful solitude in the blissful Elysian Fields, and there she raised Morrigain le Fay as if she were her own child. The Weird Sisters had told her nought about the changeling, save for her name and the fact that some day, she would leave to pursue her destiny…and the will of Fate.

Now, let us traverse ahead precisely sixteen years through time to Morrigain le Fay's sixteenth birthday, whence the bulk of our tale begins, and 'twas upon this day, fair and cloudless, Morrigain le Fay was strolling about in the vicinity bordering the Sylvan Forest. Gently humming to herself, she was soon approached by a young and handsome lad.

"Good morrow, milady," he said, bowing politely. "I am Sir Robin Goodfellow, from the Seelie Court of the Land of Færie."

"Good morrow, good sir," she replied with a gentle smile. "I am Morrigain le Fay. How may I be of service to you today?"

"Well, I have been sent here by Lord Oberon to retrieve the magical Caliburnus. I was hoping that..."

"Caliburnus?" said Morrigain le Fay with much surprise. "Then you are planning to venture into the Sylvan Forest? Sir, I must warn you that in there lies the dragon Fafnir, whose fiery breath can penetrate even through armor enchanted by a wizard."

Robin Goodfellow gave out a hearty laugh. "Milady, I have fought and defeated more vicious creatures than a mere dragon. Besides, the wrath of Lord Oberon for my not fulfilling his wish would surely be worse than what lies in the Sylvan Forest."

"But why, pray tell, does he desire Caliburnus?"

Robin Goodfellow looked at Morrigain le Fay, as if to determine whether she was jesting, but a close peer into her eyes revealed to him a world of truth. "Do you mean to imply that you have not heard of the occurrences in the Land of Færie?"

"Nay, milord, I have not."

"Then you have not heard that the Seelie Court has waged war upon the Unseelie Court?"

"And that is why you desire the Sword of Caliburnus, to help your Court (the Seelie Court, is it?) claim victory upon this war?"

"Precisely, milady. Now, would you kindly point out the direction to the Sylvan Forest?"

"We stand upon its very edge right now, but I strongly urge you to turn back, lest you become the dinner of Fafnir."

"But, milady, 'tis imperative that I..."

"Very well. If you persist on going, you should at least take a mage with you, to help you upon your endeavors."

Robin Goodfellow's eyes twinkled with delight. "A mage? Where, pray tell, is this mage? I agree with your sentiments, that I should in deed take a mage with me to help this task of mine be less strenuous."

"I, sirrah, am a mage," said Morrigain le Fay in a dignified manner. "Suffer me to along and I shall be glad to take you to Calibrunus."

"Hmm," Robin Goodfellow seemed to wonder, "methinks that you would do wondrously. Very well. Now come, let us get on with our adventure. And your name, Morrigain le Fay, is it?"

"Yes."

"It seems rather familiar, like something that sticks in the back of my head. Anyway, shan't we get on with the retrieving of Caliburnus?"

The two then ventured into the Sylvan Forest, talking daintily of wondrous things as they leisurely strolled about. They did this for hours and hours on end as they zigzagged through the paths of the Sylvan Forest, and they became quite absorbed in their conversations. Thus, it took them quite a while to finally notice that they were lost.

"Lost?" said Robin Goodfellow, quite surprised and with a tone of hurt dignity. "I, Robin Goodfellow of the Seelie Court, never get lost, milady. I am quite sure that Caliburnus is around here somewhere. Just follow me."

Robin Goodfellow then led the way, walking around trees, cutting through shrubbery, and hopping over rotting logs. They wandered about for quite some while before Morrigain le Fay finally spoke up again: "Whither are we wandering, sirrah? We have been searching this forest for quite a while now, yet to no avail."

"Do not worry, milady," said Robin Goodfellow as he continued to lead the way. "I am quite sure we will..."

Then, with a scream of surprise, Robin Goodfellow fell into a large hole in the ground. With a loud thud, he landed upon the floor, and Morrigain le Fay peered down to look for him.

"Are you injured?" she inquired.

"Nay, wounds scathe me not, save for my dignity."

"So, the almighty Robin Goodfellow has finally gotten lost, or is it simply that he still cannot admit 'tis so?"

"Enough babble, milady, but perchance you could be of some assistance to me?"

"Very well," Morrigain le Fay replied as she used her magic to levitate herself to the subterranean world, which was filled with complete and utter darkness. Upon arriving there, she chanted a mystical rhyme and in instants, a magically conjured flame was floating in the air, emitting great expanses of light that lit up the room spectacularly. And with this newly found luminescence, a hoard of treasure was revealed to Robin Goodfellow's eyes. They sat glittering in the corner: gold, rubies, diamonds, and gems galore. But he noticed these not, for his attention was directed to Caliburnus, which sat atop that pile of riches.

"There it is! Caliburnus!" cried Robin Goodfellow as he ran to the sword and began to pull its blade from the heap of treasure.

"Sir Robin, if you permit me to say so," began Morrigain le Fay, "but I highly suggest that you move from your position at this instant."

"Why, milady?"

"Because you are in great peril; look up, sirrah!"

Robin Goodfellow titled his head up to see something he had failed to see before. 'Twas a hideous dragon, a firedrake whose breath was as fiery as the flames of an elfin bonfire. And this firedrake, Fafnir, glared down malevolently at Robin Goodfellow, preparing to immolate him.

"I pray you, move!" cried Morrigain le Fay, and that was surely what Robin Goodfellow did, pulling out Caliburn with a final tug and quickly moving away from the dragon's breath. Morrigain le Fay then raised her hands, chanting a mystical chime of magical proportions, and a streak of light suddenly struck the firedrake in the eyes. Fafnir roared maliciously as the beam of luminescence brought pain to his orbs of vision, and upon recovering from that blow, he prepared to take his fiery vengeance upon Morrigain le Fay.

Fafnir took a deep breath, preparing to breathe out an infernal storm, but before he could, Robin Goodfellow suddenly jumped upon its back. Trying desperately to wriggle his assailant off, Fafnir spewed out flames all around, but 'twas powerless against the agility of Robin Goodfellow, who soon jammed Caliburn's blade into its head. The dragon gave out an ear-piercing screech before thudding violently to the ground.

"Are you all right, milord?" asked Morrigain le Fay as she helped Robin Goodfellow to his feet.

"Quite so, milady, quite so," Robin Goodfellow replied, "but there is yet another problem at hand."

"What pray tell might that be?"

"Getting out of this wretched forest."

"Well, I could fly us up back to the overworld and..."

"Or we could merely take this tunnel," suggested Robin Goodfellow, pointing straight ahead to a tunnel as dark as the cavern they were in.

"This tunnel? But, it seems rather treacherous."

"I am quite sure, milady, that there is no danger within these catacombs. Besides, 'twould take us eternities to wander out of the Sylvan Forest."

'Twas agreed then that they would take this seemingly empty tunnel, but Ihad they had the knowledge that the tunnel was occuppied by the Nibelungs, they would have never taken it.

***

The two continued their travels in the subterranean abode, little knowing that they were being carefully watched by the Nibelungs, a group of evil dwarves that despised and were despised by all. The Nibelungs were wretched, cruel creatures that delighted in torturing people, especially the surface folk that had inadvertedly entered their domain. And ruling them was the nefarious Erl King, the most wretched and terrible creature in all Mortal Earth.

Enough of their descriptions and back to our tale, where we continue venturing with Morrigain le Fay and Robin Goodfellow in the depths of Mortal Earth. They had leisurely conversed amongst themselves the entire time and had little knowledge of the espionage watching their every move. And when they had finally noticed the spying Nibelungs, 'twas all ready too late.

"Capture them!" a Nibelung suddenly cried out in its hoarse voice, and soon enough, the entire band of dwarves charged in after the surface dwellers and tied and gagged them. Then, upon seeing Caliburn in Robin Goodfellow's sheath, the Nibelungs suddenly became violently raucous.

"This surface dweller has Caliburn!" one cried out. "They plan to overthrow the all mighty Erl King!"

Then, in riotous clamor, the band of Nibelungs marched back to their underground city, Sheol, taking the two surface dwellers with them. Upon arriving at the gloomy city the dwarves called home, their boisterousness and commotion attracted a large crowd of other Nibelungs, who, in turn, attracted the Erl King.

"What is going on here?" asked an aggravated goblin, the Erl King. "I demand answers, I say, answers!"

One Nibelung then stepped froward and said, "These surface dwellers have ventured down here to our subterranean abode, O Erl King."

"Then take them to be cooked in the stew as with the others foolish enough to venture in our realm!" the Erl King shouted back.

"But, sir," a female Nibelung said, "they have Caliburnus!"

Terrified gasps fell through the air, and a truly wrathful Erl King glared maliciously at the two prisoners. "Insolent surface dwellers!" he bellowed. "Have you come here to make a mockery of me, to overthrow me with this, this despicable weapon. How dare you bring Caliburnus here!"

Perchance another explanation is needed to clarify the situation? Well, as you might have already known, the Erl King was not completely immortal, as some old wives' tales say. Instead, he is invincible to all weapons, save Caliburn. And without the Erl King's leadership, Sheol and the Nibelung nation would surely diminish. Now, back to our tale...

"We were but travelers in your realm who meant no harm," explained Morrigain le Fay.

"Quiet wench!" And with that, the Erl King swooped down his hand at Morrigain le Fay's head and smote her dearly, to the point of unconsciousness. "You are a liar, a liar, I say! My loyal subjects, throw Caliburn into the fire! As for these two, they will make a delectable meal."

It seemed at that moment that the Erl King had everything under control, but what did not occur to him was that Robin Goodfellow was not only a master fighter but a master thief as well. Throughout this time, he had been picking the lock to the chains that bound him, and within moments, he was free. Quickly, he grabbed Caliburn from the nearby Nibelung that held it and ran to the Erl King.

"No, you cannot!" cried the Erl King, but 'twas too late, for Robing Goodfellow had already severed his head, which came tumbling off. At the sight of their lord's death, the Nibelungs went into wild panic and ran amuck in the gloomy underworld, scattering terrified through the caves and tunnels of their subterranean abode. Robin Goodfellow then emancipated Morrigain le Fay, and he ran out of the underground city, carrying her unconscious body along.

Morrigain le Fay awoke to find herself in a small clearing bordering a quaint little pond. In it was Robin Goodfellow, bathing in its crystal clear waters. Approaching him, she said, "What, pray tell, milord, happened? I remember being in the Nibelungs' realm, then losing sentience when that horrible Erl King struck me with his mighty hand."

"Milady," began Robin Goodfellow with a kind smile, "'tis a long tale, so I will spare you the details. Firstly, I managed to escape and get Caliburn from the Nibelungs, striking the Erl King with it. The nasty little dwarves then began to scatter, and I carried you out of the catacombs with my own bare hands hither in this peaceful pasture."

"I give you my foremost gratitude, Sir Robin."

"No need for thanks, milady, just glad to help."

"Say, whither are we now?"

"Methinks we are on the edge of the Elysian Fields, at the verge of the Land of Færie. Now, if it pleases you to do so, milady, look yonder to the north. You will see the Light and Dark Sides of Færie."

Morrigain le Fay did so, peering out in the appointed direction. There, she saw two distinct lands separated by a distinct border. One, on the right, was pleasant and heavenly, filled with the angelic beauty of the heavens; yet the other, on the left, was dark, gloomy, and despicable.

"This is the Land of Færie?" asked Morrigain le Fay, and Robin Goodfellow nodded as he emerged from the pool and clothed himself in his garb. "'Tis so...unique, I suppose," she continued, "One side is like heaven and the other side…death. How can it be so?"

"'Tis the work of magic: Light Magic works on the realm to the right, which is my abode and ruled by the Seelie Court; while Dark Magic dominates the realm to the right, which is ruled by the maleficent Unseelie Court. Now, milady, I suggest you take a bath before we leave."

A surprised look befell Morrigain le Fay's face. "Leave? Where, pray tell, are we going to go?"

"To the Golden Palace, milady, home of the Seelie Court. I am sure that Lord Oberon and Lady Titania will be absolutely pleased to see you."

"I suppose so they will, milord" said a high-pitched voice behind them. Robin Goodfellow and Morrigain le Fay twirled around to see a tall, slim fay hovering above the air before them. "Allow me to introduce myself," the fay continued. "I am Fata Morgana."

Robin Goodfellow pondered awhile. "Fata Morgana?" he thought aloud. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Perchance you know me better as Hecate?" said Fata Morgana as she metamorphosed into a squat ugly hag that was the antithesis of her former form.

"Of course, I remember now!" cried Robin Goodfellow. "You are that witch from Endor, the one reputed to bring about mischief and trouble. What brings you hither to us?"

"I have come hither to make you a proposal."

"Proposal of what, pray tell?" asked an intrigued Morrigain le Fay.

"I was wondering if you desired the Gorgon's Orb?"

"Gorgon's Orb?" said Morrigain le Fay in an echo-like manner, her eyes twinkling with wonder.

"We're not interested," Robin Goodfellow stated flatly.

"Are you sure?" asked Fata Morgana as she resumed her fairy-like form and siren-like voice, trying to allure the two. "'Twill allow you to live as long as the stone of the earth."

"What do you ask in return?" inquired Robin Goodfellow dubiously.

"Nothing at all, lad, nothing at all."

Robin Goodfellow shook his head, too suspicious of the overly complaisant offer to accept. "No, thank you, O Fata Morgana, but..."

"I accept!" Morrigain le Fay suddenly blurted out as she reached out to grab the Gorgon's Orb. Then, upon touching it, her body trickled away to stone. Fata Morgana reverted to her haggish alter ego and gave out a maniacal cackle.

"As sure as the stone of the earth!" she cried out mockingly.

"Insidious Hag of Hell!" Robin Goodfellow cried out as he drew Caliburn. "Turn her back or I shall chop off your head!"

"Never, lad. She shall now and for evermore remain as so, a statue in my growing collection of foolish mortals!"

Fata Morgana then waved her hand, revealing dozens of stone statues once hidden from view. The quaint clearing, as well, changed, metamorphosing into a stagnant swamp. 'Twas all a mirage created by the haggish personage, and another victim had fallen into it.

""Now, lad, 'tis your turn to become as sure as the stone of the earth!" cried Fata Morgana.

Fata Morgana then threw a beam of magic at Robin Goodfellow, who managed to duck that attack. Several more followed, all artfully dodged by his agility. This enraged the witch.

"Stand still, impudent vermin!" she screeched. "Your death is inevitable!"

Suddenly, Robin Goodfellow, amidst all the streaks of magic being flung at him, lunged at Fata Morgana and swung his sword at the Gorgon's Orb, which she had held in her hands. With that mighty blow, it shattered into pieces.

"No!" Fata Morgana cried as she began to melt away. "My Orb! My precious Orb!"

And with those final words, the witch was gone, and the statues turned back to life. Robin Goodfellow approached Morrigain le Fay, saying, "Are you sound?"

"Quite so, sirrah, quite so," she replied, though she felt a bit queasy.

"Good. Now, let us finally venture into Færie. And do remember, milady, never to accept anything from loathing hags."

***

Now, I suppose you might be wondering about what happened to Dame Angela? Well, as you might imagine, she began to get worried about Morrigain le Fay, who failed to show up for dinner. Moreover, she became more worried when the Weird Sisters suddenly appeared to her in a bright flash of light.

"Greetings, Dame Angela," they said in their usual chorus marked by perfection.

"The Parcae!" Dame Angela cried, bewildered by their sudden arrival. "What brings you hither to my humble abode?"

Clotho said, "We have come hither to bring thee a message from Fate herself."

Lachesis followed, saying, "Thy daughter, Morrigain le Fay, is with Sir Robin Goodfellow of the Seelie Court."

Atropos, as usual, was last to speak: "She is now going home."

Dame Angela became more confused than ever. "Home? What ever do you mean?"

"When we brought her to thee from years past," said Clotho.

"We told thee that that she wouldst leave thee upon her sixteenth year on Mortal Earth," continued Lachesis.

"And this is her sixteenth year," concluded Atropos.

"But where is she going, miladies?" Dame Angela asked once again.

"To her home," the Weird Sisters replied in chorus, "in the Seelie Court of the Land of Færie."

Then, with a flash of blinding light, the Weird Sisters disappeared from Dame Angela's house. But that was not the last trip they would make in Mortal Earth on this day, for seconds later, they appeared at the Golden Palace in a flash of light.

"Greetings, Lord Oberon and Lady Titania," they said in chorus.

"Greetings, miladies," said an astounded Lord Oberon. "What brings you back hither?"

"Have you come to take our child away again?" cried Lady Titania, her old wounds opening. "Well, we have no other child, ever since you took away our precious Morrigain le Fay..."

"We have come hither to tell thee one thing and one thing only, milady," the Weird Sisters said in a steady but apparently angered voice, quickly putting Lady Titania's comments at an end. "Thy daughter will arrive hither within days, and the fulfillment of Fate's Prophecies will soon take place."

The Weird Sisters then disappeared in their spectacular manner, and they traveled across the Land of Færie in astonishing speed to arrive in their last destination, the Palace of Darkness, in the heart of the Dark Side.

"Greetings, Queen Mab and King Asmodeus," they said as they suddenly appeared before the two, startling them.

"Why, pray tell, O witches, are you hither?" asked King Asmodeus acrimoniously. "Have you come to conjure another one of your hexes upon us?"

"Nay, milord, and this matter concerns thee nought." Suddenly, the Weird Sisters sent a blast of magic that struck King Asmodeus, depriving him of consciousness; they then turned to Queen Mab.

"What do you witches plan to do to me?" the Dark Faerie Queene asked, backing away in fear and intimidation. "Have you come to usurp the throne from me? Well, you shall never succeed!"

"Nay," began Clotho, "'twill not be us that usurps thy throne."

"But 'twill be the young Morrigain le Fay, who cometh this way," continued Lachesis.

"Fight against her and thou shalt not only lose thy throne, but thy life as well," concluded Atropos, and she and her sisters suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

"Wake up, you fool!" hissed Queen Mab seconds later as she shook her husband to sentience. "The Cacodemon has failed, and Morrigain le Fay still lives!"

"Lives?" cried an astounded King Asmodeus. "But how? How could the Cacodemon have failed?"

"I know not, sirrah, but you had better make sure that it does not fail again, or 'twill be our ending days here upon Mortal Earth!"

Asmodeus then stomped away, heading back towards the Hall of Torrents, whence he first summoned the Cacodemon. He performed the same rituals, and soon, the Cacodemon appeared before him.

"Fool!" King Asmodeus roared. "How could you have failed me!"

"My sincerest apologies, milord," said the Cacodemon, laying his head low in humility, "but the Parcae (curse those wenches!) intervened and sent me back to Pandemonium."

"The time draws near, O demon, and my regime will simply cease to exist if action does not take place. Now, go and destroy Morrigain le Fay. Fail, and I will destroy your very essence!"

Bowing once again, the Cacodemon flew out of the, racing towards the Light Side with astonishing speed and preparing to devour the soul of Morrigain le Fay.

Now, let us get back to Morrigain le Fay and Robin Goodfellow, who arrived at the magnificent Golden Palace as the sun set beautifully in the west. Walking into the home of the Seelie Court, the two were soon greeted by Lord Oberon and Lady Titania.

"I see that you have arrived, my good friend," smiled Lord Oberon as Robin Goodfellow handed him Caliburnus, "and with the Sword and a beautiful damsel with you. Now, milady, what is your name?"

"'Tis Morrigain le Fay, milord," she replied with a polite curtsy.

Lord Oberon and Lady Titania's eyes filled with wonder. "Did you say Morrigain le Fay?" asked the Light Queene. "It cannot be, can it?"

"What cannot be?" inquired Robin Goodfellow.

Lord Oberon peered closely at his new acquaintance. "But, but how?"

"The Parcae did tell us," said Lady Titania. "They told us that she would come. I have a feeling that this stunning young damsel is her, our long lost daughter!"

"Long lost daughter?" asked Morrigain le Fay. "I am your long lost daughter? Oh, no milady, you must have some sort of mistake. I am the daughter of Dame Angela."

"Nay, child," said Oberon, "you are our daughter, and you are destined to overthrow Queen Mab once and for all."

"I still don't understand, my liege," said Robin Goodfellow. "Was not your daughter destroyed by the Cacodemon?"

"Nay, Robin, you are misinformed," replied Lady Titania. "She was taken from us by the Parcae, and now she has returned!"

"Pardon me, madam," spoke up Morrigain le Fay once more, "but there must be some mistake..."

"Look into this mirror, child," said Lady Titania softly, "and its magic will reveal to you the truth."

Lady Titania then handed Morrigain le Fay an ornate silver mirror, the Mirror of Truth, and upon looking into it, the world of truth was revealed to the latter. "By Fate," she said, "'tis so."

"Yes, my child," said Lord Oberon, giving his estranged daughter an endearing kiss upon the forehead. "Now, let us feast in commemoration of your arrival!"

Morrigain le Fay lay in a bed in the room given to her by her long-lost parents, where from a long, weary day. Yet, Fate would not allow her to sleep well this night as a sinister wisp of green smoke drifted into her room. It then articulated into the form of the Cacodemon, who, preparing to devour Morrigain le Fay's soul, flew over to her bed and climbed upon her. He opened his mouth and prepared to place it upon hers, allowing him to suck her soul and life force from her body. She then awoke and, upon laying her eyes upon the horrifying Cacodemon, gave out a scream.

"Away from me, O demon!" she cried, then screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Quiet, wench!" the demon snapped. "Your death is inevitable and your soul will be mine."

Suddenly, the door burst open and Robin Goodfellow, who had heard Morrigain le Fay's scream, rushed in with a sword in hand. "Away from her, O incubus!" he cried.

"Fly, you fool," cried the Cacodemon, "or I shall devour your soul as well!"

Despite the demon's threat, Robin Goodfellow charged at the Cacodemon with his sword in hand. Thrust, parries, swings, and evasions followed from Robin Goodfellow, but the blows of his sword upon the Cacodemon were all in vain as he did not manage to scathe its intangible body one bit. Laughing, the Cacodemon grabbed his opponent by the throat, pulling him up in the air.

"Your soul is mine, O mortal!" the Cacodemon cried, and Robin Goodfellow felt his life essence and very being getting pulled out of his body. But then suddenly, before the entire process could be carried through, the Cacodemon suddenly disappeared.

"What happened?" asked a bedazzled Robin Goodfellow.

"I sent the wretch away from hither with my magic," replied Morrigain le Fay. "Are you sound, O Sir Goodfellow?"

"Quite so, Morrigain, quite so. But is that demonic fiend gone for good?"

"Nay, he is merely gone for now. He was not fully destroyed, as such terrors from the pits of Pandemonium can only be destroyed if their masters are killed first."

"I see, milady. Now, shan't we get some rest?"

Morrigain le Fay nodded as she curled back up into her bed. Robin Goodfellow then blew a goodnight kiss to her as he headed out the door.

***

Darkness surrounded the Dark Side as it had always did. The army of the Seelie Court prepared to besiege the Palace of Darkness, and the army of the Unseelie Court awaited them there.

"O Cacodemon, you are a fool!" cried King Asmodeus. "How could you have failed against simple tricks of that wench? You, O Cacodemon, are utterly pathetic."

"I beg for your forgiveness, sir," pleaded the Cacodemon, bowing lowly upon one knee.

"You ingrate!" hissed Queen Mab. "This is the second time already that you have failed. How can you, a mighty creature straight from the Pandemoniac Pits, fail against a mere mortal?"

"'Twas because Fate destined her to live out to her destiny," said the Weird Sisters as they suddenly appeared in the room.

"You three!" roared King Asmodeus. "Meddlesome witches, leave us be!"

"Then leave Morrigain le Fay be," said Clotho.

"And we shall let thee be," put in Lachesis.

"But if thou payest no heed to our warnings," continued Atropos.

"Then thou shalt perish," the three said in final chorus as they disappeared in a bright flash of light.

"Wretched witches!" cried King Asmodeus. "If I could wring their necks..."

Suddenly, a loud din was heard from without the palace walls. As cries boomed out, arrows whizzed through the air, and the sounds of death filled the palace, the three knew that the war had begun.

***

"Daughter, are you certain you want to do this?" asked Lady Titania. "There are, of course, other options."

"Aye, Mother," replied Morrigain le Fay. "After all, 'tis destined that I will overthrow Queen Mab."

"Very well, my child," said Titania. "But before you go, take this with you. It has always given me good fortune in times of peril, and I am certain that 'twill do the same for you."

Lady Titania then handed Morrigain le Fay her magical mirror, the Mirror of Truth. "Thank you, Mother," the latter said.

"Are you prepared to leave?" asked Robin Goodfellow as he approached the two. Morrigain le Fay nodded, and she and Robin Goodfellow then ran to the east side of the Palace of Darkness, where there was rumored to be a secret passageway. The rumors were indeed true, and the two soon found themselves walking through a dark, damp passageway. Moments later, they opened a door that led to a gloomy corridor, whence they chanced to come upon King Asmodeus and the Cacodemon.

"You!" cried the Cacodemon upon spotting Robin Goodfellow. "What are you doing here?"

"Is this the mere mortal that prevented you from disposing of the girl?" asked King Asmodeus sneeringly. "Well, 'twill take nothing but a simple bit of demonry to dispose of him."

Robin Goodfellow drew his sword, Caliburnus, which Lord Oberon had awarded to him before he went out to lead the Seelie army into battle. "Milady, fly and fulfill your destiny with Queen Mab," he said. "I shall remain hither and dispose of these two fools."

Morrigain le Fay followed instructions, rushing down the hallway towards the throne room, where she would soon meet Queen Mab. And as she did this, Robin Goodfellow went into battle with the Cacodemon and King Asmodeus.

"Dispose of that insolent mortal, O Cacodemon," said King Asmodeus coldly, and that was what the demon prepared to do. Gushing at its target with the speed of darkness, it charged at Robin Goodfellow, but the artful latter jumped over the former with ease, but by doing so, he situated himself in between King Asmodeus and the Cacodemon.

"There is no escape, O mortal," bellowed King Asmodeus. "Finish him off once and for all, O Cacodemon!"

With that, the Cacodemon rushed at Robin Goodfellow with blinding speed. Closer and closer it got, but when it finally got to him, Robin Goodfellow swerved to the right, allowing the Cacodemon to pass him and impact upon King Asmodeus, whose soul was unintentionally devoured. Then, with its master dead, the Cacodemon gave out a terrifying screech as a vortex leading to the Pandemoniac Pits appeared below him and sucked him back in.

***

Meanwhile, Morrigain le Fay arrived at the throne room, where she discovered Queen Mab sitting upon her throne with a smug expression upon her evil face.

"I see that you have finally arrived, Morrigain le Fay," said Queen Mab as she waved her hand, magically commanding the door to snap shut. "'Tis a pity though that we shan't get around to proper introductions, as I will have to utterly destroy you."

Queen Mab then sent a streak of magically-conjured darkness at Morrigain le Fay, striking her down to the ground.

"Fool!" cried Queen Mab as she arose from her throne and walked over to Morrigain le Fay, who lay helpless on the ground. "How ever did you think that you could actually stand up to me, the most powerful sorceress in all of Mortal Earth? Now, 'tis time to pay the consequences for your insolence..."

Queen Mab then sent hurtling down at Morrigain le Fay a beam of concentrated Dark Magic. But as it came down at her, the destined universal Faerie Queene quickly and almost instinctively drew from her pouch the Mirror of Truth. She then blocked the stream of magic Queen Mab sent at her with the reflective glass, but instead of merely shattering the mirror, the beam of Dark Magic was reflected back at Queen Mab, who in turn was struck down.

"Wench!" Queen Mab screeched madly as she recovered from the blow. "You shall pay dearly for that!"

"Nay, she shan't," said the Weird Sisters as they suddenly appeared in the room.

"We warned thee against meddling with Fate's plans," said Clotho.

"We warned thee against harming Morrigain le Fay," said Lachesis.

"And thou hast paid no heed to our warnings, Queen Mab," said Atropos.

"Now, 'tis thy time to pay for thy crimes," all three concluded in chorus. They then lifted their hands in the air, and a beam of white light was formed and struck Queen Mab. A bright flash of light surrounded the Dark Queene, and when it dissolved into nothingness, Queen Mab was no more but a pile of cinder and ashes.

"Thank you, miladies," said Morrigain le Fay as she stood to face the Weird Sisters.

"Thank not us, child," said Clotho.

"But thank Fate," continued Lachesis.

"We merely carry through her will," added Atropos.

"Fare well, Morrigain le Fay!" the three then said in chorus. "And my this be a lesson to thee. Never work against against the will of Fate!" With that, they disappeared in another flash of light, never to be seen again in that Age.

Instants later, Robin Goodfellow rushed into the room. "Where, pray tell, is Queen Mab?" he asked.

"She is now a pile of ashes," stated Morrigain le Fay, pointing at the remnants of the Dark Queene.

"Are you all right?"

"Quite so, Robin, quite so. Now, let us leave this wretched palace of gloom."

As you might have imagined, the Seelie army won the war and drove the Unseelie Court out of the Land of Faerie. Soon after that the darkness and gloom was lifted from the Dark Side of Færie. Eventually, Morrigain le Fay was crowned the Faerie Queene of all of the Land of Faerie and Sir Robin Goodfellow became her betrothed. Now, as for this tale, 'tis now...