Prologue One

A girl stood on a hillside overlooking Mam Tor, in the Peak District, England. It was twilight, her hair flying around in the misty rain and the wind. She cupped her hands and called up her magic.

"Thoth I call to you, creator of magic. Show me your wisdom. Guide my movements..."

She stood in Weatherly Park in Sunnydale, California. Summoning her own magic, speaking the words memorized for so long.

"Guide my movements oh Thoth, take me to the other world..."

The two girl's words mixed:

"Bring the course of the light to view. Show us the path of the darkness. Guide our pathway through the dark, and back to the light. Give us the gift of your protection."

The magic faded, and the girl in England turned to the Watcher's Council. "It is time," she said, "The Master is arisen. The Slayer's path is clear".

The leader turned to her and said, "Anne, you must go to California and find the deserter before she ruins everything".

"Yes sir!" Anne responded, taking her plane ticket and leaving.

Four men stood by an armored truck. "Be prepared for dispatch. Buffy Summers must be eliminated at all costs".

"There's nothing we enjoy more than taking down rogue Slayers, sir."

They all left leaving Quentin and Mrs. Giles alone on the hillside.

"Do you really think this is right?" she asked.

"Mrs. Giles, I understand your emotional attachment to this affair. The Watcher is your grandson, but we can't afford to allow a Slayer to become a renegade. The Master will become inescapable with her aid".

"Buffy Summer hasn't even turned to the darkness yet, and you are already condemning her. Maybe the signs are wrong. She was strong enough to defeat him the first time, she maybe again".

"Like the signs were wrong when William the Bloody and his insane offspring attacked us!"

"Since that attack we have been wrong several times. Losing so many Slayers at once, we never even found Buffy before her calling. She is special; she will stop him. I know she will". Mrs. Giles pleaded, "Just give her time".

"Very well, I will allow her once lunar month, after that if she shows signs of being seduced she will be destroyed. Anne will take over".

"Anne! Your true savior, she doesn't even have any in the field experience! You lost your only hope of winning this war when you turned aside that Irish girl. She had the power. Compared to her, this Anne is nothing!"

"Calm yourself, the signs are true. Anne will win this battle".

"Anne will die trying!" she snapped.