Author's Note :I am borrowing from several Celtic legends/mythology.  I will
give credit where due.
In the prolog I am borrowing the Celtic Goddess Macha.  She was alleged to be
a  war goddess  who's royal stronghold was Emain Mhacha who fought and
ensnared five brothers who she used as slaves to build this fort.  She was
also believed to be the goddess who cultivated crops.  I am changing the myth
a bit and giving her power to create animals.

Summary:  Willow, Spike, Aaron and Giles at the beginning of time.  This
story is a pre-quell to my Blue Moon Love Series.
*****
Prologue:

The Goddess Macha was weary.  She had been in conflict with the five O'Floinn
brothers over Emain Mhacha her personal domain.  Macha had sought them out
one by one on their hunting ground.  She had enticed four of the five
brothers into her forest and bound each one in turn to her in servitude.  She
had the four O'Floinn's building a mighty fort on Emain Mhacha.  This fort
would make Emain Mhacha invincible to others seeking her domain.

The fifth and last brother Adomnan, was proving to be more difficult.  Macha
was unsuccessful in seducing him.  She knew she needed a plan to conquer this
stubborn mortal.  Macha slept in her alcazar, in the glade where the magic
waterfall coursed.  Upon awaking Macha knew what her plan was to be.

She would bring into being, two creatures, one to lure the stupid mortal and
one to bring about its death.  The man Adomnan liked to hunt.  Macha would
create a sly female fox to lure the mortal.  Macha would create a dragon to
inhabit the hidden cave behind the waterfall.  When the fox lured the mortal
into the glade the dragon would charge from behind the waterfall and slay
him.  Macha smiled at her brilliance.      < Now how to get the two stupid
creatures to do her bidding? >

Macha decided to ensure the mutual cooperation of the creatures by giving
them one mortal soul to share between them.  They would know one another's
thought and desires.   The soul would feel complete together. They would
serve her or bear her wrath.  By having one mortal soul Macha knew she could
intimidate both creatures' true animal natures to subservience by threatening
the life of the other.   Macha's experience with mortals was that they would
do anything to save their souls.

At dawn Macha called upon her powers and created a fox.  She was lithe and
had  a red silky coat.  Macha gave the fox emerald eyes; the same color as
her lush glade.  She made the fox cunning and fearless.  The dragon she
called forth from the underworld.  He was large and muscular. Macha gave the
dragon ice blue eyes; the same color as her waterfall frozen in winter. She
made the dragon loyal and impulsive.
Last Macha gave the two creatures one brand new mortal soul.  Macha knew she
would have to wait several days for the new beings to adapt to their
surroundings and each other.  She would be patient a little longer.
 

Green eyes looked at lush, green foliage.  She sensed a small animal; hunger
gnawed in her belly.  She  picked up the sent of her prey and took off in
pursuit through the dark green vines and ferns.  She captured the small mole
and snapped its neck with her long powerful snout.  She licked her lips and
groomed the animal's blood off her coat. She smelled water nearby.  The fox
came upon a large cascading waterfall.  The sound of the water crashing
deafened her acute hearing.  She lapped the cold water.

The dragon looked out with icy blue eyes from behind the cascading waterfall.
He had explored the glade and learned the boundaries of his realm.  As a
creature of the underworld he knew he could exist only within an enchanted
place.    He saw a blur of red and something deep within him quivered.  He
slowly moved from the cave through the waterfall, he was hungry.

The fox didn't hear the dragon at first, she smelled him and her heart began
to race, she lifted her eyes and at the base of the falls he stood poised as
if ready to strike.   Her instincts told her to flee for her life as this
large animal could devour her.  She looked at him with her green eyes and was
met by  his clear blue ones.  She felt a strange tremor. They stared at one
another frozen for what seemed like an eternity.  His size and power awed
her.  He had razor sharp teeth and his scales, glinted and dropped water the
same color as his eyes.  The dragon watched the fox with admiration; he
envied her grace and beauty.  The dragon knew he was powerful but ungainly
and looked fierce.  His animal intent was to slay this creature but he could
do nothing but stare at her.  The fox felt the strange tremors increase as
she looked into the dragon's eyes.  She heeded her animal instinct and fled.
She was aware as she fled that the animal was hungry and she felt empathy for
this large creature.

The next morning the dragon came out from his cave and found two freshly
killed rabbits on the riverbank.  He moved as quickly as his limbs would
carry him.  He looked around suspiciously.  He could feel eyes watching him
but couldn't smell any prey.  He bent down and sniffed the animal carcasses.
He caught the sent of the female fox.  He felt a quiver deep within his body.
He ate the offered bounty and growled deep in his throat his contentment.
The fox felt another tremor course through her body.

The next day the fox drove a small fawn into the glade.  The dragon had been
watching for the fox and charged out of the cave and slayed the young fawn.
He saw the fox panting and glistening from her exertions.  The dragon ate
part of the fawn and moved back to allow the fox to claim her prize.  The fox
watched the dragon with trepidation.  She slowly crept up to the dead animal
and ate her fill, watching the dragon watch her.  The dragon watched the fox
eat and drink her fill.  He watched the woodland creature groom and preen her
fur upon the knoll overlooking the river.  He felt himself unusually sated
and comfortable.  The fox felt protected and drifted off into a peaceful
slumber.

Macha returned to the glade and explained to the two creatures that she was
responsible for their creation.  Macha explained her mission for the
creatures.  The fox's heart beat in fear.  She knew that to challenge or
tease hunters would very likely lead to her death.  The dragon felt the fox's
fear and growled at the Goddess in warning.  Macha laughed, "how very mortal"
she scoffed.  She explained that if the fox didn't lure the hunter into the
glade she would send the dragon back to the underworld.  She made known to
the dragon that if he was unsuccessful in killing the man, she would torture
the fox to death just outside the
the enchanted glade where he could witness the results of his impotence.  The
dragon was filled with rage at his creator.  The fox's worry bloomed into
concern for the dragon. She knew what she had to do. The dragon knew what he
had to do.

The fox had never run so fast.  She could hear the baying hounds hot on her
heels. Her heart felt like it would leap from her small body. Her limbs ached
with exertion.  She was almost upon the glade.
The dragon stalked impatiently in the glade awaiting her return.  He smelled
her sent first then heard the sound of the dogs.  She broke through the trees
and dashed past him. The dogs smelled the dragon and split off from the
charge and whined in terror.  The man, Adomnan ran into the clearing and was
surprised by the dragon.  The dragon used his powerful claws to knock the man
down and leaned down to finish the man.

Adomnan cursed the dragon.  If you shall kill me I will come back to hunt you
down and kill you, and I shall chase the other until I possess her and
destroy her also.  The dragon snapped the mortal man and left his broken body
for his mistress Macha.
 

Macha gloated to the O'Floinn brothers her success in destroying their kin.
The brother's raged and swore vengeance upon their brother's killer.  The
brother's knew they were powerless to stop Macha but banded together to hunt
the creatures that killed their brother.

The fox ran faster and faster but couldn't escape the hounds and the men who
chased her.  Her thoughts went to the mighty dragon.  If only she could see
him once more.  The men fired their weapons and two hit her small body.   The
dragon sensed the fox's mortal injury and growled in fury. He raced to the
edge of his enchanted glade and waiting to see her once again.  The fox
limped into the glade and collapsed at his feet.  He leaned down and gently
licked the blood off her coat.  The fox's green eyes looked into his blue
ones, sighed heavily and died.  The dragon howled his pain.  The four men
stopped and looked at the menacing Dragon expecting him to retreat or attack.
The dragon simply lay down next to the small fox passively.  The men
attacked and killed the dragon imagining it was Macha.
*****
Read Dragon's Lair